Year C – Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

If anyone said to us, “You are blest because you are poor, hungry, sad and rejected”, we would think that person was crazy. Worldly wisdom says: “Get more money, and be happy!” How can Jesus say: “Happy are you who are poor?!” Why can’t Jesus be reasonable? What is truly a blessing and what is a curse? May His Word touch our hearts.

In today’s first reading Jeremiah puts the choices we have to make plainly before us. We have to live either for God or against Him. We either trust God or we trust in ourselves and in human beings. “Cursed are those who trust in mere mortals and make mere flesh their strength, whose hearts turn away from the Lord.” The image of the bad man or woman is that of dry scrub, sparse vegetation in the wastelands and of winnowed chaff. On the other hand, the image of a good person is that of a tree by the water’s edge; its leaves never fade and it is fruitful even in drought. The reading reflects on what is a blessing and what is a disaster or a curse. The tree by running waters, the person of faith grows little by little, while the bush in the desert, being shallow gives up. The person whose hope is in everything but the Lord is insolent, and is courting disaster in the long run. Most people are a combination of both the bad and the good. Often we consider having all the luxuries of life to be a tremendous blessing and that may be so; and on the other hand we look at the misfortunes that befall us and the deprivations we have as disasters and they may not be so at all. Am I looking for the blessings of God or preoccupied with getting only the good things of life?

Synopsis of the film ‘Shine’

David Helfgott is an Australian child prodigy, a pianist whose father, Peter instills in him a love for music. Peter a Polish Jew who survived the Holocaust, has bitter memories of his own violin being smashed by his father and he tightly controls David’s musical training. When David wins the scholarship to study in the United States, his father persuades him to turn it down and stay at home. When David is invited to study at the Royal Academy of Music in London, he defies his father and accepts. Peter is tormented by memories of how the Holocaust tore his family apart and is determined that nothing will break up his family, not even his son’s musical education. David however enjoys studying at the Academy, but while playing in public, he collapses and has a nervous breakdown. Back in Australia, David is institutionalized and goes many years without seeing his family. His father eventually comes to visit him but walks out leaving David’s gold medal on the table. When David is released, he plays the piano in restaurants in Perth. Sylvia the manager of one of them, befriends David and takes him on a holiday. Eventually David gives a successful performance, goes on the concert circuit and visits his father’s grave. ‘ The Scriptures today both from Jeremiah and the responsorial psalm highlight the contrast between a blessing and a curse. Pianist David Helfgott and his dominant father show us the fruit of blessings and the pain and curse of conflict as a metaphor for the difference between good and evil, hope and despair. — Peter Malone in Lights, Camera’ Faith! A Movie Lectionary

Why should we look for happiness in Christ’s way rather than in the world’s way’ In the second reading Paul gives us part of the answer. He says if our hope in Christ is limited to this life only we are the most pitiable of men. If we believe that this life is all that matters then life itself makes no sense. It is the resurrection of Jesus that gave meaning to his life and death and it puts meaning into choosing God and trusting in him rather than trusting in ourselves and others. It is what is beyond, what is to come that gives meaning to everything that we experience in this life. Rabindranath Tagore, renowned Indian philosopher and poet, said, “Death is not extinguishing the light, it is putting out the lamp because the dawn has come.”

In today’s gospel of Luke, Jesus puts before us his manifesto, the beatitudes, his challenge to live either for him or to follow the way of the world. While Matthew and Mark have Jesus ascending the mountain to propose the beatitudes, Luke has Jesus descending from the mountain to the plains to propose the beatitudes to the people who had come to listen to him. Jesus coming down the mountain reminds us that what he proposes is from God. Jesus comes down from the mountain to be with his people, not merely to be on their level but to invite them to rise to the challenge that will lift them up to God.

Secondly, when Luke proposes the beatitudes Jesus looks at his disciples and looks at the crowd and says: “You are blessed who are poor, you are blessed who are hungry’ ..who weep now’. who are persecuted for yours is the kingdom of heaven.” What exactly does Jesus mean’ Luke, unlike the others evangelists does not speak of the ‘poor in spirit’ but ‘blessed are you who are poor’. Is Jesus glorifying poverty’ Is Jesus saying that you are blessed if you are hungry, sad, weeping and rejected’

“The word ‘poor’ in biblical times could be used in four different ways. The word could be used as we use it: to refer to those people who were without material wealth. Second, because these people were without material wealth, they were also without influence and power. They were without clout. The word ‘poor’ could refer to those who were helpless and without influence. Third, because these people were helpless they were often oppressed and exploited. This is the third meaning of the word ‘poor’. Fourth, because these people were without wealth, without help, and without protection, many of them put all their trust in God. This gave rise to the fourth and final meaning of the word ‘poor’. It described those persons who put their total trust in God.” -Mark Link

Jesus is thus calling the ‘poor’ blessed because they have nothing and no one to rely on but only God. Blessed are those who rely on God alone. We could ask ourselves on what or on whom do we rely on’ We are constantly bombarded by advertisements asking us to rely on the things they are putting forth to satisfy our needs. “If you want to be attractive use this shampoo!” ” If you want to be a go-getter use this car” “If you want security invest in this policy!” We often succumb to the lure of advertisements only to find that they do not live up to their promises. We also rely on our colleagues, on our friends, on people of influence, on our government, which makes so many promises but often these promises made by people and institutions are never realized for one reason or another. In today’s gospel Jesus himself makes a promise: “You will be blessed, when you are poor, when you weep, when you go hungry, when you are rejected’” Is it just an empty promise, will it be realized’ The guarantee of these promises being fulfilled is Jesus himself. If we rely on Jesus we will discover that in spite of being helpless, in spite of being in need, in spite of being in mourning, we can be blessed. Who are poor and who are rich’ Who are really happy and who are sad’

Who are blind and who can see?

A true story is told of an old man who moved from a quiet rural farm to the fast-moving New York city. He never really adjusted to the roads moving in all directions. One day, late in the evening, he traveled into the city to do some shopping, but when walking back to catch his bus everything went pitch black. It took him a few moments to realize that there had been a power failure. There he was surrounded by children wailing, women crying, horns blowing ‘ a torrent of chaos. The old man stood trembling. How could he possibly cross a road safely without the help of traffic lights’ How long would it be before someone attacked him’ It was then that someone took his arm and asked him where he lived. The old man gave the name of the street. The other began to lead him into the chaos. They safely crossed the streets, passed by all signs of danger. When at last they arrived at the old man’s quarters, the old man said: “I don’t understand. How were you able to walk through all this’” “But this is what I do every night,” the other man replied. “You see, I’m blind.” — Harold Buetow in God Still Speaks: Listen!

Give Jesus a try and discover Life!