6th Sunday of the ordinary time of the year C
Jeremiah 17:5-8 1 Corinthians 15. 12. 15-20 Luke 6:17.20-26
Theme: Two sides of a coin
On this 6th Sunday of the ordinary time of the year, the church presents to us a broad view of life. By so doing, giving us the opportunity to choose from both options the way we want to live our life. This is very clear in both the 1st reading from the prophet Jeremiah and the gospel reading from St. Luke. The choice we make here on earth will determine what happens to us after our earthly pilgrimage. If we choose to trust in the Lord, as against trusting in man and on ourselves, we would be making a profound choice that will help us attain eternal life after our earthly pilgrimage. According to the gospel of Luke, if we live our lives based on the Beatitudes, we will be making a very wise decision that will advance our making heaven at the end.
My brothers and sisters in Christ, today’s liturgy has given us an insight that will help us become better children of God and also receiving the crown of unfailing glory; when we end our mortal life. From our experiences as human persons, it is easy to relate with the assertion of the prophet Jeremiah in today’s first reading. It is very dangerous to trust in men, this is because you can be disappointed when the situation becomes difficult. But the situation with God is different; he will always be with you, no matter the situation you find yourself, he will never desert you when things become difficult for you or others reject you, God will always stand by you. That is why it is important that we make the right choice if we are truly concerned about making heaven at the end of our earthly pilgrimage.
In St. Lukes gospel, Jesus presents to us the Beatitudes, a teaching that says a lot about the God we serve. He has special interest on the poor, the suffering and the marginalized. In the beatitude, he rains down blessings from above upon them. A way of also showing that their situation here on earth cannot be compared to the glory that awaits them after here. Jesus also talks about those who are comfortable here on earth and what their plight will be after their earthly pilgrimage. However, what matters most is what we do with the wealth that God has given to us. One can be rich, but very generous and kind to the poor and suffering. Jesus was not condemning the rich, but rather admonishing them about the need for detachment from their material wealth and becoming answered prayers for the less privileged. What we do with the material gift we have, is what differentiates one from the other; be wise as you make your choice.
This detachment is very important, just as is seen in the 2nd reading of today. We are living in a world that is passing and very limited, unlike the world after life on earth. Our ability to detach ourselves from our earthly riches, will pull us out of the group that Jesus is admonishing in today’s gospel reading. What we need is to trust in God as admonished by the prophet Jeremiah and be steadfast in our faith in God.
May God bless his words in our hearts. Peace be with you.