Blessed are you who are now hungry, for you will be satisfied

11 SEPTEMBER (Lk 6,20-26)

The “dream” of God is one: building himself a humble and lowly, meek and merciful, pure and simple of heart people. It is the upturning of all humanity. This does not tend to poverty but to wealth, it does not walk in humility but in pride, it does not follow meekness but the bullying and arrogance of heart and mind.

Woe to the city, rebellious and polluted, to the tyrannical city! She hears no voice, accepts no correction; In the Lord she has not trusted, to her God she has not drawn near. Her princes in her midst are roaring lions; Her judges are wolves of the night that have had no bones to gnaw by morning. Her prophets are insolent, treacherous men; Her priests profane what is holy, and do violence to the law. The Lord within her is just, who does no wrong; Morning after morning he renders judgment unfailingly, at dawn. I have destroyed nations, their battlements are laid waste; I have made their streets deserted, with no one passing through; Their cities are devastated, with no man dwelling in them. I said, “Surely now you will fear me, you will accept correction”; She should not fail to see all I have visited upon her. Yet all the more eagerly have they done all their corrupt deeds. Therefore, wait for me, says the Lord, against the day when I arise as accuser; For it is my decision to gather together the nations, to assemble the kingdoms, In order to pour out upon them my wrath, all my blazing anger; For in the fire of my jealousy shall all the earth be consumed. For then I will change and purify the lips of the peoples, That they all may call upon the name of the Lord, to serve him with one accord; From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia and as far as the recesses of the North, they shall bring me offerings.

On that day You need not be ashamed of all your deeds, your rebellious actions against me; For then will I remove from your midst the proud braggarts, And you shall no longer exalt yourself on my holy mountain. But I will leave as a remnant in your midst a people humble and lowly, Who shall take refuge in the name of the Lord; the remnant of Israel. They shall do no wrong and speak no lies; Nor shall there be found in their mouths a deceitful tongue; They shall pasture and couch their flocks with none to disturb them. Shout for joy, O daughter Zion! sing joyfully, O Israel! Be glad and exult with all your heart, O daughter Jerusalem! The Lord has removed the judgment against you, he has turned away your enemies; The King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst, you have no further misfortune to fear. On that day, it shall be said to Jerusalem: Fear not, O Zion, be not discouraged! The Lord, your God, is in your midst, a mighty savior; He will rejoice over you with gladness, and renew you in his love, He will sing joyfully because of you, as one sings at festivals. I will remove disaster from among you, so that none may recount your disgrace. Yes, at that time I will deal with all who oppress you; I will save the lame, and assemble the outcasts; I will give them praise and renown in all the earth, when I bring about their restoration. At that time I will bring you home, and at that time I will gather you; For I will give you renown and praise, among all the peoples of the earth, When I bring about your restoration before your very eyes, says the Lord (Zeph 3,1-20).

This “dream”, proclaimed by the prophet Zephaniah, is today offered to a huge crowd by Christ the Lord. He invites the poor to remain poor, the hungry to stay hungry, those who are in tears not to look for an ephemera and sinful joy, the persecuted for the Gospel to persevere in the faith, even if due to it they can incur in the loss of life itself . These people can remain poor, hungry, in weeping, in persecution because God is the life of his elect, and it is a life full of all natural and supernatural goods. God is the wealth of the poor and needy.

And raising his eyes toward his disciples he said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for the kingdom of God is yours. Blessed are you who are now hungry, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who are now weeping, for you will laugh. Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude and insult you, and denounce your name as evil on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice and leap for joy on that day! Behold, your reward will be great in heaven. For their ancestors treated the prophets in the same way. But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. But woe to you who are filled now, for you will be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will grieve and weep. Woe to you when all speak well of you, for their ancestors treated the false prophets in this way.

Virgin Mary, Mother of the Redemption, Angels and Saints teach us poverty.