The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to adopt Christ as our model for New Life and attend to the needs of others through sharing our blessings.
The reading from the Letter to the Colossians describes the New Life in Christ.
* [3:1–4] By retaining the message of the gospel that the risen, living Christ is the source of their salvation, the Colossians will be free from false religious evaluations of the things of the world (Col 3:1–2). They have died to these; but one day when Christ…appears, they will live with Christ in the presence of God (Col 3:3–4).
* [3:5–17] In lieu of false asceticism and superstitious festivals, the apostle reminds the Colossians of the moral life that is to characterize their response to God through Christ. He urges their participation in the liturgical hymns and prayers that center upon God’s plan of salvation in Christ (Col 3:16).
* [3:5, 8] The two lists of five vices each are similar to enumerations at Rom 1:29–31 and Gal 5:19–21.
* [3:6] The wrath of God: see note on Rom 1:18. Many manuscripts add, as at Eph 5:6, “upon the disobedient.”
* [3:8–10] Put…away; have taken off; have put on: the terms may reflect baptismal practice, taking off garments and putting on new ones after being united with Christ, here translated into ethical terms.
* [3:10] Image: see note on Col 1:15.
* [3:11] Scythian: a barbarous people from north of the Black Sea. (Colossians, CHAPTER 3 | USCCB, n.d.)
Psalm 145 praises the Greatness and the Goodness of God.
* [Psalm 145] A hymn in acrostic form; every verse begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Acrostic poems usually do not develop ideas but consist rather of loosely connected statements. The singer invites all to praise God (Ps 145:1–3, 21). The “works of God” make God present and invite human praise (Ps 145:4–7); they climax in a confession (Ps 145:8–9). God’s mighty acts show forth divine kingship (Ps 145:10–20), a major theme in the literature of early Judaism and in Christianity. (Psalms, PSALM 145 | USCCB, n.d.)
In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus proclaims Blessings and Woes in the Sermon on the Plain.
* [6:20–49] Luke’s “Sermon on the Plain” is the counterpart to Matthew’s “Sermon on the Mount” (Mt 5:1–7:27). It is addressed to the disciples of Jesus, and, like the sermon in Matthew, it begins with beatitudes (Lk 6:20–22) and ends with the parable of the two houses (Lk 6:46–49). Almost all the words of Jesus reported by Luke are found in Matthew’s version, but because Matthew includes sayings that were related to specifically Jewish Christian problems (e.g., Mt 5:17–20; 6:1–8, 16–18) that Luke did not find appropriate for his predominantly Gentile Christian audience, the “Sermon on the Mount” is considerably longer. Luke’s sermon may be outlined as follows: an introduction consisting of blessings and woes (Lk 6:20–26); the love of one’s enemies (Lk 6:27–36); the demands of loving one’s neighbor (Lk 6:37–42); good deeds as proof of one’s goodness (Lk 6:43–45); a parable illustrating the result of listening to and acting on the words of Jesus (Lk 6:46–49). At the core of the sermon is Jesus’ teaching on the love of one’s enemies (Lk 6:27–36) that has as its source of motivation God’s graciousness and compassion for all humanity (Lk 6:35–36) and Jesus’ teaching on the love of one’s neighbor (Lk 6:37–42) that is characterized by forgiveness and generosity.
* [6:20–26] The introductory portion of the sermon consists of blessings and woes that address the real economic and social conditions of humanity (the poor—the rich; the hungry—the satisfied; those grieving—those laughing; the outcast—the socially acceptable). By contrast, Matthew emphasizes the religious and spiritual values of disciples in the kingdom inaugurated by Jesus (“poor in spirit,” Mt 5:3; “hunger and thirst for righteousness,” Mt 5:6). In the sermon, blessed extols the fortunate condition of persons who are favored with the blessings of God; the woes, addressed as they are to the disciples of Jesus, threaten God’s profound displeasure on those so blinded by their present fortunate situation that they do not recognize and appreciate the real values of God’s kingdom. In all the blessings and woes, the present condition of the persons addressed will be reversed in the future. (Luke, CHAPTER 6 | USCCB, n.d.)
Suzanne Braddock asks how often do we remember to thank and praise God through our day? For every little thing?
The transformation of anxiety over the lost object to joy over finding it leads me to the gospel from Luke. Jesus the table-turner ( both literally and figuratively!) has spent the night on the mountaintop praying. He comes down and names his apostles, then is faced with a huge crowd of followers and people from many regions seeking him. What follows is a series of blessings describing the joy which will be felt by the less fortunate- the poor, the hungry, those who weep, those who are persecuted because of their belief in Jesus-they will receive the opposite of what they suffer now. They will leap for joy! ( I love that image!) The tables will be turned as well for the rich-those who “ have it all” will realize the turned table-deprivation. Let us hope that leads them to hunger for Jesus and get their place at the right table- the table of God.
Let us pray that we may praise and thank God even in our sufferings, knowing in our heart he will supply all we need. (Braddock, 2023)
Don Schwager quotes “Jesus, though rich, became poor for us,” by Ambrose of Milan, 339-397 A.D.
"'Blessed,' it says, 'are the poor.' Not all the poor are blessed, for poverty is neutral. The poor can be either good or evil, unless, perhaps, the blessed pauper is to be understood as he whom the prophet described, saying, 'A righteous poor man is better than a rich liar' (Proverbs 19:22). Blessed is the poor man who cried and whom the Lord heard (Psalm 34:6). Blessed is the man poor in offense. Blessed is the man poor in vices. Blessed is the poor man in whom the prince of this world (John 14:30) finds nothing. Blessed is the poor man who is like that poor Man who, although he was rich, became poor for our sake (2 Corinthians 8:9). Matthew fully revealed this when he said, 'Blessed are the poor in spirit' (Matthew 5:3). One poor in spirit is not puffed up, is not exalted in the mind of his own flesh. This beatitude is first, when I have laid aside every sin, and I have taken off all malice, and I am content with simplicity, destitute of evils. All that remains is that I regulate my conduct. For what good does it do me to lack worldly goods, unless I am meek and gentle?" (excerpt from EXPOSITION OF THE GOSPEL OF LUKE 5.53-54) (Schwager, n.d.)
The Word Among Us Meditation on Colossians 3:1-11 asks how do we follow Paul’s admonition to “seek what is above” (Colossians 3:1) and still pay attention to the very real needs of people who live “down here” on earth?
Actually, to ask that question is to miss the larger point in today’s first reading. As he does in every other letter, Paul captures here the “both/and” of the Christian life. It is our experience of being raised up with Christ that moves us to care about what goes on in the world. It’s because we are in touch with “what is above” that we want to “put to death” the selfishness that keeps us from reaching out to feed the hungry and comfort the troubled (Colossians 3:1, 5).
Doing earthly good? That’s an important part of being heavenly minded! It’s so important that without it, you risk losing sight of heaven. But with it, you not only find the joy of heaven—you also play a part in Jesus’ plan to bring heaven down to earth!
“Jesus, thank you for raising me up to be with you. Thank you also for helping me find you in the people all around me.” (Meditation on Colossians 3:1-11, n.d.)
Friar Jude Winkler notes the author of Colossians recognizes that our death with Christ frees us to live for heaven and give up vices. The proclamation of blessings and curses by Jesus is a typically Jewish method of teaching, in this case, to reach out to the physical needs of the anawim. Friar Jude reminds us of the deception of wealth that we are self sufficient and the blessing of Jesus' invitation to share His Cross in fullness of life.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, explains how religious orders, positioned on the edge of the inside of the Catholic Church, have helped the church to survive.
We are no longer the poor ones whom Jesus called blessed; from our position of comfort, we take care of poor “others.” This is good and necessary, but not exactly what he taught.
Even though the Catholic Church didn’t remain a church of the poor, it sometimes became a church for the poor, usually through specialized groups called religious orders. About two-thirds of Catholic religious orders were founded by wonderful women and men who saw poor boys who were not being taught, poor girls who were not being protected, poor orphans who were not being taken care of. Then one heroic Irish woman would go off and take care of them, and soon we had the Sisters of Mercy, thousands of them.
I’m convinced that one of the only reasons Roman Catholicism has lasted is because we have these satellites of freedom on the edge of the inside—religious communities of Benedictines, Jesuits, Dominicans, Franciscans, Sisters of Charity, Sisters of Mercy, and many more. Bishops have their questions of concern, and we have different questions, as do most of the laity. Structurally, the church survived because the religious orders and most of the laity just got on with trying to live the gospel. (Rohr, 2023)
We contemplate the both/and nature of our journey as disciples of Christ that calls us to respond to the Spirit calling us to be more like Christ and to the people in our environment to whom we bring blessings to address poverty, hunger, and exclusion.
References
Braddock, S. (2023, September 13). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved September 13, 2023, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/091323.html
Colossians, CHAPTER 3 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved September 13, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/colossians/3?1
Luke, CHAPTER 6 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved September 13, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/6?20
Meditation on Colossians 3:1-11. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved September 13, 2023, from https://wau.org/meditations/2023/09/13/781632/
Psalms, PSALM 145 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved September 13, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/145?2
Rohr, R. (2023, September 13). New Life from the Edges — Center for Action and Contemplation. CAC Daily Meditations 2023. Retrieved September 13, 2023, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/new-life-from-the-edges-2023-09-13/
Schwager, D. (n.d.). Blessed Are You Poor - Yours Is the Kingdom of God. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved September 13, 2023, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2023&date=sep13
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