Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C February 17, 2019

First Reading
Jeremiah 17:5-8
Put trust and hope in the Lord, not in human beings.

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 1:1-4,6
Blessed are those who follow the law of the Lord.

Second Reading
1 Corinthians 15:12,16-20
Our hope for resurrection is sure because Christ has been raised from the
dead.

Gospel Reading
Luke 6:17,20-26
Jesus teaches the crowd the way to happiness.

Jesus came down with the twelve
and stood on a stretch of level ground
with a great crowd of his disciples
and a large number of the people
from all Judea and Jerusalem
and the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon.
And raising his eyes toward his disciples he said:
"Blessed are you who are poor,
for the kingdom of God is yours.
Blessed are you who are now hungry,
for you will be satisfied.
Blessed are you who are now weeping,
for you will laugh.
Blessed are you when people hate you,
and when they exclude and insult you,
and denounce your name as evil
on account of the Son of Man.
Rejoice and leap for joy on that day!
Behold, your reward will be great in heaven.
For their ancestors treated the prophets in the same way.
But woe to you who are rich,
for you have received your consolation.
Woe to you who are filled now,
for you will be hungry.
Woe to you who laugh now,
for you will grieve and weep.
Woe to you when all speak well of you,
for their ancestors treated the false
prophets in this way."


Background on the Gospel Reading

Last Sunday we heard Jesus call Peter to be his disciple. Jesus then
travels with Peter and the other disciples. Luke reports acts of healing
(a person with leprosy and a paralytic man) and the call of Levi, the tax
collector. Jesus also replies to questions from the Pharisees regarding
fasting and the observance of the Sabbath. In the verses immediately
before today's gospel reading, Jesus is reported to have chosen 12 men
from among his disciples to be apostles. Apostle is a Greek word that
means "one who is sent."

Today's gospel reading is the beginning of what is often called the Sermon
on the Plain. We find a parallel to this passage in Matthew 5:1-7,11 that
is often called the Sermon on the Mount. As these titles suggest, there
are differences and similarities between these gospel readings.

When spoken from the mountaintop in Matthew's Gospel, we can't miss the
impression that Jesus is speaking with the authority and voice of God. The
mountaintop is a symbol of closeness to God. Those who ascend the mountain
see God and speak for God; recall the story of Moses and the Ten
Commandments. As Luke introduces the location of Jesus' teaching, Jesus
teaches on level ground, alongside the disciples and the crowd. Luke
presents Jesus' authority in a different light. He is God among us.

Another distinction found in Luke's version is the audience. Luke's Sermon
on the Plain is addressed to Jesus' disciples, although in the presence of
the crowd; Matthew's Sermon on the Mount is addressed to the crowd. In
keeping with this style, the Beatitudes in Luke's Gospel sound more
personal than those in Matthew's Gospel—Luke uses the article "you"
whereas Matthew uses "they" or "those." There is also a difference in
number: Matthew describes eight beatitudes; Luke presents just four, each
of which has a parallel warning.

The form of the Beatitudes found in Luke's and Matthew's Gospel is not
unique to Jesus. Beatitudes are found in the Old Testament, such as in the
Psalms and in Wisdom literature. They are a way to teach about who will
find favor with God. The word blessed in this context might be translated
as "happy," "fortunate," or "favored."

As we listen to this Gospel, the Beatitudes jar our sensibilities. Those
who are poor, hungry, weeping, or persecuted are called blessed. This is,
indeed, a Gospel of reversals. Those often thought to have been forgotten
by God are called blessed. In the list of "woes," those whom we might
ordinarily describe as blessed by God are warned about their peril.
Riches, possessions, laughter, reputation . . . these are not things that
we can depend upon as sources of eternal happiness. They not only fail to
deliver on their promise; our misplaced trust in them will lead to our
demise. The ultimate peril is in misidentifying the source of our eternal
happiness.

The Beatitudes are often described as a framework for Christian living.
Our vocation as Christians is not to be first in this world, but rather to
be first in the eyes of God. We are challenged to examine our present
situation in the context of our ultimate horizon, the Kingdom of God.


Family Connection

Today's Gospel offers a contrast to many of the messages we hear in our
society today. If we were to accept uncritically the "get ahead" messages
of our culture, we would think that happiness means having money, being
successful, and having many possessions. In this way, we are not unlike
the people who heard Jesus teach on the day that he taught the Beatitudes.
They too associated happiness with possessions and success. The report of
the Beatitudes in Luke's Gospel, however, takes things one step further.
Not only will we not find happiness through the "get ahead" messages of
the world, but relying upon these messages will cause us harm. The
warnings spoken are particularly challenging because they suggest that our
way of life must change if we are to gain the lasting happiness of eternal
life.

Talk together as a family about what society tells us makes a person
successful. Make a list of the traits that you associate with a successful
person. Then read together today's Gospel, Luke 6:17,20-26. Reflect on
Jesus' description of blessedness in the Kingdom of God. Then consider the
warnings. Why are these surprising and challenging? What, then, is the
measure of success in the Kingdom of God? Together write prayers of
petition based on your discussion. Pray these prayers together, asking God
to help your family seek the blessings of the Kingdom of God.


Sources: Loyola Press; Sunday Readings