In this Sunday’s readings, the Lord illustrates two paths: one of life and blessedness, and one of death and decay. Through the prophet Jeremiah, the Lord warns us not to put our trust in mere mortals, especially if in doing so, we turn our hearts from God. To cease trusting in God is to completely cut ourselves off from Him. Jeremiah uses the image of a shrub in the desert, doomed to decay amidst the uninhabitable wasteland.
In our sin, even when help is close by “we shall not see relief” (Jer 17:6), not because there is no help to be found, but because we’ve stopped searching and hoping for it, or worse, have refused to accept it. God is always trying to break through to us; He is tirelessly pursuing us, to extend His loving stream of grace to us. But when we turn our hearts from Him, and place our trust solely in ourselves and in the spirit of the world, His grace cannot work in our hearts. God’s “outpouring of mercy cannot penetrate our hearts as long as we have not forgiven those who have trespassed against us” (CCC 2840). In a very real way, we have control over God’s mercy, inasmuch as we can refuse to accept it. If we have refused to forgive others, or if we have turned ourselves away from God, let us heed this message and look for opportunities to open our hearts to forgiving others, so that God’s forgiveness may work in us. In doing so, we will be one step closer to reorienting ourselves towards the Lord. When we trust in Him, and allow His grace to work in us and through us, so that even in times of adversity and trial, we shall remain steadfast, as trees “who shall not fear when heat comes, whose leaves shall stay green” (Jer 17:8).
In the Gospel, Jesus takes this a step further, and completely subverts our common notions of blessedness. Even Christians often speak of blessedness as “receiving good things from God.” Indeed, this is part of it, but Christ’s revelation is much richer than material gain or financial security. Our society honours the rich and famous, the healthy and powerful. But Christ declares: “Blessed are the poor. Blessed are the hungry” (Lk 6:20-21). How can these people be blessed? Beati in Latin, Makarioi in Greek, means blessedness, but it also means Happy. They poor, the hungry, and the oppressed can be happy because even in the state of poverty, the one thing that can never be taken away is faith, trust, and hope in God. The riches of the world can never ultimately satisfy. Human thirst for more will never by quenched. Trust in the world will finally fail. But those who trust in God, not matter what the world throws their way, will be blessed and happy.
Friends, our true happiness and fulfillment are in God alone. He alone satisfies every good desire of our heart. Heaven is our true homeland and while we are on pilgrimage here on earth let us remember that the good things of the world are fading away. When we place our hope in God and allow his grace to guide us, wherever our stormy voyage may lead He will be travelling at our side (cf. Sophocles, Antigone, 540). In this, whether we are rich or poor, healthy or sick, full or hungry, with the love of God in our hearts we will fare well.
Blessings on you all, and have a blessed and happy Sunday.
Kevin Ponte – St. Joseph Seminary, Edmonton, Alberta
Fot. Andrik Langfield Petrides/Unsplash.com