Homily of the 4th Sunday in Ordinary Time
By Fr Oluwafemi Victor Orilua CSSp
Zephaniah 2:3; 3:12-13, 1 Corinthians 1:26-31, Matthew 5:1-12a
Celebrating our blessedness is all about self-acceptance, being happy with the choices we have made for the sake of God. It is about the joy we experience as people who live their lives as members of God’s own household.
As Christians, there are some criteria that define if we are truly on the same page with Jesus or not. As followers of Christ, there are some truths which we must make our own. These magna carta of Jesus are presented to us today in the Gospel. When Jesus saw the crowd gathered around Him, He withdrew to the mountain. There, He was with His disciples, and He began to teach them. This sermon can rightly be described as the template of Christian discipleship.
Jesus sat down to address His disciples, a gesture signifies an official and authoritative teaching, similar to the way the Pope teaches ex cathedra. And the opening of His mouth further emphasizes the solemn nature of the message, words spoken deliberately and flowing from the very heart of Jesus.
In this teaching, Jesus proclaimed a type of blessedness that describes the unshakable joy of the Christian life. The word used is the Greek makarios. This blessedness does not merely point to a future reward but refers to a joy already experienced here and now, a joy that will reach its fullness in heaven.
The Lord declared blessed the poor, those who mourn, the meek, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, and those persecuted for righteousness’ sake.
Let us reflect on one of these: “Blessed are the poor in spirit.”
The Greek word used for “poor” in this passage is ptōchos which refers to abject poverty, complete dependence, and utter helplessness. It simply points to those who recognize their need and place their total trust in God. Hence, we say, “Blessed are those who have realized their own utter helplessness and have placed their entire trust in God.” Our dependence in God forms the basis of our boast, as Paul puts it, “…..Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” 1 Corinthians 1:26-3
This does not mean that material things are evil, but that they are secondary. God is everything. Moreover, Jesus is not glorifying poverty itself; rather, He is calling us to detach from materialism and to rely fully on God in all that we do.
When we detach ourselves from material things:
- We enjoy inner freedom and worry less.
- We understand that God alone is enough. He remains our sole provider.
- We possess a lasting joy that comes from God and not from what we possess.
- It helps us to know what truly matters in life- God, People and our mission in life. It brings clarity.
- It opens the door for grace in our life, because the less we cling to things, the more space we create for God to work in us and through us.
Hence, as we reflect on our life in Christ, may we come to understand what truly matters, and may we receive the wisdom to recognize the hand of God in all that we encounter. Through Christ our Lord. Amen
