Breaking Open the Word
By James Cavanagh
Jan. 30: Fourth Sunday In Ordinary Time
Scripture readings:
- Zephaniah 2:3; 3:12-13
- Psalm 146:6-10
- 1 Corinthians 1:26-31
- Matthew 5:1-12
Theme:
Poverty of spirit is the foundation of the spiritual life and the mother of all the other virtues. The way to holiness is a journey we take on our knees. This week’s readings focus, in one way or another, on the virtue of humility. Zephaniah is one of least known books in the Bible; it’s only cited once in the New Testament (Mt 13:41). Zephaniah preached during the reign of Josiah, one of the few good kings who instituted religious reforms to purge Judah of idolatry and restore right worship. In light of these reforms, Zephaniah urged his people to seek justice (other translations say “righteousness”) and humility.
In the second reading Paul reminds us that “not many are powerful; not many are of noble birth” but God has chosen “the lowly and despised of the world” to confound those who are “something.” Paul himself is an example of how God uses those that the world considers worthless and foolish to accomplish extraordinary things.
In this week’s Gospel we hear the Beatitudes, which are a kind of preamble to the Sermon on the Mount (Mt 5-7). For the next several weeks, we’ll hear more from this sermon. The first Beatitude is perhaps the most important. It both reflects and deepens the first commandment which says “I am the Lord your God; you shall have no other gods but me” (Ex 20:2). It deepens it by showing the interior disposition that should accompany the external act. Everything that follows in the Sermon on the Mount, indeed the whole Christian life depends on this first and fundamental lesson.
Key verse: “Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Mt 5:2).
Catechism of the Catholic Church:
The Beatitudes are at the heart of Jesus’ preaching. They take up the promises made to the chosen people since Abraham. The Beatitudes fulfill the promises by ordering them no longer merely to the possession of a territory, but to the kingdom of heaven. The Beatitudes depict the countenance of Jesus Christ and portray his charity. They express the vocation of the faithful associated with the glory of his Passion and Resurrection; they shed light on the actions and attitudes characteristic of the Christian life” (Nos. 1716-1717).
Pope Benedict XVI:
“The highest truths demand a humble and continuous readiness to listen. It is only by a humble willingness to listen and learn that the majesty of truth reveals itself and thereby grants access to our true dimension” (“The Yes of Jesus Christ”).
Application:
History is full of saints who were nobodies and yet accomplished incredible things. We have only to think of individuals like Saints Juan Diego, Therese of Lisieux or Maria Goretti. No matter how unimportant, unskilled or unlearned you think you are, God can use you to do something great, regardless how small it is. As St. Jose Maria Escriva (founder of Opus Dei) said: “Don’t let your life be sterile. Be useful. Blaze a trail! Shine forth with the torch of your faith and love!”
James Cavanagh is director of Evangelization and Catechesis for Metro-Area Parishes of the Denver Archdiocese. For information on subscribing to "Breaking Open the Word, click here. For archives click here.
