Sixth Sunday of the Year C.  February 14, 2010.  Our Lady of Grace 5:15. 9:30, 6PM.  Jeremiah 17: 5-8.  I Corinthians 15:12, 16-20. Luke 6: 17, 20-26.

More than 30 years ago two Voyager space crafts were sent out to explore our universe.  After taking magnificent pictures of the solar system Voyager exited our solar system and entered deep space.  One of the most fascinating pictures sent back to earth was a picture in which our planet is a small speck in the vast darkness surrounded by other stars and planets.  Compared to the universe planet Earth is a speck of dust.  And each of us is not much more than a speck on the surface of tiny Mother Earth.  If we owned the whole planet earth, if we had power over everyone and everything on the plant our power and our prestige would be very small compared to the vastness of the millions of galaxies and billions of stars in our universe.   When we are tempted to flex our muscles and to exert our power it is very helpful to remember who we are. Every three year old has to learn that he is not king of the universe and we sometimes have to remind ourselves of this as well.

Jesus said, “Blessed are you who are poor, for the kingdom of God is yours.”   Admitting our littleness and our poverty allows us to plug into something and someone much bigger than ourselves.  Pride and individualism isolate us. When we take a stand on who we are and what we can do independently of the world around us and God and the universe beyond us we are very small and quite unimportant. We will quickly pass away and what we have will belong to somebody else.  In the teaching of Jesus admitting that we are poor can bring us the great happiness of knowing that we are a part of something much bigger than ourselves.   Our first reading says: “Cursed is the one who trusts in human beings, who seeks his strength in flesh, whose heart turns away from the Lord.  He is like a barren bush in the desert that enjoys no change of season, but stands in a lava waste.”

Our true greatness does not come from being powerful ourselves; our greatness comes from the fact that the God of the universe is our Father.    Psalm 8 says: “What are humans that you are mindful of them, mere mortals that you care for them?  Yet you have made them little less than a god, crowned them with glory and honor. You have given them rule over the works of your hands, put all things at their feet.” Happy are those who know that they are poor because they belong to something much bigger than their tiny selves.  Knowing our littleness allows us to experience the joy of belonging to the kingdom of God.  Jesus went on to say, “But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation now.”  Paul reminds us that our hope and our joy extend far beyond today and life in this world. He says, “If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are the most pitiable people of all.  But Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.”

We live in a world of instant gratification.  We want what we want now.  Whenever I greet our new kindergarteners I always remember that kindergarten was the first year of 21 years of school for me.  Jesus said, “Blessed are you who are now hungry, for you will be satisfied.  Blessed are you who are now weeping, for you will laugh.” Those who need to be successful immediately, those who need to be fulfilled now, will be hungry and grieve and weep, for true success doesn’t happen in an instant.  I watched Bret Favre play his heart out and I saw his black and blue injured leg on the news and I was reminded again that success involves belonging to a team bigger than yourself and being willing to work for and wait for the reward.     

Drought and difficulties, losses and failure come in everyone’s life.  The real tragedy is to be in the deserts of life alone.  Jeremiah says, “Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose hope is the Lord.  He is like a tree planted beside the water that stretches out its roots to the stream. It fears not the heat when it comes; its leaves stay green; in the year of drought it shows no distress, but still bears fruit.”

Next Wednesday is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent.  It is the time of year when we face ourselves with great honesty and with great trust in God.  The God of the universe is our Father.  God wants to share his wisdom, his power and his joy with us.  For the courage to take the next six weeks very seriously as we deepen and strengthen the foundation of our lives in the love and power of God we give God thanks and praise.  In God’s Name I invite you to the season of Lent. Please join the whole Church in seeking God who alone can give us true and lasting joy. Yes, Lent is a season that prepares us for pure, everlasting joy.