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 

Hope and Humanity

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to interact with our environment with faith, hope, and charity that reflect the Presence of God.

Hope for Humanity

The reading from the Letter to the Hebrews proclaims the Certainty of God’s Promise.

* [6:12] Imitators of those…inheriting the promises: the author urges the addressees to imitate the faith of the holy people of the Old Testament, who now possess the promised goods of which they lived in hope. This theme will be treated fully in Heb 11.

* [6:13] He swore by himself: God’s promise to Abraham, which he confirmed by an oath (“I swear by myself,” Gn 22:16) was the basis for the hope of all Abraham’s descendants.

* [6:15] He obtained the promise: this probably refers not to Abraham’s temporary possession of the land but to the eschatological blessings that Abraham and the other patriarchs have now come to possess.

* [6:18] Two immutable things: the promise and the oath, both made by God.

* [6:19] Anchor…into the interior behind the veil: a mixed metaphor. The Holy of Holies, beyond the veil that separates it from the Holy Place (Ex 26:31–33), is seen as the earthly counterpart of the heavenly abode of God. This theme will be developed in Heb 9. (Hebrews, CHAPTER 6 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 111 offers praise for God’s Wonderful Works.

* [Psalm 111] A Temple singer (Ps 111:1) tells how God is revealed in Israel’s history (Ps 111:2–10). The deeds reveal God’s very self, powerful, merciful, faithful. The poem is an acrostic, each verse beginning with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. (Psalms, PSALM 111 | USCCB, n.d.)

The Gospel of Mark, presents Jesus' pronouncement about the Sabbath.

* [2:23–28] This conflict regarding the sabbath follows the same pattern as in Mk 2:18–22.

* [2:25–26] Have you never read what David did?: Jesus defends the action of his disciples on the basis of 1 Sm 21:2–7 in which an exception is made to the regulation of Lv 24:9 because of the extreme hunger of David and his men. According to 1 Samuel, the priest who gave the bread to David was Ahimelech, father of Abiathar.

* [2:27] The sabbath was made for man: a reaffirmation of the divine intent of the sabbath to benefit Israel as contrasted with the restrictive Pharisaic tradition added to the law.

* [2:28] The Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath: Mark’s comment on the theological meaning of the incident is to benefit his Christian readers; see note on Mk 2:10. (Mark, CHAPTER 2 | USCCB, n.d.)

Mike Cherney comments that in today’s Gospel, Jesus disciples pick grain while walking through a field on the Sabbath. Jesus is confronted by a group of Pharisees who interpret these actions as a willful disregard for the law of God.

If I imagine myself as an onlooker to this Gospel event, I see Jesus as inviting me to reconsider the nature of religious observance. I hear Jesus teaching that God’s laws were not made as impediments, but rather they exist for the betterment of humanity. In this contemplation, I experience a call to better embody the deeper values of my faith: mercy, justice, inclusion, and compassion. In contrast to the legalistic, rule-bound faith of my childhood, I find myself drawn to live out a faith that is centered on the humanity of those around me, particularly the poor, the marginalized, and the oppressed. I am moved to believe that this is the true “sabbatical” rest God desires for us, a rest that restores us to one another and to the heart of God’s loving purpose for the world. (Cherney, n.d.)

Don Schwager quotes “The Lord of the Sabbath,” by John Chrysostom, 547-407 A.D.

"Doubtless he speaks of himself when he mentions the 'Lord of the sabbath' (Mark 2:28, Matthew 12:8, Luke 6:5). Mark relates a complementary saying about our common human nature, that "the sabbath was made for humans, not humans for the sabbath" (Mark 2:27). Why then should someone who gathered sticks on the sabbath be censured? The law that was established earlier could not be scorned without jeopardizing the law to be given later.

"The sabbath did confer many benefits, great blessings in the earlier dispensation. It made people more gentle toward those close to them. It guided them toward being more sympathetic. It located them temporally within God's creation and providence, as Ezekiel knew (Ezekiel 20:19-20). The sabbath trained Israel by degrees to abstain from evil and disposed them to listen to the things of the Spirit.

"They would have stretched the law out of shape if, when he was giving the law of the sabbath, Jesus had said, 'You can work on the sabbath, but just do good works, do nothing evil.' This would have brought out the worst in them. So he restrained them from doing any works at all on the sabbath. And even this stricter prohibition did not keep them in line. But he himself, in the very act of giving the law of the sabbath, gave them a veiled sign of things to come. For by saying, 'You must do no work, except what shall be done for your life' (Exodus 12:16), he indicated that the intent of the law was to have them refrain from evil works only, not all works. Even in the temple, much went on during the sabbath, and with great diligence and double toil. Thus even by this very shadowy saying Jesus was secretly opening the truth to them. Did Christ then attempt to repeal a law so beneficial as the sabbath law? Far from it. Rather, he greatly magnified the sabbath. For with Christ came the time for everyone to be trained by a higher requirement."(excerpt from THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW, HOMILY 39.3) (Cherney, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Hebrews 6:10-20 comments that the love of God is stable and unchanging like a rock, but it is also active and dynamic like the wind.

You may feel today that you need to be anchored safely to the Lord as storms rage around you. Or you may need a fresh wind from the Spirit to enliven you and help you get unstuck. Or you may need a mixture of both. Whatever your situation and whatever your need, keep your heart fixed on the Lord! Place your hope in his promises, because hope doesn’t disappoint (Romans 5:5)!

“Lord, fill me with hope that helps me to stand firm when I need to—and to run toward you when I need to!” (Meditation on Hebrews 6:10-20, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments on the interspersing of exhortation and dogmatic instruction in the passage from Hebrews. The mystical dimension of what we do where we change reality through our prayer is celebrated by Jesus' opening of the Holy of Hollies. Friar Jude knows how the humanity of Jesus is presented in the factual error about the priest who ministered to David with the Bread of Presence.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces spiritual teacher Mirabai Starr who considers how our imperfect families and relationships are opportunities to practice divine love, acceptance, and compassion. Through accepting reality, we find a greater capacity to love what is.

Chances are, if you are a parent, whether adoptive or biological, you too have experienced the collapse of your parenting fantasies. You also have received an open invitation to accept the kids you have and forgive the parent you are, with a degree of humility bordering on humiliation and a dash of humor that can sometimes carry maniacal overtones…. 

This is the human condition. And at the very center of your own shattered dream, the face of the sacred flashes and glimmers. The holy disaster is a beckoning. Come. Enter the fire of love and let it remake you again and again. To be an ordinary, everyday mystic is to take your rightful place on the throne of what is. (Rohr, n.d.)

We are consoled by our faithful God as we seek to celebrate the gift of our humanity and find hope in our resolve to be workers in the vineyard of Christ.

References

Cherney, M. (n.d.). Daily Reflection Of Creighton University's Online Ministries. Creighton University's Online Ministries. Retrieved January 21, 2025, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2025&date=jan21 

Hebrews, CHAPTER 6 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved January 21, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/hebrews/6?10 

Mark, CHAPTER 2 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved January 21, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/mark/2?23 

Meditation on Hebrews 6:10-20. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved January 21, 2025, from https://wau.org/meditations/2025/01/21/1184295/ 

Psalms, PSALM 111 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings. Retrieved January 21, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/111?1 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Our Families Are Teachers. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved January 21, 2025, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/our-families-are-teachers/