IV Sunday in Ordinary Time

 

Submission to the blog of Dcn. Thomas Tortorella for the IV Sunday in Ordinary Time by Rev. Fr. Arthur F. Rojas © All Rights Reserved © January 24, 2023 

Scripture readings can be found at Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time | USCCB

For much of our history, Americans have been raised in a “can-do” culture, as shown in the series of books by Horatio Alger, attitudes such as “rugged individualism,” and sayings such as “pulling yourself up by your bootstraps” and “where there is a will, there is a way.” In contrast, the Beatitudes (Mt 5, also Lk 6) and the other readings of today in the Ordinary Form may challenge our view of the world because many of our ancestors or even a few of us came to America in search of a better life here on Earth if not for ourselves, then for our children. Our goals – while they may be good in themselves – may lead us to focus on mostly material improvements in this life at the expense of preparing for eternity, one that is hopefully with God and not apart from Him. Furthermore, the “pragmatic” philosophy of John Dewey (“whatever works” is only a slight exaggeration) have led us Americans at times to an attitude of “the end justifies the means” about that we choose or why we think the way we do on various subjects. Finally, the legacy of the “progressives” of the early 20th century and their exaltation of governance by technical experts have led many of us to overly place our trust in “experts” whose agenda may be obscured by their seemingly impressive credentials whilst the moral values of ordinary people (and their liberties) may be marginalized. Sometimes, calls to blindly “follow the science” may cause us to compromise or even lose our faith. In the first reading, the prophet Zephaniah advises how to prepare for judgment by the Lord and it appears that the Lord is not pleased with human affairs on Earth. Despite many scientific and technological advances over millennia, it seems that human character has changed not nearly as much since the time of Zephaniah. As Christians who possess the fullness of Christianity, committed Catholics should behave concretely in virtuous ways as outlined by the first reading. What do our neighbors see in us who hold ourselves as Catholics? The Responsorial Psalm points to the “poor in spirit” in Psalm 146, a term that shall be magnified by Our Lord in the Beatitudes in Matthew 5, the source of our Gospel reading today, and Luke 6. To be “poor in spirit” is to live in gratitude to God, the Source of blessing to each and all of us, and to be masters of our goods – both tangible and intangible – by our demonstrated readiness to be charitable with them. Writing his first letter to the Christians at Corinth, St. Paul demonstrates the mercy and the power of God from His calling people to holiness whom we may be tempted to regard as “losers”: the weak, the despised, and the poor and marginalized. The second reading reminds us that God calls us Catholics not because He needs us but because we need His call to holiness so that we might be transformed and thus glorify God by our cooperation with His power in our lives and through those fruits in our lives, to bring others to Him in this life with an eye to eternity. Our Lord concludes with the seeming contradictions of the Beatitudes in today’s Gospel. His listing sounds different from so many self-help books and concepts that sell us different ways to “success.” It is very hard – at least to me – to reconcile the “prosperity gospel” preaching of Joel Osteen, Creflo Dollar, Rev. Ike, and others with the Beatitudes of Mt 5 and especially Lk 6. When we realize that the Ten Commandments were given to holy Moses and to non-Christians in the Old Testament, it may surprise us that to Our Lord, the Ten Commandments are “gimmes” or already expected of us Christians and that He likely would measure us according to the benchmarks of the New Testament, namely the Beatitudes! It is not that we Catholic Americans may not have nice things or may not aspire to professional, social, and economic advancement in this life. However, the Beatitudes convey Christ’s blessing only upon those who meet the entry requirements for the Kingdom of Heaven, which is the only state of happiness that will last beyond the end of time and that of all nations, including our own. Only those who place supreme priority in growing in right relationship to God (and then with our neighbor) and those who further try to help others to do so will enjoy the supreme and eternal reward of union with God in Heaven