A Reflection on the Readings for the Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Zep 2:3; 3:12-13
Ps 146:6-7, 8-9, 9-10
1 Cor 1:26-31
Mt 5:1-12a
When I was a young girl, I fell hard and fast for the celebrities I saw on television and in magazines. Actors, actresses and singers. With their good looks, glittering smiles, and elegant clothing, they seemed so happy and adored by all. I imagined myself in their place, enjoying the admiration, glitz, and glamour of that exciting lifestyle. I thought, wow…all that money and love from others – what could be more fulfilling? I fell hook, line, and sinker for the wisdom of the world for a time.
Reading Scripture, you come to know that God’s wisdom is FAR from the world’s wisdom. And how could it not be that way? It was, He “who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them…” Psalms 146:6. How to even comprehend or compare our wisdom to His? Who of us would have the wisdom to give up his only son to die for us, descend into hell, be resurrected, and clear the way for us to Heaven? For me, never. But I am not God.
God, in his infinite wisdom, chooses not as the world chooses. If the world had a message to spread, certainly, it would seem wise to us to choose the most beautiful, rich, intelligent, charismatic, and highly regarded people to send it out. Yet, St. Paul says, “not many of you were wise according to the flesh, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth…God chose what is low and despised in the world…so that no flesh might boast in the presence of God.” 1 Corinthians 1:26-29.
In the Gospel of Matthew, with only the wisdom God would have, Jesus began his Sermon on the Mount with the Beatitudes.
“Blessed are the poor in spirit…
those who mourn…
the meek…
who hunger and thirst for righteousness…
the merciful…
the pure in heart…
the peacemakers…
those who are persecuted for righteousness…
when men revile you and persecute you…”
– Matthew 5:3-11
These qualities were not the ones I saw in the celebrity lifestyle I admired as a child. What that worldly wisdom told me was that if I focused on fulfilling the self and gaining love and attention, I would, in fact, be fulfilled.
Thank you, Lord, for knowing better. For knowing that we indeed are blessed in seeking the qualities of those in the Beatitudes because they make room in our souls for God to live in us, work in us, love us, and draw us closer to Him. And isn’t that what I was craving as a child in the first place?
Reference: Photo by Billy Pasco on Unsplash
