“FIRST IMPRESSIONS”
6th SUNDAY -C- February 16, 2025
Jeremiah 17: 5-8; Psalm 1; I Cor. 15: 12, 16-20; Luke 6: 17, 20-26
by Jude Siciliano, OP
Dear Preachers:
It is one thing to trust God when life moves
smoothly and we face no significant difficulties, or major transitions. At such
times, it can feel as though we are special in God’s eyes. But Jeremiah speaks
today of two kinds of people: those who turn away from God and place their trust
in what is fleeting, and those who remain faithful to God. The unfaithful person
who relies on human powers and skills will falter in hard times. Jeremiah
poetically describes this as being like a bush in the desert, doomed to wither
and become barren. Such a person is “cursed.” In contrast, “Blessed is the one
who trusts in the Lord.” Those who trust in God possess the inner resources they
need, especially in times of trial.
The choice is ours: will we trust in what is merely human, or will we trust in
God? Trusting in God does not mean merely believing in doctrine; it requires
commitment and devotion to God. Those who choose God will have deep roots, able
to endure when the rains fail, when the usual sources of support vanish, and
when life tests their resilience.
Jeremiah’s words carry particular weight because he did not speak from a place
of comfort or security. He experienced profound hardship and made difficult
choices. As a prophet in Jerusalem, he witnessed the destruction of the temple
and the city at the hands of the Babylonians. He lost everything, as did his
people, many of whom were exiled to Babylon. Jeremiah himself fled to Egypt.
Despite these tribulations, he continued to preach fidelity to God. He warned
that those who turn from God are like shrubs in the desert, perpetually
searching for water in a dry, lifeless landscape. Where will we look for
strength in a world that often feels parched and inhospitable?
The Psalm Response provides further guidance. More than a prayer, it is a
roadmap for how believers should live. The psalmist echoes Jeremiah’s imagery,
describing the wise person who follows God’s ways as “a tree planted near
running water.” This tree yields fruit in due season and remains resilient. In
contrast, the foolish person is like chaff, blown aimlessly by the wind. The
psalm urges us to make a deliberate choice to live according to God’s ways – a
choice we must renew daily as we face life’s challenges.
Reflecting on these readings, we might ask ourselves: When have we made selfish
or short-sighted choices? Did these decisions leave us like a barren bush,
yielding no fruit, or like chaff driven by the wind? Conversely, have there been
moments when we made just and good decisions that initially cost us something,
but ultimately brought forth “fruit in due season”? These questions invite us to
assess our lives in light of Jeremiah’s wisdom and the psalmist’s counsel.
These reflections lead us to today’s Gospel, where Jesus declares, “Blessed are
the poor, hungry, weeping, and persecuted.” These are not the people we
typically consider “blessed.” In our world, those with health, wealth, and
security are often seen as blessed. Many attribute their comfort and success to
God, saying, “God has blessed me with [fill in the blank].”
But Jesus offers a radically different perspective. In Luke’s Gospel, those who
are poor, hungry, weeping, and persecuted are the “blessed.” This “reversal
theme” runs throughout Luke’s Gospel. It is proclaimed in Mary’s Magnificat
(Luke 1:46-55) and reiterated here: the poor will inherit the kingdom, the
hungry will be filled, and those who weep will laugh.
Did Luke expect these conditions to change quickly? Likely not. Instead, his
Beatitudes challenge the divisions between those the world deems “blessed” and
those Jesus calls “blessed.” Jesus’ ministry, as presented in Luke, seeks to
alleviate the suffering of those who turn to him, and he calls his disciples to
do the same. As Jesus says in Acts 1:8, “You will receive power when the Holy
Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout
Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Jesus’ message is clear:
disciples must persevere until the end, when all evil will be defeated.
We must ask ourselves: Where do we fit within the “blessings” and “woes” of
today’s Gospel? Many of us might recognize ourselves in the “woes.” We are not
poor compared to much of the world. We are not hungry; in fact, we often have
more than we need. We laugh frequently, though we have known moments of grief.
For the most part, people speak well of us.
In the Gospel, Jesus speaks first to his disciples, those who have made
sacrifices and taken risks to follow him. They have trusted in the Lord, as
Jeremiah encouraged. Jesus sets out the qualities of true discipleship: turning
away from riches, fleeting pleasures, and the praise of others. Following Jesus
often brings deprivation, sorrow, hatred, and rejection. Yet this is the path of
authentic discipleship.
Do we rely too much on ourselves? As disciples, we are called to serve the poor,
the hungry, the weeping, and the abused. We are called to embody Gospel values
in our lives, to stand in solidarity with the downtrodden and victimized. Do we
trust God enough to address the needs of those whom Jesus calls “blessed”? This
is the challenge we face as followers of Christ.
Click here for a link to this Sunday’s readings: