First reading Jeremiah 17:5-8
A blessing on the man who puts his trust in the Lord
The Lord says this:
‘A curse on the man who puts his trust in man,
who relies on things of flesh,
whose heart turns from the Lord.
He is like dry scrub in the wastelands:
if good comes, he has no eyes for it,
he settles in the parched places of the wilderness,
a salt land, uninhabited.
‘A blessing on the man who puts his trust in the Lord,
with the Lord for his hope.
He is like a tree by the waterside
that thrusts its roots to the stream:
when the heat comes it feels no alarm,
its foliage stays green;
it has no worries in a year of drought,
and never ceases to bear fruit.’
Responsorial Psalm 1:1-4,6
Happy the man who has placed his trust in the Lord.
Happy indeed is the man
who follows not the counsel of the wicked;
nor lingers in the way of sinners
nor sits in the company of scorners,
but whose delight is the law of the Lord
and who ponders his law day and night.
Happy the man who has placed his trust in the Lord.
He is like a tree that is planted
beside the flowing waters,
that yields its fruit in due season
and whose leaves shall never fade;
and all that he does shall prosper.
Happy the man who has placed his trust in the Lord.
Not so are the wicked, not so!
For they like winnowed chaff
shall be driven away by the wind:
for the Lord guards the way of the just
but the way of the wicked leads to doom.
Happy the man who has placed his trust in the Lord.
Second reading 1 Corinthians 15:12,16-20
If Christ has not been raised, you are still in your sins
If Christ raised from the dead is what has been preached, how can some of you be saying that there is no resurrection of the dead? For if the dead are not raised, Christ has not been raised, and if Christ has not been raised, you are still in your sins. And what is more serious, all who have died in Christ have perished. If our hope in Christ has been for this life only, we are the most unfortunate of all people.
But Christ has in fact been raised from the dead, the first-fruits of all who have fallen asleep.
Gospel Luke 6:17,20-26
Happy are you who are poor, who are hungry, who weep
Jesus came down with the Twelve and stopped at a piece of level ground where there was a large gathering of his disciples with a great crowd of people from all parts of Judaea and from Jerusalem and from the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon. Then fixing his eyes on his disciples he said:
‘How happy are you who are poor: yours is the kingdom of God.
Happy you who are hungry now: you shall be satisfied.
Happy you who weep now: you shall laugh.
Happy are you when people hate you, drive you out, abuse you, denounce your name as criminal, on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice when that day comes and dance for joy, for then your reward will be great in heaven. This was the way their ancestors treated the prophets.
‘But alas for you who are rich: you are having your consolation now.
Alas for you who have your fill now: you shall go hungry.
Alas for you who laugh now: you shall mourn and weep.
‘Alas for you when the world speaks well of you! This was the way their ancestors treated the false prophets.’
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Happy are you…
Jesus pronounces that the poor, the hungry, the ones suffering and the persecuted are blessed, happy.
“Blessed are you who are poor…”: The poor does not just refer to those who are monetarily poor, but also those who are marginalised due to race, age, physical condition, etc. They are happy because God is close to them. “Blessed are you who are hungry now…”: The hungry, besides those who suffer from the lack of food, also includes the ones who are hungry for friendship and care. Happiness is theirs because God will satisfy them with His consoling presence. “Blessed are you who are weeping now…”: Those who weep are the ones who suffer from grief and those who share God’s compassion for people oppressed by social injustice and discrimination. God will share His joy with them. “Blessed are you when people hate you…”: Those who live the gospel values are often rejected by those who follow the world’s ways. God is the one standing by their side. Today, let us strive to walk the same path of Jesus, which is the path of Beatitudes.
Question for reflection:
Do I strive to walk Jesus’ way that leads to true happiness?
Do I strive to walk Jesus’ way that leads to true happiness?
Acknowledgment: Reflections are based on “Prayer for Living: The Word of God for Daily Prayer Year C” by Sr Sandra Seow FMVD.
