DIVINE WHISPER with Fr. PiusRalph EFFIONG, SMMM

WEDNESDAY OF THE 23RD WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME OF THE YEAR 

Mystery of the day: Glorious 

Celebration: Ferial 

Liturgical Colour: Green 

Table of the Word 

First Reading: Colossians 3:1-11

Gospel: Luke 6:20-26

Theme: Rooted in Love, Bearing Fruit in Christ.

And the Lord Whispers: “Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh” (Luke 6:21).

Reflection

It was St. Augustine who refered to  the Beatitudes as: “the perfect standard of the Christian life.” And in today's Gospel, Jesus proclaims the Beatitudes and the corresponding woes. He blesses the poor, the hungry, the sorrowful, and the rejected and those who, in worldly terms, are forgotten. That is to say: God’s measure of blessing is very different from the world’s(cf.Luke 6:20-26).

To be poor in spirit is to rely on God; to hunger is to desire His righteousness; to weep is to be open to His consolation. In each trial, Christ promises a reversal: sorrow turns to joy, hunger to satisfaction, rejection to eternal reward. The Beatitudes invite us to live with our roots deep in Christ, trusting that present struggles are never the final word.

In the first reading, we see St. Paul telling the Colossians: “Continue securely established and steadfast in the faith, without shifting from the hope promised by the Gospel” (Colossians 1:23). Hope is the anchor that sustains us amid trials. And amidst this life challenging situation, God says to us with a gentle hug "My child, your present tears water the seeds of joy I am planting in you."

On the other hand, the Catechism describes the Beatitudes as “paradoxes that confront us with decisive choices concerning earthly goods; they purify our hearts in order to teach us to love God above all things” (CCC 1728).

In the light of this, we are exhorted to hold on to Christ when we experience difficulty or rejection, remembering that in Christ, our struggle carries the seed of blessing. Also, there is need to practice spiritual poverty by detaching from pride and possessions, and anchoring our joy in God’s promises.

Obviously, it is in doing this that these beautiful words from the mouth of God: “Do not be afraid of poverty, hunger, or tears. In your weakness, My kingdom grows, and in your pain, My joy is born.” will be fulfilled in our lives. And then we will be firmly rooted in Christ and bear much fruit.

+ Peace be with you. 

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