6TH SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME HOMILY – YEAR C 2025
JUST A FEW BEATITUDES ON THE PLAIN, AND A FEW MORE LATER!
Lk 6.17,20-26 Jer 17.5-8 1Cor 15.12,16-20
There’s nothing like variety and diversity, as I look at ministry this past week. It’s just as well I didn’t have to do any of the 3 funerals here, with 2 Ethics Committee meetings and 4 reports to present, Opening Mass for over 1,000 young ladies and staff at St Columba’s, then the Northern Region Principals here for Mass on Friday. I also met up with 2 happy young couples for marriage chats. Finally, yesterday, a visit to 3 classes of Grade 2’s, to whom I showed my upper false teeth, after reading them a story titled “Grandad’s Teeth”, as a means of reminding them to look after their teeth, as we only get one set of adult teeth, for which the tooth fairy doesn’t come when they fall out. What’s more, third teeth are no fun, even if for me it’s too late, with the glass beside my bed every night!!
Then there was the sad news of the premature death of an old and dear friend Marian van Grieken, at 67, who led the music and liturgy when I was PP at North Glen Waverley in the 1990’s.
Now, to the Gospel. In the last few weeks, we’ve heard things said about Christian priorities, as a futile and false attempt to justify cutting international aid. In many places, it has been contributing to the betterment of the lives of so many in dire need and suffering, in different parts of the world, in so many different ways, the basic necessities of food, medical care, infrastructure, education and social welfare. And yet, at the same time, such types will pontificate about right to life issues, but with little regard for the right to life at all levels of human existence, from conception to the grave.
One argument used was a distortion of the great 13th century Dominican theologian, Thomas Aquinas (buried in Toulouse France, just near the Airbus factory!). He was quoted as teaching there is an ordo amoris, or a priority of ‘rightly ordered’ love, that family comes first, then friends, fellow citizens and then further afield, those others, maybe some of whom might be in need.
There is an implicit mentality that it’s their problem, even self-inflicted, by being born in the wrong place at the wrong time, so it’s a sort of deterministic rationalization for not doing anything about improving the situation!!
It’s true that we can’t deny, in our own lives, we naturally have a primary concern for and affinity with our own families and friends, but we also know that Gospel values require us to look further, and to see our responsibilities to those beyond our immediate environment. We can’t just live in a protected bubble, ignorant of all else that goes on.
Pope Francis reacted rather quickly, in saying that Jesus commands us to see all humans as of equal importance in the eyes of God, and that there is no justification for separating out hierarchies or ‘lowerarchies’ of who is more important than whom! As he sees it: “Christian love is not a concentric expansion of interests, that, little by little extend to other persons and groups… The true ordo amoris that must be promoted is that which we discover by meditating constantly on the parable of the Good Samaritan.” (Try trumping that!) Our common humanity is the foundation of the responsibility of all for providing care and support, material and spiritual, for those who are in need. And all of this is in the spirit of today’s Gospel.
So, now we have Luke’s abbreviated version of the Beatitudes, down on the plain, not on the mount! He only has 4, compared to Matthew’s 8, concerned about the materially poor, the hungry, those who mourn, and those who are given a hard time and rejected or even hated because they follow the way of Jesus, determined to follow the way of the kingdom he proclaims. Luke only mentions the kingdom once, while Matthew repeats the word 8 times, to emphasise the fact that it is here and now for those who commit to Jesus, and it’s all about justice, love and peace, so much in need of in our current world.
Then there is the negative follow-up with the woes, the warnings to the wealthy, those having a good time, and laughing all the way to and from the bank, and loving to be flattered and spoken well of by others. These are the things that offer temporary satisfaction and pleasure, but won’t last forever, and the warning is that there will be a heavy price to pay in the longer term, particularly for ignoring others in need.
Nor do we need to take things too literally, as we do need to have a laugh; in fact, a good sense of humour (GSOH) is an important asset. And we do need to provide security for ourselves and those whom we love, but that’s not where it ends. It’s all about finding a balance for a good and fulfilling life, living Gospel values. There is nothing wrong in enjoying life when and how we can, but not at the expense of others!
Also, in 2016, Pope Francis offered a few extra beatitudes, which are worth a mention too: “Blessed are those who see God in every person and strive to make others also discover him. Blessed are those who protect and care for or common home. Blessed are those who renounce their own comfort in order to help others. Blessed are those who pray and work for full communion between Christians.”
The Beatitudes focus on internal attitudes, while the Ten Commandments focus on external actions. What to be versus what not to do! It’s not that the commandments don’t have a place, but external imposition and observance is not an adequate or satisfactory response for the true Christian, whose words and actions must come from the heart, in sincerity and truth.
And Catholic social teaching is clear that we all have a shared responsibility to make our world a better place by seeking the truth, working for justice and being generous of spirit, near and far.
john hannon 16th February 2025
As Brendan Byrne SJ says: “God is on the side of the poor and marginalised rather than the rich and powerful… So Jesus is not endorsing poverty or hunger as though they were good things in themselves… They are evils to be eradicated… What the Beatitudes basically call for is a preparedness to be vulnerable in the light of this understanding of God and God’s faithfulness.” And so to act accordingly, in positive ways, to address these issues of need.
And Claude Mostowik MSC adds his thoughts: “Jesus’ proclamation of the Beatitudes is radically contradicting the status quo. God is impressed by faith, compassion, kindness and love, not wealth and good fortune. Jesus shows us the vision of the world where no-one is privileged at the expense of others – where no-one is oppressed, subjugated or marginalised… Jesus pronounces a blessing on those who are insulted, ill-treated, hated, excluded, or suffer rejection for following his distributively just vision for humanity. He tells us to take courage.”