Sharing of life: What one thing do you want to do before you die?
Facilitator reads focus statement: All three readings speak of attitudes that are central for anyone who wishes to cultivate a close relationship with God, namely, humility and total trust in God.
If you did not read the commentary prior to your meeting, consider reading it before or after you read the scripture readings.
FIRST READING: Zephaniah 2:3, 3:12-13
In these verses, Zephaniah, writing seven centuries before Christ, is referring to a faithful remnant that remained faithful to God and were especially characterized by a spirit of total trust in him.
Commenting on this reading, Patricia Sanchez writes: “Only in a world turned upside down would the humble and lowly be held out as role models for others. Ordinarily, the ambitious, the self-assertive and the aggressive are regarded as earmarked for success, their sure confidence in themselves being their greatest asset. But Zephaniah was offering his contemporaries a different measurement of success and a different base of security that shifts its attention and energies from the standards of success set by the world in order to embrace those suggested by God. While the world would customarily line up behind the brightest, strongest and richest, Zephaniah calls his readers to throw in their lot with the lowly, the humble and the poor. Moreover, he calls them and us to emulate their attitudes and assimilate their virtues.”
RESPONSORIAL PSALM 146
The faithful remnant (those who kept faith in God in dark times) is the object of God’s special concern, especially the blind, the oppressed and the stranger.
SECOND READING: 1 Corinthians 1:26-31
Paul reminds his Corinthian assembly that few of them are wise, influential or well born in the eyes of the world. But they are very important in the eyes of God because he has made them important through baptism into Christ, which gives them a divine status. In God’s eyes, intelligence, affluence and social status count for nothing. What counts is one’s readiness to surrender one’s life to God.
GOSPEL: Matthew 5:1-12
You may have heard of Stephen Covey’s book, Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. The Beatitudes could be subtitled: Eight Attitudes of Highly Effective Christians or Eight Ways to True Happiness. Some translations begin each beatitude with blessed, others with happy.
The Beatitudes are the heart of what Jesus came to teach. They are to New Testament morality what the Ten Commandments are to Old Testament morality. As Christians, we must seek to live our lives, not only by the Ten Commandments but also by the Eight Beatitudes. Now let us look at each of the beatitudes.
1. Blessed (happy) are the poor in spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. Contrary to what many people think, the “poor in spirit” are not people who are spiritually impoverished, people with little or no spiritual life. In the Gospel, the “poor in spirit” are ones who know their absolute need for God, people who have a radical dependence and trust in God. Mary, Joseph, Elizabeth, Simeon and Anna are examples of the “poor in spirit.” In this beatitude, Jesus calls his disciples to develop an attitude of complete trust in him. “Happy are we when we place our trust in God.”
2. Blessed (happy) are those who mourn for they shall be comforted. The prophets of old mourned for the injustices they saw in their midst, e.g., the rich stealing from the poor. Jesus wept over Jerusalem because of her refusal to accept him (Luke 13:34-36). The saints used to pray for the gift of tears as they repented for their sins. Jesus wept when he heard that his friend, Lazarus, had died (John 11:36). Grieving is the way we bring healing to life’s losses. Happy are we who grieve life’s losses for we will experience God’s healing touch. Also, happy are we who are truly sorry for our sins for we will also experience the healing touch of God’s mercy.
3. Blessed (happy) are the meek for they will inherit the earth. The meek are those who are gentle and humble of heart. Contrary to what we may think, the meek are not weak or timid people. Jesus was “meek and humble of heart,” yet he was very strong. The truly meek person can be very strong but in a gentle, humble way. Cultivating a gentle, humble spirit will help us to be happier people. Someone has said that “Gospel meekness is a brand of courage that enables us to stand up for what is right and just.”
4. Blessed (happy) are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness…for they shall be satisfied. Righteousness has to do with right relationships with God and others. Righteousness also has to do with justice. The faithful disciple seeks to be just in his/her relationships with God and others. In fact, he/she hungers and thirsts for justice. The implication of this beatitude is that if we only hunger and thirst for material things, success and prestige, we will remain dissatisfied. “Happy and blessed are we if we have a deep desire to be truthful and just in our relationships with others.”
5. Blessed (happy) are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy. In the Gospel, mercy is best illustrated in the Parable of the Prodigal Son, where the father embraces his wayward son. It is also shown when Jesus forgives Peter for his threefold denial and shows mercy to the good thief on the cross. A true disciple of Jesus will cultivate an attitude of mercy and compassion. Showing mercy to others will help us to be happy people. Failing to be merciful will keep us unhappy.
6. Blessed (happy) are the pure in heart for they shall see God. The pure in heart are indeed sexually chaste. They are also free of envy, greed and pride. They act with pure motives. They seek to avoid all forms of manipulation of others.
7. Blessed (happy) are the peacemakers for they shall be called children of God. The faithful disciple of Jesus seeks to live the Prayer of St. Francis: “Lord, Make Me an Instrument of Your Peace.” He/she seeks to work for peace in his/her family, neighborhood, workplace and wherever else he/she can build bridges between warring individuals and groups or nations. We can be certain that we are doing the work of God when we do what we can to bring peace to our families, neighborhoods and workplaces.
8. Blessed (happy) are those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. For the first three centuries of Christianity, disciples of Jesus were persecuted, and even killed, for being followers of Jesus. Today, many Christians in places like China and India are persecuted for being Christian. We may not be persecuted for being Christian, but we may be persecuted when we stand up for what is right and just. In 1986, Archbishop Romero of El Salvador was killed for being a voice for the voiceless poor. In big companies, like the tobacco industry, whistle-blowers are often destroyed.
The poor, hungry, sorrowing, persecuted are blessed, not because their situation in life is in itself virtuous in themselves, but because people in these situations are the special objects of God’s attention, activity and love. The above mentioned groups are usually more open and receptive to God and his message, whereas the rich and powerful will tend to be more self-sufficient, independent and preoccupied with caring for their possessions and status in society. They may pray and go to church, but their real trust and security may be in their bank accounts. On the other hand, some materially poor people may lust after material wealth and materially rich people may be very generous with their material blessings.
REFLECTION QUESTIONS
1. Having read the first reading and the commentary on it, what say you? How can we live in a world in which the humble and lowly are held up as role models?
2. In the second reading, Paul speaks about weakness being turned into strength through the power of God. Has this ever happened to you?
3. Which of the beatitudes appeals to you most and which one challenges you the most?
4. Create a beatitude based on your own life’s experiences e.g. “blessed are those who can forgive life’s hurts and find it easy to say ‘I’m sorry, please forgive me’”. Or “Blessed are those who can place their trust in God during times of stress and worry.
RESPONDING TO THE WORD
Name one way you can act on today’s readings. Suggestions: Choose a beatitude that challenges you and pray for the grace to live it. If there is someone you need to show mercy to, pray for the grace to do so.
CONCLUDE WITH PRAYERS OF PETITION AND INTERCESSION
Pray for the grace to grow in humility, poverty of spirit, mercy etc. Pray for the grace to know what spiritual exercise will help you to have a fruitful Lenten journey. ©
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