Blessed in Disaster

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today present us with the challenge to proclaim our blessings in service in a time when disaster is dominating the lives of so many.

 “a sanctuary city” that proclaims the Gospel

https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/minnesota-arrest-don-lemon-9.7067848

The Reading from the Prophet Zephaniah is a classic description of the day of the Lord.

* [2:1–3] This oracle is a classic description of the day of the Lord as an overwhelming disaster, concluding with a call for repentance and reform. Nation without shame: Judah.

f. [3:12] Is 57:13; Ob 17.

g. [3:13] Mi 4:4. (Zephaniah, CHAPTER 2 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 146 proclaims there is no other source of strength except the merciful God.

* [Psalm 146] A hymn of someone who has learned there is no other source of strength except the merciful God. Only God, not mortal human beings (Ps 146:3–4), can help vulnerable and oppressed people (Ps 146:5–9). The first of the five hymns that conclude the Psalter. (Psalms, PSALM 146 | USCCB, n.d.)

The Reading from the Letter of Paul to the Corinthians establishes a contrast between The Corinthians and Paul in the source of our salvation.

* [1:29–31] “Boasting (about oneself)” is a Pauline expression for the radical sin, the claim to autonomy on the part of a creature, the illusion that we live and are saved by our own resources. “Boasting in the Lord” (1 Cor 1:31), on the other hand, is the acknowledgment that we live only from God and for God. (1 Corinthians, CHAPTER 1 | USCCB, n.d.)

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus proclaims Blessings in the Sermon on the Mount.

* [5:1–7:29] The first of the five discourses that are a central part of the structure of this gospel. It is the discourse section of the first book and contains sayings of Jesus derived from Q and from M. The Lucan parallel is in that gospel’s “Sermon on the Plain” (Lk 6:20–49), although some of the sayings in Matthew’s “Sermon on the Mount” have their parallels in other parts of Luke. The careful topical arrangement of the sermon is probably not due only to Matthew’s editing; he seems to have had a structured discourse of Jesus as one of his sources. The form of that source may have been as follows: four beatitudes (Mt 5:3–4, 6, 11–12), a section on the new righteousness with illustrations (Mt 5:17, 20–24, 27–28, 33–48), a section on good works (Mt 6:1–6, 16–18), and three warnings (Mt 7:1–2, 15–21, 24–27).

* [5:1–2] Unlike Luke’s sermon, this is addressed not only to the disciples but to the crowds (see Mt 7:28).

* [5:3–12] The form Blessed are (is) occurs frequently in the Old Testament in the Wisdom literature and in the psalms. Although modified by Matthew, the first, second, fourth, and ninth beatitudes have Lucan parallels (Mt 5:3 // Lk 6:20; Mt 5:4 // Lk 6:21b; Mt 5:6 // Lk 6:21a; Mt 5:11–12 // Lk 5:22–23). The others were added by the evangelist and are probably his own composition. A few manuscripts, Western and Alexandrian, and many versions and patristic quotations give the second and third beatitudes in inverted order.

* [5:3] The poor in spirit: in the Old Testament, the poor (’anāwîm) are those who are without material possessions and whose confidence is in God (see Is 61:1; Zep 2:3; in the NAB the word is translated lowly and humble, respectively, in those texts). Matthew added in spirit in order either to indicate that only the devout poor were meant or to extend the beatitude to all, of whatever social rank, who recognized their complete dependence on God. The same phrase poor in spirit is found in the Qumran literature (1QM 14:7).

* [5:4] Cf. Is 61:2, “(The Lord has sent me)…to comfort all who mourn.” They will be comforted: here the passive is a “theological passive” equivalent to the active “God will comfort them”; so also in Mt 5:6, 7.

* [5:5] Cf. Ps 37:11, “…the meek shall possess the land.” In the psalm “the land” means the land of Palestine; here it means the kingdom.

* [5:6] For righteousness: a Matthean addition. For the meaning of righteousness here, see note on Mt 3:14–15.

* [5:8] Cf. Ps 24:4. Only one “whose heart is clean” can take part in the temple worship. To be with God in the temple is described in Ps 42:3 as “beholding his face,” but here the promise to the clean of heart is that they will see God not in the temple but in the coming kingdom.

* [5:10] Righteousness here, as usually in Matthew, means conduct in conformity with God’s will.

* [5:12] The prophets who were before you: the disciples of Jesus stand in the line of the persecuted prophets of Israel. Some would see the expression as indicating also that Matthew considered all Christian disciples as prophets. (Matthew, CHAPTER 5 | USCCB, n.d.)

Rev. Larry Gillick, SJ, comments that Jesus is offering His artistic plan to His early disciples and opens with “poor in spirit”. What does this mean?

I hope it doesn’t mean my letting go of everything and everyone. No! I want to relax in my having, by my own efforts and creativity, to protect who I am by what I have!

What I am arriving at is what I call “The Sad-attitudes”. I want to be the “Grabber,” not the spiritually poor receiver. “Mine!” is my human prayer. What Jesus’ invitation is to receive His prayer of comfort as I mourn, because I loved and received what she/he was and could not be for me.

I want to be merciful when the other apologizes first and with deep sincerity.

I enjoy and am happy when my heart and spirit are “clean” unless there is someone or something more attractive and inviting.

Thank You, God, Divine Artist, that you reverence my defenses, fences, walls. I know I am resolving slowly through Your artistic insistence and love. Jesus knew the ways of His early followers, and He kept faithful to their being created to be artworks of His relationship. (Gillick, n.d.)

Don Schwager quotes “Perfect blessedness is humility of spirit,” by Hilary of Poitiers (315-367 AD).

"'Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.' The Lord taught by way of example that the glory of human ambition must be left behind when he said, 'The Lord your God shall you adore and him only shall you serve' (Matthew 4:10). And when he announced through the prophets that he would choose a people humble and in awe of his words [Isaiah 66:2], he introduced the perfect Beatitude as humility of spirit. Therefore he defines those who are inspired as people aware that they are in possession of the heavenly kingdom... Nothing belongs to anyone as being properly one's own, but all have the same things by the gift of a single parent. They have been given the first things needed to come into life and have been supplied with the means to use them." (excerpt from commentary ON MATTHEW 4.2) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on 1 Corinthians 1:26-31 comments that Paul rebukes them for their rivalries and reminds them that wisdom, power, and worldly recognition count for nothing before the Lord. Quite the opposite: God delights in choosing “the lowly” (1 Corinthians 1:28).

Jesus tells his disciples something similar in the Gospel for today: “Blessed are the poor in spirit” (Matthew 5:3). This probably surprises them, because self-confidence, prestige, and wealth are typically considered signs of God’s blessing. But Jesus turns them upside down. Humility is the path to blessing. That’s because when we are poor in spirit, we recognize that God is the source of all that we have and are. Everything is a gift from him. So when we come before the Lord empty-handed, we can allow him to fill us with his gifts, his wisdom, and his grace.

Why did Jesus preach this beatitude? One reason is that it keeps us humble. No matter how gifted we may be, we can’t boast about our accomplishments or think of ourselves as superior to anyone else because of them. There is no pecking order with God!

Second, when we are poor in spirit, we are blessed! Our hearts are more free and more open to God. We trust in him to fulfill our needs rather than trying to prove ourselves or rely on our own resources. We are at peace with who we are and the way God made us. And our lives are more fruitful because we are “lowly” enough to ask him to guide us and to bless our efforts.

Today at Mass, come before the Lord poor in spirit and knowing that you are loved by God. Open your heart to him and allow him to fill you!

“Thank you, Lord, for choosing me and blessing me today!” (Meditation on 1 Corinthians 1:26-31, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments that in Zephaniah justice, humility, and seeking about the Lord are what God wants in a remnant faithful to God. Paul notes not many are perfect but are broken and not rich. Paul preaches the “cross” as the Wisdom of God. Some in Corinth feel God is totally spiritual and they have a special connection. Everything is from God who gives because of need. In the Gospel, Jesus is presented as a New Moses. Jesus comes out of Egypt and the new law is a call to be virtuous, poor in spirit, meek and peacemakers. This is a goal that people will find difficult. In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus expresses the more traditional blessings and curses whereas in Matthew there are eight blessings. Luke is thought to be closer to the actual style and Matthew is more spiritual. Poor in spirit and mourning are connections to other people. In Matthew righteousness is redefined as compassion. The sheep are righteous because of being peacemakers as children of God and blessing is in persecution, suffering for the right things and for the Kingdom. Friar Jude comments that Jesus shares His cross with us.

Father Richard Rohr, OFM, points to the economic emphasis present in the prayer of Jesus. In the Old English of the King James Bible, the word “debts” was rendered as “trespasses.” It seems unchangeable now because we’ve said it for so long, but without doubt, the word in the original text is clearly an economic word. The power of this petition lies in the Jubilee year, described in Leviticus 25.

In ancient Israel, in the fiftieth year, everything went back to its original owner. Ideally, all debts were forgiven. It was the great equalizer, a sign of the largess and magnanimity of God. This is the teaching Jesus is drawing upon when he quotes from Isaiah in his inaugural address and throughout his ministry (Luke 4:18–19, 21).

If people had lived by the law of Jubilee, communism would never have been necessary, and capitalism would have never been possible. The spirit behind this jubilee thinking lasted for the first 1,000 years of Christianity, when one could be excommunicated for taking an interest on a loan. (They called it the sin of usury.) The prayer of petition Jesus teaches still raises questions about economics: How does the burden of debt—the personal debt people carry in our consumer society, the national debt carried, particularly by Global South countries—keep people imprisoned in their own history? (Rohr, n.d.)

Reference:

Adapted from Richard Rohr, Jesus’ Alternative Plan: The Sermon on the Mount, 2nd ed. (Franciscan Media, 2022), 178–179.

We need the consolation of the Spirit as we try to understand the suffering of people in Minneapolis, “a sanctuary city” that proclaims the Gospel in action that demonstrates Jesus “Sermon on the Mount”

References

Gillick, L. (n.d.). Daily Reflection. Creighton Online Ministries: Home. Retrieved February 1, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-february-1-2026 

Matthew, CHAPTER 5 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved February 1, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/5?1 

Meditation on 1 Corinthians 1:26-31. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved February 1, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/01/31/1491045/ 

1 Corinthians, CHAPTER 1 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved February 1, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/1corinthians/1?26 

Psalms, PSALM 146 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved February 1, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/146?6 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Daily Meditations — Center for Action and Contemplation. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved February 1, 2026, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/the-forgiveness-of-debts/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Rejoice and Be Glad, for Your Reward Is Great in Heaven. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved February 1, 2026, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/ 

Zephaniah, CHAPTER 2 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved February 1, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/zephaniah/2?3 

Boasting and Humility

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to explore the relationships through which we encounter Love that is self emptying and nourished by the Spirit.

Journey in Love

The reading from the Letter of Paul to the Philippians explains his boasting In Christ.

* [1:19–25] Paul earnestly debates his prospects of martyrdom or continued missionary labor. While he may long to depart this life and thus be with Christ (Phil 1:23), his overall and final expectation is that he will be delivered from this imprisonment and continue in the service of the Philippians and of others (Phil 1:19, 25; Phil 2:24). In either case, Christ is central (Phil 1:20–21); if to live means Christ for Paul, death means to be united with Christ in a deeper sense. (Philippians, CHAPTER 1, n.d.)

Psalm 42 expresses longing for God and His Help in distress.

* [Psalms 42–43] Ps 42–43 form a single lament of three sections, each section ending in an identical refrain (Ps 42:6, 12; 43:5). The psalmist is far from Jerusalem, and longs for the divine presence that Israel experienced in the Temple liturgy. Despite sadness, the psalmist hopes once again to join the worshiping crowds. (Psalms, PSALM 42, n.d.)

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus heals the man with dropsy and teaches about humility and hospitality.

* [14:7–14] The banquet scene found only in Luke provides the opportunity for these teachings of Jesus on humility and presents a setting to display Luke’s interest in Jesus’ attitude toward the rich and the poor (see notes on Lk 4:18; 6:20–26; 12:13–34). (Luke, CHAPTER 14, n.d.)

The Daily Reflection Of Creighton University's Online Ministries was not available at publication time.

Don Schwager quotes “Jesus calls us to be humble, modest, and praiseworthy,” by Cyril of Alexandria (376-444 AD).

"'When,' he says, 'a man more honorable than you comes, he that invited you and him will say, 'Give this man place.' Oh, what great shame is there in having to do this! It is like a theft, so to speak, and the restitution of the stolen goods. He must restore what he has seized because he had no right to take it. The modest and praiseworthy person, who without fear of blame might have claimed the dignity of sitting among the foremost, does not seek it. He yields to others what might be called his own, that he may not even seem to be overcome by empty pride. Such a one shall receive honor as his due. He says, 'He shall hear him who invited him say, "Come up here."... If any one among you wants to be set above others, let him win it by the decree of heaven and be crowned by those honors that God bestows. Let him surpass the many by having the testimony of glorious virtues. The rule of virtue is a lowly mind that does not love boasting. It is humility. The blessed Paul also counted this worthy of all esteem. He writes to those who eagerly desire saintly pursuits, 'Love humility.'" (excerpt from COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 101.5) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Philippians 1:18-26 comments that Paul had learned that God’s love stretches far beyond the horizon of our troubles. When we experience his presence with us, our eyes are opened, and we begin to see life through the lens of his faithful love. Then we can find peace and even joy amid our challenges. We will know that however they turn out, God’s love remains unshaken.

God offers you himself today. He is present in the middle of whatever is going on in your life, whether great joys or great pains, whether decisive events or a tedious rut. You no doubt have earnest requests to bring to him—for healing, for clarity, for a solution. And you should bring them; Jesus taught us to pray this way. But when you have done this, you can also say, “Even more than any solution or answered prayer, Jesus, I want you.”

“My soul is thirsting for you, my God.” (Meditation on Philippians 1:18-26, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments on the intimacy of the letter of Paul to the Philippians. The holiness that may come with suffering presents the path of living or dying as attending to the Will of God. The tremendous but precarious gift of life informs our preparation to meet the Lord. Friar Jude reminds us of how we present ourselves in the places we choose in community gatherings.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces Franciscan peacemakers Rosemary Lynch and Alain Richard who have identified ten “commandments” for those seeking to live a spiritual life of nonviolence. They call it “The Decalogue for a Spirituality of Nonviolence”.

1. To learn to recognize and respect “the sacred” in every person, including in ourselves, and in every piece of Creation. . . .

2. To accept oneself deeply, “who I am” with all my gifts and richness, with all my limitations, errors, failings and weaknesses, and to realize that I am accepted by God. . . .

3. To recognize that what I resent, and perhaps even detest, in another, comes from my difficulty in admitting that this same reality lives also in me. . . .

4. To renounce dualism, the “we-they” mentality (Manicheism). This divides us into “good people/bad people” and allows us to demonize the adversary. It is the root of authoritarian and exclusivist behavior. It generates racism and makes possible conflicts and wars.

5. To face fear and to deal with it not mainly with courage but with love.

6. To understand and accept that the New Creation, the building up of the Beloved Community is always carried forward with others. It is never a “solo act.” . . .

7. To see ourselves as a part of the whole creation to which we foster a relationship of love, not of mastery, remembering that the destruction of our planet is a profoundly spiritual problem, not simply a scientific or technological one. We are one.

8. To be ready to suffer, perhaps even with joy, if we believe this will help liberate the Divine in others. This includes the acceptance of our place and moment in history with its trauma, with its ambiguities.

9. To be capable of celebration, of joy, when the presence of God has been accepted, and when it has not been to help discover and recognize this fact.

10. To slow down, to be patient, planting the seeds of love and forgiveness in our own hearts and in the hearts of those around us. Slowly we will grow in love, compassion and the capacity to forgive. (Rohr, n.d.)

We are humbled by the gratitude we experience for our journey in love as we respond to the nudges of the Holy Spirit.

References

Luke, CHAPTER 14. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved October 29, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/14?1 

Meditation on Philippians 1:18-26. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved October 29, 2022, from https://wau.org/meditations/2022/10/29/522423/ 

Philippians, CHAPTER 1. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved October 29, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/philippians/1?18 

Psalms, PSALM 42. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved October 29, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/42?2 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Daily Meditations — Center for Action and Contemplation. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved October 29, 2022, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/nonviolence-weekly-summary-2022-10-29/  

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture ... Retrieved October 29, 2022, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2022&date=oct29