Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Boast in the Lord

 What are you most proud of? What do you like to boast about? Were you top of your class in college? Are your children the most well-behaved? Do you work harder than anyone in your office? Everyone likes to have something they are the best at, or at least very good. But it really is kind of silly to base your own worth on what you accomplish. What truly makes us important is that we are loved by God. This love begins at our birth, long before we have accomplished anything. Our second reading tells how God uses the foolish, weak, or poorest people to shame those who are wise, strong, and wealthy. Why? Because God loves the poor, the weak, the disabled, the homeless just as much as God loves the important people. And the poor probably love God more than the powerful, rich people do. And it’s not just the external qualities that are important. Some wealthy people have great love for the poor. Some of the best teachers only work with disabled children. My dentist is a very good doctor, but is happiest when he goes to help the poor in Latin America. Our Gospel on the Beatitudes today makes that clear if you listen carefully. Blessed are not just the poor, but the poor in spirit; not only the hungry, but those who hunger for righteousness. That’s what Saint Paul means when he says, “Whoever boasts, should boast in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:31). In other words, it is not so much what you do, as what God does through you. How much you know is less important than how well you know the Lord. It’s not so much where you live, as whether God is living in you. So how do we get to be “important” to God? Instead of asking God to make my projects a success, I can ask what God wants me to do. Instead of reading every magazine or blog to impress your co-workers with your worldly knowledge, take time to read the scriptures and to listen quietly to the Lord in prayer. Instead of complaining about the government or your parish, try volunteering your time. And for all the good that you do, remember to thank the Lord.