Jesus came down with the Twelve and stood on a stretch of level ground with a great crowd of his disciples and a large number of the people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon.
And raising his eyes toward his disciples he 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.
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.”
REFLECTION:
"But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation."
Luke's version of the sermon of the mount differs slightly from Matthew's. Matthew expands in the blessings, Luke adds what will happen to the rich and filled.
What does that mean? How does it affect us?
In the parable of the goats and sheep (Mt 25:31-46) we read that the punishment was for those who did not do good things. The ones that neglected to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, welcome the stranger, etc. The Corporal Works of Mercy are a reminder that we are stewards of our wealth on earth.
Sending a check in the mail to a charity is a good thing. Is it enough? As Catholics, we also have the Spiritual Works of Mercy. The actions that put us closer to those who are suffering: Counsel the doubtful, Instruct the ignorant, Admonish the sinner, Comfort the sorrowful, Forgive injuries, Bear wrongs patiently, and Pray for the living and the dead.
Spending some time catching up with a friend over coffee and making sure they are OK is a sign of friendship and a work of mercy. Finding the balance between the daily chaos that our society imposes on us and being in touch with our loved ones is very tricky.
I know a very successful business woman, and every time I call her to meet she absolutely makes time to do so. When I asked her why she was so available she told me that she always prioritizes people. Of course she had to go to work and such, but would make sure work should not trample humanity. Being in touch with one another is very difficult in modern times. Social media is just a veneer, a reflection of the self. Meeting others face to face makes all the difference in all of our lives, even when we cannot be a solution to the person we are with. Just the fact that we are present and loving them is enough to bring consolation to them.
I know I need to bring down the distractions in my life, and be more in touch with those who need me. Otherwise I am just filling myself and letting others be hungry, ignorant, and sad.
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