Lk 6: 20-26
Then he looked up at his disciples and said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. “Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled. “Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. “Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man.
Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven; for that is what their ancestors did to the prophets. “But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. “Woe to you who are full now, for you will be hungry. “Woe to you who are laughing now, for you will mourn and weep. “Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is what their ancestors did to the false prophets.
New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989, by the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. USCCB approved.
Don’t Lose the Drive
Have you lost the drive? Have you lost the hunger? When we read Jesus’ “Blesseds and Woes” in this way, he almost sounds like a fired-up football coach at halftime of a close game: he wants his players open, striving and ambitious, ready for something new together.
His “Woes” target his more privileged followers; Jesus doesn’t want his disciples content with their riches, satisfied and static in their food and laughter, he wants followers who hunger, who weep and know their need for others and God.
His “Blesseds” empower his less privileged followers; Jesus wants these disciples to know that they are not alone in their hunger, thirst, desolation and rejection, he wants disciples who trust in the generous goodness of God – and especially the generous goodness of his other followers.
Together, Jesus wants his followers to complete one another, to build a new world together in love.
—Fr. Garrett Gundlach, SJ, is a Jesuit priest of the Midwest Province studying Arabic and interfaith dialogue at the University of Saint Joseph in Beirut, Lebanon.
Prayer
Dear God, I’m conflicted.
Everything and everyone around me
Tells me success is having everything I need,
Everything we need for where I’m at now,
Whether for me or for my family,
so I’ve succeeded. I’ve done it.
But here you tell me
That if I’m full, I’ll be hungry
That if I’m laughing, I’ll be weeping
And that if I’m rich, then that’ll be my only consolation.
What?
Help me to see what you mean,
Help me to live into these hard teachings, open them to me.
Perhaps help me to fill my needs but to still stay open,
Open to all the somethings and someones
beyond my riches, beyond my laughter, beyond my fullness,
Perhaps help me to put these riches, laughter and fullness to work,
On mission for and with those who lack, weep and hunger.
Teach me what you mean by these hard words,
Give me the courage to live by what I learn,
And help me to be gentle with myself on this journey,
Amen.
—Fr. Garrett Gundlach, SJ