Sunday Synopsis: Detachment as Spiritual Detox!

Sixth Sunday of the Year C – February 16, 2025.

Reading: Jer. 17:2-8; Responsorial Psalm 1:1-2.3.4 &6(R.Ps.40:ab); 1 Cor. 15:12-16-20 & Gospel Luke 6:17.20-26.

Raised in a society that sees wealth as a blessing from the Lord and poverty as a curse, the Prophet Jeremiah changes the narrative by laying a curse on those who trust created things. In the second reading, St. Paul responds to the resurrection controversy by insisting that we would remain in our sins if Christ had not been raised. In the gospel reading, Christ presents the Beatitudes to a large crowd. Jesus, the paradoxical hero, urges us to go against the currents by redistributing wealth even as we relish the joy of detachment – the best form of spiritual detox.

Introduction

Friends in Christ, on this Sunday, our liturgy cautions us about the vanity of riches and the need to embrace the poverty of the Spirit.” Like digital detox, a phenomenon of taking a break from engagement with digital devices to be real, today’s liturgy suggests that we need to embrace detachment as a form of spiritual detox to reconnect with divine realities.

Background & Summary of the Readings

Raised in a society that sees wealth as a blessing from the Lord and poverty as a curse, the Prophet Jeremiah (Jer. 17:2-8) changes the narrative by laying a curse on those who put their trust in created things – human beings or the things of the flesh. The Prophet describes such a person as a dry shrub in the wastelands who has no eye to see good when it comes and who settles in parched places of the wilderness, a salt land, uninhabited. This is the lot of those who embrace the vanity of riches as against poverty of the spirit.

In the second reading (1 Cor. 15:12-16-20), St. Paul responds to a controversy about the resurrection by clarifying that if Christ had not been raised, we would remain in our sins. He emphasises that “if our hope in Christ has been for this life only, we are the most unfortunate of all people.” Describing him as the first fruits of all who have died, Paul contends that the resurrection of Christ implies that we should raise our hearts to heaven, where Christ is.

In the gospel (Luke 6:17.20-26), Christ presents the Beatitudes to a large crowd. As a paradoxical hero who goes against the currents, he counters the mentality that poverty is a curse and wealth a source of blessing by proposing a vade mecum for the Christian life. Although the book of Job tried to counter that thinking in the Old Testament, the people were slow to embrace Jesus’ new teaching that poverty of the spirit is the in-thing. He emphasised that the rich who are receiving their consolation now in laughter will go hungry, mourn, and weep. Conversely, he blesses those who are hungry now and weeping, noting that they shall be satisfied and laugh. Most importantly, he states that the kingdom of God is theirs. We will examine three examples of the rich in scripture who failed to pass Jesus’ test of embracing poverty of the spirit.

The Rich Who Failed Jesus’ Integrity Test

1. The Rich Young Man (Mark 10:17-22): The rich young ruler failed the test of integrity when Jesus demanded that he should sell all he owns and come follow him. He went away sad because he was a man of great wealth. His wealth was an obstacle for him to embrace the poverty of the spirit.
2. The Rich Fool (Luke 12:16-21): The rich fool was so carried away with his bumper harvest that he could not attribute that feat to God or his neighbours who may have assisted him; he also failed to entrust his future into the hands of God. Just when he had relaxed, saying, “My soul, eat and relax…,” God made the demand for his soul. Again, he was far from embracing the poverty of the spirit because he was blinded by his wealth.
3. The Rich Man, Dives (Luke 16:19-31): In the epic story of Dives, the rich man, and Lazarus, the former, forgot how many times he neglected the poor man at his gate. He only remembered when he was in torment. He wanted Abraham to send messengers to his relations on earth. As today’s gospel relates, Dives had his consolation and laughter on Earth while Lazarus enjoyed his in paradise. The saying goes, he who laughs last laughs best. Because of his stupendous wealth, Dives could not see the needs of Lazarus – poverty of the spirit was not part of his agenda.

Pastoral Lessons

1. Do not rely on created things: The first reading teaches us not to put our trust in created things such as man and the things of the flesh, bearing in mind that those who have other things as their god are like the “dry shrub in the wastelands” whose lives are sterile and full of evil.
2. Trust in God: We are reminded that those who put their trust in the Lord will always receive blessings because, like the tree that is planted beside the waterside, the Lord shall be their consolation, provider, and defender.
3. Raise Your thoughts to Heaven: St. Paul’s timeless thesis on the reality of the resurrection of Christ challenges us to always raise our hearts to Heaven, where Christ is.
4. Take to the poverty of the Spirit: We are urged to embrace the message of the book of Job, which Jesus re-echoes, namely that good people, too, suffer, and embracing the poverty of the spirit pays.
5. Embrace the Beatitudes: Christians who are confused about legitimate wealth-creation and sustenance have the Beatitudes as a vade mecum for the Christian life, bearing in mind that any wealth that is not attributed to the creator and shared with the poor is short of the ideal.

Summary Lines

1. Raised in a society that sees wealth as a blessing from the Lord and poverty as a curse, the Prophet Jeremiah changes the narrative by laying a curse on those who put their trust in created things.
2. In the second reading, St. Paul responds to the resurrection controversy by insisting that if Christ had not been raised, we would remain in our sins.
3. We ought to raise our hearts to heaven, where Christ is.
4. In the gospel reading, Christ presents the Beatitudes to a large crowd of people.
5. As a paradoxical hero who goes against the currents, he counters the mentality that poverty is a curse and wealth a source of blessing.

Conclusion

We are warned not to put our trust in man or rely on the things of the flesh. The stories of the rich young man, the rich fool, and Dives and Lazarus caution us not to put our trust in man or wealth but rather in God, who is the author and finisher of our faith. We need to fix our gaze on heaven, where the resurrected Christ is while embracing the Beatitudes as a spiritual recipe. May Jesus help us to learn to redistribute wealth and embrace the simplicity of life (a form of spiritual detox) – poverty of the spirit. Have a terrific week.