Saint Aidan Catholic Church - Livonia, MI
  • Discover
    • Schedule >
      • Holy Week
    • Livestream Masses
    • Lent Fish Dinners
    • Contact
    • Register
    • About >
      • Our Patron Saint
      • Church Tour
      • PRES Plan
    • Groups >
      • Women of St. Aidan
      • Men's Club
      • Men's Prayer Group
      • Young(ish) Adults
    • Links
  • Grow
    • March Enrichment
    • Lent '23
    • Families
    • Blog
    • Bible Studies >
      • Exodus
    • Sacrament Prep >
      • Reconciliation & Holy Communion
      • Confirmation
    • Young(ish) Adults
    • Youth Ministry
    • Ongoing Enrichment >
      • Online Studies
      • Sacraments
      • Faith Basics
      • Library Database
    • Children's Liturgy of the Word
    • Become Catholic
    • VBS
  • Service
    • Assistance
    • Pray
    • Vocations
    • Volunteer
  • Give
    • Electronic Donations
    • CSA
    • Endowment
  • Discover
    • Schedule >
      • Holy Week
    • Livestream Masses
    • Lent Fish Dinners
    • Contact
    • Register
    • About >
      • Our Patron Saint
      • Church Tour
      • PRES Plan
    • Groups >
      • Women of St. Aidan
      • Men's Club
      • Men's Prayer Group
      • Young(ish) Adults
    • Links
  • Grow
    • March Enrichment
    • Lent '23
    • Families
    • Blog
    • Bible Studies >
      • Exodus
    • Sacrament Prep >
      • Reconciliation & Holy Communion
      • Confirmation
    • Young(ish) Adults
    • Youth Ministry
    • Ongoing Enrichment >
      • Online Studies
      • Sacraments
      • Faith Basics
      • Library Database
    • Children's Liturgy of the Word
    • Become Catholic
    • VBS
  • Service
    • Assistance
    • Pray
    • Vocations
    • Volunteer
  • Give
    • Electronic Donations
    • CSA
    • Endowment

Blessed Are They Who Hope in the Lord

2/14/2022

 
Today is the Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time. The refrain from this weekend’s Responsorial Psalm says it all in terms of (all) the readings for this Sixth Sunday of Ordinary Time: “Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.” This is a phrase, a reminder—sung or spoken—that may help in any of our desperate, unkind, sorry or sad moments in our lives.

​Today, we hear the “Blesseds” of the Beatitudes and in this Gospel of Luke we also hear the “Woes.” The Old Testament reading from the Book of the Prophet Jeremiah is utterly descriptive about people who trust in human beings rather than the Lord. It has contrasting poetry—not unlike the Blesseds and Woes of the Gospel reading. Jeremiah describes the former people as “a barren bush, enjoying no change of season, standing in lava waste, a salt and empty earth.” Compare that to the latter—people who put their trust in God: “Blessed are you…like a tree planted beside the waters, not fearing the heat, its leaves stay green, in draught it shows no distress, but still bears fruit.” This is a very clear depiction from a desert people who liken God to the blessing of life-giving water!

When we put our trust and hope in the Lord, in God, we will not be spiritually thirsty and emotionally barren; instead, we will be replete in the Lord’s abiding and abundant mercy, contented and gratified in his love, no matter what happens in our lives. The psalm response reflects the basic criterion for all three readings—it is the image, the paradigm and the example for the message we are meant to understand: “Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.” (May we believe what we sing, and sing what we believe!)

“Blessed” is the translation of the word makarioi, used in the Greek New Testament. But if you look even further back to Jesus’ Aramaic the original word for “blessed” was ashray, from the verb yashar. Ashray does not have a passive quality to it at all. It means “to set yourself on the right way for the right goal; to turn around, repent.” (Thanks, Rev Rohr!) So in following the Beatitudes we are to act upon our blessings in an active way: “get up, go ahead, do something, move, you who are hungry and thirsty for justice, for you shall be satisfied. Get up, go ahead, do something, move, you peacemakers, make peace and you shall be called children of God.”

This action of a blessing that we are called to be as believers reflects Jesus’ words and teachings. I can hear Jesus saying: “Get your hands dirty to build a human society for human beings; otherwise, others will torture and murder the poor, the voiceless, and the powerless.” Christianity is not passive but active, energetic, alive, going beyond any despair in this field of souls. “Get up, go ahead, do something, move,” Jesus may have said to his disciples. However, when you work outside the system for peace, justice and mercy you will not be admired inside the system. You will look dangerous, subversive, a troublemaker, unpatriotic. One thing you cannot call Jesus was a patriot. He was serving a far bigger realm, as should we.

In his First Letter to the Corinthians St. Paul tells us that our faith is not in vain. Since Christ was raised from the dead, so shall we be too—blessed are we who hope in the Lord! According to St. Luke’s Gospel, our reward will be great in heaven, so rejoice and be glad! Do so because blessed are you if you are poor, or hungry, or marginalized, or weeping and grieving—that would be all of us…

In a few short weeks, the season of Lent will be upon us (before we know it). Changes in our Liturgy and in our worship environment will take place that will reflect this new penitential season. We will strive for the desert experience of Lent—no green plants, serious and sparse (yet rich) symbolism—Lent should make us “thirsty” for God. As we head toward Lent, here is an idea: rather than give up something, maybe the challenge should be to do something positive for others; in action— to be a blessing for someone. Be a blessing, rather than a woe, for those around us.  This is living the attitude of the Beatitudes we hear today; living in the hope of growing closer to God. “Blessed are they who hope in God.”

Keep singing!

Elizabeth Dyc

Comments are closed.

    Authors

    David J. Conrad, M.A. Theology. Our Director of Faith Formation.

    Paul Pyrkosz. Our Youth Minister & Bookkeeper.

    ​Elizabeth Dyc. Our Director of Music Ministry.

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

St. Aidan Catholic Church
17500 Farmington Rd. 
Livonia, MI 48152
Phone: 734-425-5950
office@saintaidanlivonia.org

Weekend Mass Schedule
Saturday Vigil: 5:00 p.m.
Sunday: 7:30, 9:30, 11:30 a.m.

Picture