Lord, Our Trust, And Hope Is In You

Readings: 1^st: Jer 17:5-8; Ps: 1:1-6; 2^nd: I Cor 15:12.16-20; Gos: Lk 6:17.20-26

This brief reflection was written by Fr. Njoku Canice Chukwuemeka, C.S.Sp. He is a Catholic Priest and a member of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit (Spiritans). He is a missionary in Puerto Rico. He is the Parish Priest of Parroquia la Resurrección del Senor, Canóvanas, and the Major Superior of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit (Spiritans), Circumscription of Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. He was the chancellor of the Diocese of Fajardo Humacao, Puerto Rico. Fr. Canice is a member of the Academy of Homiletics. For more details and comments contact him at: canice_c_njoku@yahoo.com, canicechukwuemeka@gmail.com

(https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8452-8392)

Today, the sixth Sunday of Ordinary Time, the church invites us to place our trust in God and in his only son Jesus Christ. Through his resurrection, Christ conquered death and strengthened our faith and hope of eternal life.

So, today’s first reading from the book of Jeremiah succinctly reminds us of the consequences of trusting solely on our abilities, on our human strength, and on human beings: “Cursed is the one who trusts in human beings, who seeks his strength in flesh, whose heart turns away from the Lord.” Through this, we are reminded that all these will fail us because our success and survival do not depend solely on them.

So, today’s first reading calls us to a very deep reflection. We must ask ourselves, in who, and in what have I put my trust? Placing our trust in God is the best approach to life. certainly, we must make efforts and do what we must do as humans. However, we must not forget that it is God who sustains, confirms, and blesses our ways and efforts.

We must be conscious of the fact that without him, we are nothing as the venerable Libermann, C. S. Sp constantly repeated before his death: “God is all, man is nothing, God is all, man is nothing! To place one’s trust in God is a great source of blessing and interior joy. Hence, the psalmist reminds us that: “Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion that can never be shaken” (Ps 125:1)

In the second reading, Paul equally makes the same point. Our hope must not be totally placed on this world or on our efforts alone, but on Christ who through his resurrection has strengthened our hope of eternity.

Hence, Paul tells us: “If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are the most pitiable people of all.” In other words, life does not end here. There is something beyond this world, and only our hope in the resurrected Christ will take us there. Simply put, our journey with Christ does not end here, it transcends this world.

While our first reading began with a very strong warning against not trusting in God, today’s gospel begins with a blessing for those who are ready to do God’s will. The beatitude is a great song that calls us to a life of virtue, reflection, and total surrender to God’s will.

It is Christ’s song that calls us to trust firmly in God while looking forward to eternity. These blessings are for those who are totally and willingly ready to place everything in God’s hands. The beatitudes also remind us that all we do and work for here will gain us eternal life. That is if we do them well and for the sake of God.

Finally, the good news for us today is simple, nothing in this world can rob us of our peace of mind and interior joy, because our trust is not in this world, nor in man. Rather, our trust is in the crucified and rise, Christ, the savior and hope of the world. The psalmist summarized this good news for us: “Happy the man who has placed his trust in the Lord.”

Peace be with you!

Maranatha!