Justice vs. Wickedness

Sunday Mass Reflection - 2/13/22

Jesus says “Rejoice and (be glad) leap for joy on that day! Behold, your reward will be great in heaven.” - Luke 6:23

St Paul says “But now Christ has been raised from the dead…” (1 Corinthians 15:20) “and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is vain; you are still in your sins.” (1 Corinthians 15:17) Let’s go eat, drink and be merry because this world is all we have.

But Jesus HAS risen and it makes a difference in our whole life. The whole gospel is about assuring us that Christ has risen and that after death there is an eternal reward waiting for us so we are to live rejoicing. All the difficulties, all the suffering, all the hurt, all the sickness, and all the disappointments we endure in this lifetime are only momentary; our whole life on this Earth is momentary in comparison to eternity. We may not understand what eternity actually means but we do know that Christ, risen from the dead, will die no more. Death has no more power over him. How do we know this? Scripture tells us!!

In Scripture we find:

• (John 20:18) Mary Magdalene was the 1st to encounter the risen Christ ran to the apostles and says “I have seen the Lord”

• (John 20:19) When the Resurrected Jesus comes through locked doors and encounters the apostles & says “Peace be with you”

• (John 20:24-29) When the resurrected Jesus appears to Thomas & says “Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believe.” Thomas gave a profession of faith & Jesus said “Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.”

Brothers & Sisters, we are those who have not seen but are called to faith. Faith in the Holy Scripture & faith because those first apostles, every one of the early apostle except John, gave his life for this faith. Every single one of them saw the Lord and gave their life knowing there would be a resurrection after death. So rejoice and be glad!

We need to live as people of the resurrection. That will make our whole life worthwhile. Why do we keep the commandments, love our neighbor, or go to mass every Sunday? Because we believe! Jesus fulfills his promise “And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20) & so when we gather we find him in the communion of the faithful, we find him in his word, we find him in his precious body & blood, soul & divinity (Holy communion/Eucharist); we are in union with Jesus resurrected. Gift of faith makes this whole life worthwhile.

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Today's readings included:

• Jeremiah 17:5-8: The cursed trust in human beings vs the blessed trust in the Lord

• Psalm 1:1-4, 6: The wicked will perish & not prosper vs the blessed will have life & prosper

• 1 Corinthians 15:12, 16-20: Those who don’t believe in Christ’s resurrection are still in their sins, faith is vein, & have perished vs those who believe in the resurrection will be pitied, will have eternal life, & reward will be great in heaven.

• Luke 6:17, 20-26: Woe are you who trust in human beings vs blessed are you who trust in the Lord with the Beatitudes

​Justice	Wicked
Blessed are those who trust in the Lord; the Lord will be their trust	Cursed is the man who trusts in human beings, who makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the Lord.
Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked…And in whatever he does, he prospers.	The wicked are not so…the way of the wicked will perish.
If we have hoped in Christ (resurrection) only in this life, we are of all people most to be pitied (feel sorrow for the misfortunes of)	and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.
Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. Blessed are you when the people hate you, and when they exclude you, and insult you, and scorn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man.	Woe to you who are well-fed now, for you will be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep. Woe to you when all the people speak well of you.