4 Sunday in

Ordinary Time
th

29 January 2017
Zeph. 2:3; 3:12-13
I Cor. 1:26-31
Mt. 5: 1-12a

INTRODUCTION:

This Sunday, the

Church gives us the
8
Beatitudes:
Jesus' Program for
Happiness/Joy.

INTRODUCTION:
We look for all kinds of
gurus who tell us how to
be happy. We have the
Word of God Himself
today telling us.

Background: Jesus, like Moses of old giving

the Ten Commandments on Mt. Sinai, now
gives the 8 Beatitudes at the beginning of
the Sermon on the Mount.

Like the teachers of old,

Jesus sits with his
students, the disciples,
around listening unlike the
modern teachers who speak
and lecture on a podium.

2 The Positive Program of Christian Life:

Blessed are a) The Merciful, they will
be shown mercy
(Spiritual Physics). God
in the N. T. is Love
(Caritas) and in the O. T.
is tender Mercy (Hesed).

2 The Positive Program of Christian Life:

Blessed are b) The Clean (pure)

of heart (Singlehearted): heart

focused on God.

2 The Positive Program of Christian Life:

Blessed are c) Those who hunger

and thirst for

Righteousness
(doing God's Will is
one's most powerful
desire)

2 The Positive Program of Christian Life:

Blessed are d) The Peacemakers

(those who radiate

Love/Mercy, not
their own ego, their
fears or their
unhappiness)

The Negative (Counter-intuitive)

Formula for Detachment:
Blessed are -

a) The Poor: those detached

from material things or
money, not a valorization of
economic poverty. However, if
one has wealth, that one will
know how to use their wealth
as means to show God's Mercy.

The Negative (Counter-intuitive)

Formula for Detachment:
Blessed are b) Those who mourn:
those not addicted to
pleasure, not a
recommendation for
masochism

The Negative (Counter-intuitive)

Formula for Detachment:
Blessed are -

c) The Meek:
not a recommendation
to be weak but to be
detached from power

The Negative (Counter-intuitive)

Formula for Detachment:
Blessed are -

d) Those persecuted:
those detached from
honor/glory.

CONCLUSION:

What we have in the Beatitudes is a

recommendation on the Path to happiness
positively what we have to seek and
negatively what we have to avoid. +ART

CONCLUSION:

Pay attention to this

Program of Christian Life!

And one will

+ART