February 16, 2025: Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Gospel – Luke: 6:17, 20-26

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 you 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

(One form of praying the Gospels is to imagine oneself in the scene presented. Picture the setting. What does the crowd look like, sound like? How do the words and actions of Jesus affect the emotions of the onlookers, me? This reflection hopes to open our imaginations to the physical space, sights, sounds and people in this week’s Gospel reading).

Jesus stands “on a stretch of level ground with a great crowd of his disciples and a large number of people.” These people, drawn by Jesus’ preaching and healings, listened and watched with bated breath and great curiosity. What would Jesus say? Would he heal someone today?

Jesus remained silent. Silence fell over the crowd. Was Jesus praying? Was he deciding what to say? Was he anxious about his message, working up his courage to speak? The crowd waited and wondered.

Then Jesus, “raising his eyes toward his disciples” finally spoke.

As always, Jesus’ words comforted and challenged and confused. At the very least, they provoked questions in the minds of the listeners. The poor, the hungry, the weeping, the excluded and scorned would be blessed. Their needs, emotional and physical, would be healed. Blessed are you who will “rejoice and leap for joy on that day.”

This promise comforted those to whom it was addressed; but it provoked at least two burning questions. When will this great reversal in fortunes happen and how will it happen?

Jesus addressed the rich, the satisfied, the happy and admired ones with more challenge and less comfort. Four times he warned “woe to you.” Woe to you who are rich, well fed, laughing, admired. Again, his words provoked a question. What’s so wrong with having what we think we need and desire? We worked hard for it.

Jesus remained silent. As always, Jesus’ words comforted and challenged and confused. At the very least, they provoked questions in the minds of listeners.

Action

Today, right now, what makes you “leap for joy?”

Today, right now, what makes you suspect you might be among the “woe are you” crowd?