Reading I Jer 17:5-8
Thus says the LORD: 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, a salt and empty earth.
Blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD, whose hope is the LORD.
He is like a tree planted beside the waters 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.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 1:1-2, 3, 4 and 6
R (40:5a) Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
Blessed the man who follows not the counsel of the wicked,
nor walks in the way of sinners, nor sits in the company of the insolent,
but delights in the law of the LORD and meditates on his law day and night.
R Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
He is like a tree planted near running water,
that yields its fruit in due season, and whose leaves never fade.
Whatever he does, prospers.
R Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
Not so the wicked, not so; they are like chaff which the wind drives
away.
For the LORD watches over the way of the just, but the way of the wicked vanishes.
R Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
Reading II 1 Cor 15:12, 16-20
Brothers and sisters: If Christ is preached as raised from the dead,
how can some among you say there is no resurrection of the dead?
If the dead are not raised, neither has Christ been raised,
and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is vain;
you are still in your sins.
Then those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.
If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are the most pitiable people of all.
But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
Alleluia Lk 6:23ab
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Rejoice and be glad; your reward will be great in heaven.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel Lk 6:17, 20-26
Jesus came down with the Twelve and stood on a stretch of level ground
with a great crowd of his disciples and a large number of the people
from all Judea and Jerusalem and the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon.
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.
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.”
This is the 6th Sunday in Ordinary Time and today, Jeremiah is angry that the Israelites
are worshiping other gods than the true God.
This is the sin of idolatry.
It’s making something other than God most important in our lives.
Jeremiah writes that idolatry makes us “cursed.”
Even though we might not be worshiping random statues, we still have to watch out for idolatry.
We spend a lot of time and effort on trying to get good grades or win competitions or
be the coolest kid at school.
But the only thing that really matters is whether or not we are trying to love like
Christ.
That’s what will keep our souls healthy!
Otherwise, as Jeremiah writes, we become “like a barren bush in the desert (...) in a lava
waste, a salt and empty earth.”
No one wants to feel like that.
Jeremiah writes that people who trust in God are blessed like healthy trees.
We are watered by God’s love.
Bad things will still happen, but our trees will be strong.
Even when it’s hot and dry, our spiritual trees’ roots will have water in God.
Even though life can be sad or overwhelming, we are still loved by God.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus speaks about people who are blessed.
People who are poor, hungry, weeping, and hated now will find rest in God in heaven.
People who fill themselves up now with the things of the world will find themselves “cursed,”
as Jeremiah says.
Instead, let’s put our hope and trust in Christ resurrected.
Each day, let’s offer our prayers, works, joys, and sufferings to the Lord.