Commentary
Sunday, January 29, 2017, Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Humility Wins God’s Favor
First Reading Commentary Zephaniah 2:3, 3:12-13
The prophet Zephaniah tells us to seek justice and humility and perhaps we may be sheltered on the day of the LORD’S anger. This is a prophecy of the last day when Christ will make His second coming and bring justice to the world. But Christ will also come with anger which will be directed at those who have made a deliberate choice not to follow Him.
The best way to follow the way of the LORD is to try to be like Him. Even though Jesus is the second person in the Trinity, He practiced great humility while He was here on earth to the Father and to us. Jesus made it clear by word and action that a great leader does not dictate over his people. Instead, a great leader serves his people and that requires: humility.
So if we practice humility toward each other and to God and seek God’s justice, we will be looked upon with favor on the last day. That is why the prophecy tells us that God will leave as a remnant a people humble and lowly.
If you ask someone what kind of life they would like to live, they will probably describe everything but a lowly life of humility. But that is because we desire the pleasures of the world. We want to have more money so that we can have more possessions and a better lifestyle. Some of us do not seek to be famous but none of us want to be at the low end of society. In fact, most of us would like to be known for something of notariety.
This is one of many prophecies where God is telling us that if we put our worldly desires ahead of Him, we will be doomed and fall victim to His wrath on the last day. It is okay to want to get ahead and achieve success in this life because God does not mean for us to fail, but we must be careful to not put that desire ahead of God. Consider this: the ultimate success story, is told by those in heaven.
Don’t Brag
Second Reading Commentary 1 Corinthians 1:26-31
There is what we want to do in life and then there is what we are called to do in life. When these two things are the same, it is truly a wonderful thing—nothing can go wrong.
It is a good thing to be given the opportunity to do what we want to do with our lives thereby satisfying our own desires and dreams. It is good to be able to do the things that we are called to do given the talents that we possess, both physical and non-physical.
That would all be just perfect if God did not have a plan for us. But He does! If we are doing what we want to do in life without fulfilling God’s plan for us, which is what we are called to do, then our lives are a complete mess and we are doing nothing.
We may acquire great wealth and a fortune in possessions, but we have nothing. We may achieve great success in this life and become someone famous the world over, but we have gone nowhere. That is Paul’s overall message for us today.
But there is a specific message that I want to mention because it ties today’s prophecy from Zephaniah and today’s Gospel together. That message is a warning to stay away from the deadly sin of pride.
Paul said, “Consider your own calling…Not many of you were wise by human standards…God chose the foolish of the world to shame the wise…” Have you ever seen someone who is quick to boast about how much they know put to shame by someone else who is humble and soft-spoken? Sometimes that is quite comical to watch. Funny or not, it is God’s way.
Paul ends today’s reading by saying, “Whoever boasts, should boast in the Lord.” In other words, “Don’t brag about how great you are because without God—you are nothing!”
Jesus Promises the Kingdom
Gospel Commentary Matthew 5:1-12a
Today’s gospel comes from the Sermon on the Mount, the Proclamation of the Kingdom of Heaven—the Beatitudes. This is the Third Luminous Mystery of the Rosary. The Beatitudes fulfill the promises made to the chosen people since Abraham. The promise of the Beatitudes is the Kingdom of Heaven. Refer to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraphs 1716-1726.
The Beatitudes are our pathway to the Kingdom of Heaven. They go beyond the Commandments. As you read the Beatitudes, notice how they relate to the two Greatest Commandments: Love your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength; you shall love your neighbor as yourself. Mark 12:30-31. If you follow the Beatitudes, you will obey the two Greatest Commandments and if you obey them, you will obey all, of the Ten Commandments.
Jesus said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.”
Each of the Beatitudes can be linked to at least one of the two Greatest Commandments which tell us what to do and how to live our lives. The Beatitudes go deeper and are all about the reward, the Kingdom of Heaven.
Now take another look at today’s first reading and what St. Paul wrote about being encouraged. He and all, of the Apostles encouraged the people of their day and us if we pay attention by spreading the Good News of the Gospel. Our human minds cannot understand how truly magnificent the Kingdom of Heaven is. But it does not take much imagination to know that heaven is infinitely better than anything here on earth. What great encouragement St. Matthew gives us by including the Beatitudes in his Gospel.
