Zephaniah 2:3; 3:12-13

Ps 146(145):6c-7.8-9a. 9b-10. ℟ Matthew 5:3

1 Corinthians 1:26-31

Matthew 5:1-12a

Background:

Last Sunday (3rd) we read from Matthew's overview of Jesus's ministry in Galilee.  Now we hear the first of Jesus’s great discourses: the “Sermon on the Mount”. This covers three chapters, the first is read in its entirety from the 4th to the 7th Sundays. The 4th and 5th Sundays therefore may be considered a sort of introduction to the Sermon on the Mount.

Zephaniah. The Prophet Zephaniah (640-625 BCE) is primarily concerned with 'The Day of The Lord' in this short book of 3 chapters.   He does so with unrelenting sternness, except in the passage today. The Babylonian Exile put an end to Israel's understanding that material prosperity was a result of being blessed by the Lord (the Book of Job deals with the puzzlement this creates in the people’s thinking). Today’s verses from the prophecy of Zephaniah show the new and more satisfying analysis: it is the humble of the Lord who will receive divine blessing; those who seek refuge in the name or power of the Lord and recognize their entire dependence on him. Israel was bounced around by the great powers around it, dominated first by one, then by the other. Zephaniah is dealing with the spirituality of the powerless 'remnant', not giving themselves airs or trusting in their own strength. 

Corinthians. The Corinthians seem to have been particularly pleased with themselves, so that Paul mercilessly lavishes his sarcasm on them to get them, as it were, to take hold of themselves.  In their bravado and their complacency they were happy to rely on their own resources, and expected to be saved by them. At the same time they were divided into factions.  Paul repeats to them the lesson of Zephaniah. The public reading of the letter must have embarrassed those at whom it was aimed (Paul’s criticism was perhaps the reason why his relationships with this community continued stormy for sometime)!  Paul is saying that Christ is our wisdom, our strength, our holiness and our freedom. Only through Christ can we achieve our ambitions and grow to full human maturity; a maturity that grows out of a wisdom which does not conform with human wisdom!  Once incorporated into Christ by baptism, we already share in his wisdom, holiness and strength, and even in his freedom, if only we rely on that and not on ourselves!

Matthew. These eight blessings stand at the head of the Sermon on the Mount, pointing out eight ways in which we can welcome God into our lives. They are ways of  living out God’s blessing. The first and the last knit them all together with ‘theirs is the kingdom of heaven’. Matthew concentrates on the spiritual attitudes required of the Christian: ‘poor in spirit, hunger and thirst for justice’. Jesus came to proclaim the kingship of his Father, and these are ways of living it. For most of them there are gospel incidents in which Jesus sums them up, like the entry into Jerusalem on a donkey as the gentle king, or the love he shows in his welcome to sinners, or his bringing peace to those tortured by disease or contempt, or his purity of heart in his single-minded pre-occupation with his Father’s will, and finally his acceptance of persecution for what he knew to be right.  The beatitudes are, in a sense, a summary of the gospel, of the model of life proposed to the disciple who wants to imitate the Master, 'meek and humble' in heart.

Questions to ask:

1st. Who are today's 'powerless', or 'remnants' in our faith communities?  In our local area?  In our society?  How do we relate to them?  Do we rate ourselves among them?  Should we?  In what way are we/should we be powerless?

2nd. Do we still rely on our human wisdom, unlike the vast majority of the Christian world, who lack everything: possessions, basic needs, power, education?  Where do we see the Church alive and vibrant?  Should we be concerned with division or dissension?  Is ‘unity' important?

Gospel: For each of the Beatitudes in today’s reading, do you know someone who exemplifies the attitudes expressed?  Can one recognise a ‘beatitude-living' person?  How?  What are the 'tell-tell signs?  Are the beatitudes realistic?  Which is your own favourite beatitude?  Why?  In what way are such people ‘blessed' (whole, complete, God-reliant)?

On this day: 

World Hijab Day (in Islam: the dignity of women)

World Wetlands Day on 2 February; themed on 'Wetlands and traditional knowledge: Celebrating cultural heritage.'

The International Day of Human Fraternity on 4 February. A day to promote harmony between all peoples regardless of their faith. For further information (Pope Francis): https://www.facebook.com/humanfraternity

The Prayer over the Offerings for the fourth week of Ordinary Time contains a succinct account of the heart of the eucharistic mystery.

It begins: O Lord we bring to your altar... The altar is a meeting place of God and Man, where we can be sure of meeting God, where, through the offering of sacrifice, we can be united with God in an enduring communion of life.

Therefore we bring: these offerings of our service... to it, the bread and wine, what we have been commanded to bring. Our sacrifice is of divine origin; it is not a rite we have made up for ourselves.

And then we continue: be pleased to receive them, we pray... Although this is a presidential prayer, that is, although the presiding priest alone pronounces it, the whole people is praying; the first person plural form is used: we pray. The priest pronounces it in the name of the Church; that is, in virtue of his office, he gathers the whole People of God into his prayer.

And we ask God to: transform them into the Sacrament of our Redemption... , change the bread and wine into the saving Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. This mystery of transformation is effected by the pronunciation of Christ's words of institution, by the invocation of the Holy Spirit, but in this present prayer we learn that the supplication of the whole Church is not without its effect too.

BIDDING PRAYERS

Let us pray for parish communities, that the celebration of the Mass may strengthen the bonds binding them to Christ, to their priests, to one another.

Let us pray for the liberty of the Church, that Christians throughout the world may be able to preach, teach and celebrate the mysteries of faith in freedom.

Let us pray for the faithful departed, that having celebrated the sacrament of our redemption in this life they may rejoice in its fulfilment in the face to face vision of God.

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Note: These hymns have been chosen from different sources.

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Blest are the pure in heart (CFE88, L908, LHON174, TCH208)

Happy are those who are invited (L615)

Peacemakers (CFE599)

The kingdom of God (CFE701, L821)

The kingdom of heaven is yours (CFE702, L816, LHON654)

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Key

CFE - Celebration Hymnal for Everyone

L – Laudate

LHON – Liturgical Hymns Old and New (Mayhew, 1999)

TCH – The Catholic Hymnbook (Gracewing)              

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