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, these questions 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 it drives us to sin? If Jesus is not in our life
or if Jesus is just a miniscule particle in our life? 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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