Blessed are those who mourn

The Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time – Year A 

Collect

Grant us, Lord our God, that we may honour you with all our mind, and love everyone in truth of heart. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Zep 2:3; 3:12-13

I will leave in your midst a people humble and lowly.

A reading from the Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Seek the LORD, all you humble of the earth,
   who have observed his law;
seek justice, seek humility;
   perhaps you may be sheltered
   on the day of the LORD’s anger.

But I will leave as a remnant in your midst
   a people humble and lowly,
who shall take refuge in the name of the LORD:
   the remnant of Israel.
They shall do no wrong
   and speak no lies;
nor shall there be found in their mouths
   a deceitful tongue;
they shall pasture and couch their flocks
   with none to disturb them.

The word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 146:6-7, 8-9, 9-10

R. :

℟. (Mt 5:3) Blessed are the poor in spirit; the kingdom of heaven is theirs!
  or:
℟. Alleluia.

The LORD keeps faith forever,
   secures justice for the oppressed,
   gives food to the hungry.
The LORD sets captives free.

℟. Blessed are the poor in spirit; the kingdom of heaven is theirs!
  or:
℟. Alleluia.

The LORD gives sight to the blind;
   the LORD raises up those who were bowed down.
The LORD loves the just;
   the LORD protects strangers.

℟. Blessed are the poor in spirit; the kingdom of heaven is theirs!
  or:
℟. Alleluia.

The fatherless and the widow the LORD sustains,
   but the way of the wicked he thwarts.
The LORD shall reign forever;
   your God, O Zion, through all generations. Alleluia.

℟. Blessed are the poor in spirit; the kingdom of heaven is theirs!
  or:
℟. Alleluia.

Second Reading
1 Cor 1:26-31

God chose the weak of the world.

A reading from the first Letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians

Consider your own calling, brothers and sisters.
Not many of you were wise by human standards,
   not many were powerful,
   not many were of noble birth.
Rather, God chose the foolish of the world to shame the wise,
   and God chose the weak of the world to shame the strong,
   and God chose the lowly and despised of the world,
   those who count for nothing,
   to reduce to nothing those who are something,
   so that no human being might boast before God.
It is due to him that you are in Christ Jesus,
   who became for us wisdom from God,
   as well as righteousness, sanctification, and redemption,
   so that, as it is written,
   “Whoever boasts, should boast in the Lord.”

The word of the Lord.

Acclamation before the Gospel
Mt 5:12a

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Rejoice and be glad;
your reward will be great in heaven.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel
Mt 5:1-12a

Blessed are the poor in spirit.

✠ A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain,
   and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him.
He began to teach them, saying:
   “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
      for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
   Blessed are they who mourn,
      for they will be comforted.
   Blessed are the meek,
      for they will inherit the land.
   Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
      for they will be satisfied.
   Blessed are the merciful,
      for they will be shown mercy.
   Blessed are the clean of heart,
      for they will see God.
   Blessed are the peacemakers,
      for they will be called children of God.
   Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,
      for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
   Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you
      and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me.
   Rejoice and be glad,
      for your reward will be great in heaven.”

At the end of the Gospel, the Deacon, or the Priest, acclaims:

The Gospel of the Lord.

All reply:

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Reflection

Every Christian is called to live in the world but not of the world. Often, this means going against the current. Last Sunday we read how Jesus called his disciples to follow him and become ‘fishers of men,’ to collaborate with him to save those swept along by the current. To participate in this mission, a disciple must remain close to the Master, listening with an open heart and allowing His Word to take root. This is the image the Gospel presents this Sunday: “He went up on the mountain, and when he sat down his disciples came to him. And he opened his mouth and taught them …” (vv. 1-2).

The journey of the disciple who accepts Jesus’ invitation to follow him begins with conversion, and continues along the path of the Beatitudes, the path of loving God and neighbour that, as taught to us by Jesus, leads to true joy. We can say that the qualities described in the Beatitudes reflect Jesus’ own character. Every disciple striving to live a Christian life should engrave these teachings in their heart and do their best to embody them.

The poor in spirit are blessed because they are humble and unattached to material wealth. They offer everything with love, possessing nothing yet having everything, for Christ reigns in their hearts. Even in sorrow and suffering, a joyful person’s hope is in God. God grieves at evil, feels our pain, and stands with those who suffer. The Kingdom of Heaven is built on meekness and humility. Those gentle of heart are not weak, but resilient in facing life’s challenges. True disciples do not repay violence with violence or injustice but seek peaceful solutions.

Jesus calls blessed those who long for righteousness, work for peace and show mercy to those who falter or are in need. Blessed are those who allow Christ to dwell within them and allow His Word to purify their hearts. They are sincere in all their undertakings, and perform their duties for the love of Christ. The people of the Kingdom must be courageous and unafraid to accomplish good works, even when they are ridiculed or misunderstood by others around them.

The Christian life is a constant choice between the values of the Kingdom of Heaven and the world’s pursuit of power, wealth, and pleasure. We can only live as God desires through the Holy Spirit within us. A daily self-examination helps us reflect on our choices. The Beatitudes are the path to life—blessed are we if we live by them!

Prayer

How precious is your steadfast love, O God!
All people may take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
They feast on the abundance of your house,
and you give them drink from the river of your delights.
For with you is the fountain of life;
in your light we see light.

O continue your steadfast love to those who know you,
and your salvation to the upright of heart!

(Psalm 36, 7-10)

 

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