6th Sunday in Ordinary time
Readings:
Jeremiah 17: 5-8
1 Corinthians 15: 12,16-20
Luke 6: 17,20-26
Reflection:
Life is a gift and life is beautiful, but sometimes life is plain hard.
The truth is, we all walk through valleys of uncertainty and pain. No one is immune to tribulation. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed when the weight of life presses down on us, whether through personal loss, societal expectations, or invisible battles we fight alone. In those moments, we may wonder: Where is the blessing? Where is the good news Jesus spoke of?
Jesus offers us words today not as a simple promise of comfort but as an invitation to change the way we see the world. On the surface, the ‘blessings’ he offers may seem counterintuitive; blessed are the poor, the hungry, those who weep, and those who are hated. How can these experiences of suffering be blessings?
Perhaps the key to understanding these blessings lies in the shift in perspective that Jesus offers. When he speaks of blessing, he’s not necessarily referring to external circumstances but to a deeper, internal reality. The poor, the hungry, the broken-hearted, these are the ones who, when they place their trust in God, find a deeper source of strength. They are the ones whose hearts are open to grace, and whose lives are reshaped.
As I reflect on this, I am reminded that my struggles, while real and painful, are also an opportunity to draw nearer to God, to trust in his promises, and to lean on the hope that one day, all things will be made new. Sounds good on paper, yet living the reality… that is where the challenge emerges requiring daily recommitment. Until then, the invitation from today’s reading is to simply know deep in your core that the blessings of the Kingdom are not only for the future, but they are for today, in the way we live, the way we love, and the way we see each other.
Sr Karen Englebretsen CP, Cross and Passion Sisters. blessed to be a spiritual care worker in the homeless sector in Melbourne.