Father Bill says...Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

to: all of my friends
from: Father Bill Muench

for the Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time


Wednesday this week is Ash Wednesday

The beginning of Lent – get ready to do something special for Lent

This week I wandered down to Syracuse – visited my nephew, Paul and Susan – and their children, Mary, William and Anna. Today, happens to be Anna’s birthday – 11 years old. As things turned out, the day turned sad – because they learned of the death of their pastor – a truly loving and caring priest, who had a gift of reaching young people and teen agers – as well as being an exceptional pastor for all families. They will miss him dearly. I also had lunch with a lawyer – I had taught him in high school many years ago – that was a truly enjoyable time – remembering people and events long forgotten. And, finally, a meeting with my tax man – that was a bit more difficult than confession.

I feel so badly for my friends down south – Virginia and Washington, D.C. – battered by the recent storm – while we say we love snow up here – we also know that too much is too much.

The Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Finding the Kingdom of God – being a part of this Kingdom – “for the Kingdom of God is your.”

Someone has written: “The Kingdom of God is inside you – Jesus
God’s Kingdom is where the king is and he is in you and in me.
- not tied to buildings of wood or stone
- not tied to names or titles
- not tied to times and plans
- not tied to language and expressions
- not tied to our abilities and inabilities
tied only to the possibility of living in you and me as Lord of life.”

So, how do we discover the Kingdom of God – and how do we become part of the Kingdom. In Luke’s Gospel for this Sunday, we hear again the Beatitudes – similar to the Beatitudes in Matthew’s Gospel – but not the same. In Luke’s Gospel, the Beatitudes are presented first as four “blessings” – than as four “woes.”

In this place, Jesus begins – “Blessed are you who are poor, for the Kingdom of God is yours.” You and I will discover the Kingdom of God by being poor. In the second part of Luke’s Beatitudes – Jesus says, “Woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation.” Poverty offers a warmer welcome to God than riches. Poverty – not having very much – materially, yes – but also spiritual poverty – lacking the spiritual strength and courage – makes us turn to the Lord to face difficult, even impossible situations in our lives and those of our family or community. When we consider ourselves rich – we feel we do not need anyone – including God. Often, the rich come to discover their own poverty – their own neediness – and then they discover God.

Let me take one more moment – and consider one of the other beatitudes of Luke’s Gospel. Jesus says, “Blessed are you who are now weeping, for you will laugh” – and, conversely, “Woe to you who laugh now, for you will grieve and weep.” Laugh – in this regard, we laugh when we realize that we are a part of the Kingdom of God – God is with us – we can rejoice – we have it made – but to come to that moment, we must be brave enough to weep – to weep for our own failings, to weep for the sufferings and sadness of those around us – our loved ones and family, to weep for a broken world. That path leads to the Kingdom of God and then we, with God’s help and love and peace, we can begin to make sense of it all – and then truly laugh out loud (as the internet crowd likes to say). But if all we can do now is laugh – if the only way we can react to our world is to laugh – we have missed something – if we have missed the pain – ours and others – if we have missed the sadness, ours and others – if we have missed the difficult path of love – our laughter becomes empty – and we will end up – grieving and weep.

LET US PRAY

Almighty God, my Father, show me the way – show me the way to the Kingdom – that I may find your presence in my life – then I will live in your spirit – may I be poor enough to discover the riches of your love – may my tears bring me to your peace. This is my prayer. Amen.

Please join me as we say together the Lord’s Prayer.

Happy St. Valentine’s Day to you all – please be my valentine.

Special prayers to Father Sturtz as he heads out on his mission with the others of the Mission of Hope to Nicaragua.

Happy Birthday to my great-niece, Anna