At the heart of both of today's readings is this great realization:
even here on earth, we are already living our heavenly existence!
A great way of praying the scriptures today is simply to reflect
upon how the above statement is true or could be true, according
to the minds of Jesus and Paul and in our own experience.
Unlike Matthew's Gospel, Luke has Jesus addressing the beatitudes
(His blueprint for happiness) directly to us, his followers. How
do we know we are already living a heavenly existence, that we are
in the Kingdom or on the path to it? If we are poor, if we are hungry,
if we are weeping, if we are hated and excluded and insulted and
denounced, and we nonetheless rejoice and leap for joy! If that
seems too distant from our actual experience, then it will be important
for all of us to realize that this heavenly promise works for us
if we are WITH those who are poor, hungry, weeping, hated and excluded.
Contact and solidarity with the broken ones of this world is a non-negotiable
of discipleship.
The one who is so often called THE DISCIPLE of Jesus, Paul of Tarsus,
from what he knew about the message and ministry of Jesus and what
he personally experienced in and after his conversion, tells us
his version of what it is to live already in the Kingdom, in the
New Creation, where our lives are "hidden with Christ in God."
It seems to me Paul is saying that following Jesus is a matter of
distancing ourselves from our old violent ways -- from anything
that separates us from one another or from any of God's beloved
children. In fact, he says, we are all called to radical inclusivity!
So I think this reading calls all of us today to reflect upon and
pray over the ways we do still exclude others from our lives, our
community, our church. Once again, we are called to repentance and
conversion.
Finally, today's responsorial psalm is a perfectly accurate reminder
of why the messages of Jesus and Paul reach to the very heart of
the reality of who we are and how we are to conduct ourselves as
God's beloved children. Because God is above all Compassion. "The
Lord is compassionate toward all his works." The glorious splendor
of God's Kingdom, a Kingdom for all ages, is the radiant and gentle
power of merciful love, shining through human flesh and blood.