Breaking Open the Word: 6th Sunday in Ordinary Time

February 13- Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time 

Jeremiah 17:5-8; Ps 1:1-2, 3, 4 and 6; 1 Cor 15:12, 16-20; Lk 6:17, 20-26

I think one of the great gifts of faith in God is that we anchor ourselves in hope. We take a step away from a view of life as meaningless…a mere accident, and put our hope in something greater. With God, we take a step beyond life as mere survival. With God, we dare to dream. I think that each of today’s readings, in their own way, dare us to dream beyond how things appear to be on the surface. The Prophet Jeremiah says that if we trust in human beings we are “like a barren bush in the desert that enjoys no change of season.” I do not think Jeremiah is telling us to avoid trusting relationships with other people. I think he is painting a picture of what becomes of us when we do not place our hope in God. Jeremiah dares us to dream of life being more than meets the eye, and more than our human relationships: When we place our trust in the Lord, we are like trees planted by water, bearing fruit and not fearing the heat. The Psalm uses the same imagery but also says explicitly: “Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.” Saint Paul reminds some doubting Corinthians that their faith dares them to dream even beyond the grave. He reminds them of the importance of belief in the resurrection- the ultimate image of thriving humanity beyond the limits of “survival mode.” Finally, Jesus shares his dream for what the world will look like when God reigns. He dares the poor, the hungry, the weeping, and the hated to dream of a life in God’s kingdom: they are blessed, God’s Kingdom is theirs, they will be satisfied, and they will laugh! Do you dare to make God’s dream a reality?