February 14, 2010 SIXTH SUNDAY OF THE CHURCH YEAR
14 FEBRUARY 2010, 5:15, 8:00, 10:30
READINGS: Jeremiah 17:5-8; 1 Corinthians 15:12, 16-20; Luke 6:17, 20-26
SAINT MARY PARISH, VIROQUA
Introduction: The readings of today speak to us about the sources of meaning in our lives.
1. Sometimes people make their way through life without purpose, without meaning. Or sometimes, we find just shallow meaning in what are really empty sources. Jeremiah makes reference to these people. They are like barren bushes in the desert. He refers to those who put their trust entirely in the things of this world and not in God. They are like tumbleweed rolling along the desert floor with the wind. No roots, no flowers, no fruit! Others, those who put their trust in God, are like a tree planted beside the waters of a stream. Green leaves, fruit are its produce. Jesus echoes this great prophet. What he says seems so contradictory to our experience. “Blessed are the poor; sad are the rich. Blest are those who are hungry; sad are those who are filled. Blessed are those who weep; sad are those who laugh!” It’s true that things are not always as they seem.
2. A certain rabbi used to say that he discovered the meaning of love from a drunken peasant. The rabbi was visiting the owner of a tavern in the Polish countryside. As he walked in, he saw two peasants at table. Both were gloriously “in their cups.” Arms around each other, they were protesting how much each loved the other. Suddenly Ivan said to Peter: “Peter, tell me, what hurts me?” Bleary-eyed, Peter looked at Ivan: “How do I know what hurts you?” Ivan’s answer was swift: “If you don’t know what hurts me, how can you say you love me?” Jesus was the greatest lover in history. Why? Because he knows what hurts us. He knew then and he knows now.
Those who are like tumbleweed in the desert, blown through life by the wind, do not have compassion. Blest are those who know of the miseries of poverty, of grief, of loneliness – only these can reach out to help those afflicted. Jesus had compassion on others. Compassion enables us to turn the beatitudes around:
a. Blessed are the rich, for you can do much for the poor.
b. Blessed are those who are full now, for you are strong enough to feed the hungry.
c. Blessed are you who laugh now, for you can bring the joy of Christ to others.
3. In the second century Saint Iranaeus said, “The glory of God is man fully alive.” The best way we can give praise to God (outside the Eucharist) is by becoming fully alive. We do that not by drifting through life. We do that by making choices that reflect the words of Jesus. We become fully alive by having compassion on our neighbor. We become fully alive when we recognize God’s great love for us. Tonight, each night before going to sleep recite the Lord’s Prayer. Next, speak to God in your own words, sincere words. Ask, “How can we become fully alive?”Then, listen. Listen to what he is calling you to do, to be.
Conclusion: Deep within us is a profound longing, a yearning for the good, the true and the beautiful. A deep hunger for God. When we satisfy that hunger we are like trees planted near living water.