Wednesday of the Twenty-third Week in Ordinary Tim

Wednesday of the Twenty-third Week in Ordinary Time

Lk 6:20-26

In one of the poor villages in Vietnam, people often gathered for prayers and Masses. Living in close-knit communities, they knew each other well and frequently did things together. Sometimes, non-Catholic friends—many of whom were Buddhist—joined them for prayer and Mass. On one occasion, the priest read the Gospel passage we have today, and after the Mass, the non-Catholic friends expressed their confusion. They wondered why Jesus would say that the poor, the hungry, the weeping, and those who are persecuted are blessed, while woe is pronounced upon the rich. In their view, it seemed more logical to say that blessed are the rich and woe to the poor, as many in our society believe that wealth is a sign of divine blessing.

In a world where wealth, privilege, and power are highly sought after, it can be difficult to understand how poverty, hunger, and persecution could be avenues of blessing. Yet, this is precisely what Jesus is teaching us through the Beatitudes. They reverse worldly notions of happiness, revealing that true blessedness is not found in material wealth, gratification, or fame but in a relationship with God and in the values of the kingdom of God.

Jesus is speaking about the blessedness of the kingdom of God, which transcends earthly measures of success and happiness. He teaches that the more we let go of worldly attachments, the closer we come to God and the richness of the heavenly kingdom. As the missionary Jim Elliot, who was martyred by the Auca people in Ecuador, famously said, “He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”

This does not mean that earthly blessings are not gifts from God. Indeed, they are, but they are given to us with a purpose. The purpose of our blessings is to build up the kingdom of God here on earth. They are meant to beshared, and through this sharing, we connect with each other and with God, contributing to the building of His kingdom.

May we be inspired to share what we have been given, so that we may be rich in heaven.

May God bless us all as we strive to live out these teachings.