REVERSAL STRATEGY
Jesus began His
sermon by addressing the issue of where true joy and happiness can be found.
How
do we encounter misfortune, grief or loss; how do we respond to all this? Do we
respond with fear or faith? We know from experience that no one can escape all
of the trials of life - pain, suffering, sickness and death itself. When Jesus
Christ began to teach His followers, He gave a "way of happiness"
that transcends every difficulty and trouble that can weigh us down with grief
and despair. Jesus began His sermon by addressing the issue of where true joy
and happiness can be found.
You
might ask yourself this question: How can I possibly find happiness in poverty,
hunger, mourning and persecution? If you and I want to be filled with the joy
and happiness of a heavenly home, then we must empty ourselves of all that
would shut God, our Father, out of our hearts. In the Gospel of Luke, the last
Beatitude and the last "woe" are reversals, taking the form of either
acceptance or rejection. When Jesus' disciples are rejected by humans, they are
accepted by God. In this plan of reversal the issue is the prophet's word.
People reject the message of the true prophet but gladly accept that of the
false prophet.
Luke's
Gospel, on the reversal strategy, impacts us as disciples today. Through our
baptism we are also called to be prophets. This ministry does not involve
predicting the future. Rather, it concerns articulating our heavenly Father's
message at all times, not just when it's convenient. It's how we live a quality
life; we respect human life from conception to natural death; we reach out to
those who are rejected and most in need; we hear Jesus say that their
"reward will be great in heaven" (Lk 6:23b).
In
the Responsorial Psalm we acclaim, "Listen to Me, daughter; see and bend
your ear" (Ps 45:11a). The heart of our Faith is Love. May we fall in love
with the Gospels and dream every day of the moment of meeting Jesus Christ in
the Eucharist. "Come and see" is the summary of the four Gospels and
the whole of Scripture. To see You is to Love You!
"Raising
His eyes toward His disciples Jesus said, 'Blessed are you who are_____.'"