Reflections on Scripture | Memorial of Saint John Chrysostom, Bishop and Doctor of the Church

Join Msgr. Don Fischer as he reads and delivers a short reflection on today’s gospel, followed by 3 1/2 minutes of contemplative music and a closing prayer. Msgr. Don hopes that today’s reflection on the gospel will empower you to carry the Word in your heart throughout the day.

Choose either the video or audio below.

Gospel
Luke 6:20-26

Raising his eyes toward his disciples Jesus 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 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.
But 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

Jesus shocked His audience many times. This one must have been really a big one to swallow. If you understand that in the Old Testament, if one followed the law, they would be rich, they would never have to worry about hunger,

everyone would think they were wonderful. The reward for following God was a perfect, wonderful life and what He's trying to do is to shake them away from that kind of naive and oversimplified notion of how God works with His people. And when you look at the two extremes you know neither one of them is correct, so they have to work together.

So what I think He's really saying is that there is really no fullness unless one has experienced emptiness. There is no real joy unless you've known deep sadness and there's no true self-worth unless people have criticized you. It's a wonderful teaching of freedom from an expectation that is unrealistic.

Closing Prayer

Father, you ask us to surrender to you, and yet the real way in which that unfolds is we have to accept things that are happening to us in this moment, in this day. And when our responds to those things that are negative are somehow a negative response in us. Like it's not fair, this is too much. Free us from all of that. Give us this spirit of embracing everything knowing that all is there for the good of us. Life is a mixture of joy and sorrow, and we have to embrace it. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Kyle Cross