Gospel:
Luke 6:20-26
Raising
his eyes toward his disciples Jesus said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for
the Kingdom of God is yours. Blessed are you who are now hungry, for you will
be satisfied. Blessed are you who are now weeping, for you will laugh. Blessed
are you when people hate you, and when they exclude and insult you, and
denounce your name as evil on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice and leap for
joy on that day! Behold, your reward will be great in heaven. For their
ancestors treated the prophets in the same way.
But woe
to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. But woe to you who
are filled now, for you will be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will
grieve and weep. Woe to you when all speak well of you, for their ancestors
treated the false prophets in this way.”
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Reflection:
Would you
be willing to be poor, to be hungry, to weep and to be insulted for your
steadfast faith in Jesus? Surely, this question will drive you to think hard
because it’s not easy to be poor to be insulted, to weep and be hungry for the
sake of your steadfast discipleship.
But if
this is the means for us to gain intimacy with Jesus we have no other way but to
embrace these hard choices. But how many of us are willing to embrace this kind
of life? Come to think of it, are these choices really hard? Is it really hard
to be poor, hungry, to weep and to be insulted?
It is
hard if Jesus is not with us but if Jesus is with us and if He walks with us.
To be poor, hungry, to weep and be persecuted becomes a blessing for us. For
the simple reason that this assures us of a life with Jesus in heaven after our
life in this world is over and done with already.
What would it benefit us if we are rich, powerful and if everyone is praising us to high
heavens if Jesus is not in our lives or if Jesus is just a particle in our
lives? The best choice is to have a life with Jesus even if it would entail
sacrifices and hardship.
What is
your choice? - Marino J. Dasmarinas
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