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January 29, 2023Zep 2:3; 3:12-13 | 1 Cor 1:26-31 | Mt 5:1-12a
GROW AS A DISCIPLE | PRAY, STUDY, ENGAGE, SERVE
GROW: I have a competitive streak. Whether it’s guessing Wordle in one try, grabbing the last Doorbuster deal at Kohl’s or snagging Boardwalk early in a game of Monopoly, I like to win. For this reason, the readings today especially challenge me. In a world that values success, wealth and “winning,” today’s readings turn things upside down when it comes to status and justice. In Zephaniah, God chooses the “humble and lowly.” In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus lays out a road map to lasting happiness that bears little resemblance to what the world tells us, and even what our own instincts may tell us, about being “happy.” I’ll still buy Boardwalk at the first opportunity, but Jesus’ words invite me to focus on seeking righteousness, and to be merciful and “clean of heart.” They encourage me to seek the happiness that only Christ can give. Through prayer and reflection on these words, we can ask the Lord to transform our hearts and lives to align with what it truly means to be blessed.
GO EVANGELIZE | PRAYER, INVITATION, WITNESS, ACCOMPANIMENT
GO: Pope Francis has referred to the Eight Beatitudes as a kind of Christian “identity card.” (General Audience, Jan. 2020) And he had a suggestion for those of us, like me, who love to listen to the Sermon on the Mount but may not be sure where to start when it comes to living it. His suggestion is simple: “There are eight Beatitudes, and it would be nice to learn them by heart and to repeat them in order to keep this law that Jesus gives us in our mind and in our hearts.” Perhaps we can place each Beatitude on a sticky note by the mirror, incorporate them into our morning prayers, teach them to our children or discuss them with friends. Practice makes perfect, yes? As Pope Francis reminds us, “the Beatitudes always bring you to joy; they are the paths to reach joy.”
STUDY: Memorize the Eight Beatitudes. Learn about each one by reading the writings of Pope Francis or another theologian such as Bishop Robert Barron. Ask God to help you incorporate them into your daily life.
