Popular Categories


Pastor’s Column: Dirksen: Perfection is found in love, with God’s grace


Fourth Sunday Ordinary Time Readings: Zep 2:3,3:12-13, Psalm 146, 1 Cor 1:26-31, Mt 5:1-12

Seek the LORD, all you humble of the earth, who have observed his law; seek justice, seek humility; perhaps you may be sheltered on the day of the LORD’s anger.

It’s sometimes said that Bible can mean Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth.  Some take scripture to be rules for life, like a law or code for living.  The Ten Commandments are part of the law that was given to the Israelites as part of the Mosaic Law.  

KEN DIRKSEN

They instruct how to avoid transgressing God and their fellow man.  It is necessary to have laws that all agree to follow for the right organization of a society.  

They also keep us safe by putting up guardrails to protect us from sin can destroy our lives.

The Gospel today is the Sermon on the Mount where Matthew records Jesus preaching to the people and telling them how to live.  

The people were hungry for God.  They knew all too well the physical and moral danger that surrounded them. They lived in poverty and constant danger of illness and death.  They were looking for the Messiah to redeem them.

Jesus gave them the Evangelical Law which is summed up in the Beatitudes.  

The Mosaic Law dictated the external actions of people, governing how they were to keep their persons by grooming, eating and interacting with others.  

The Evangelical law teaches us how to train our soul.  It’s the internal disposition of the soul that matters most.  When Jesus said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit” and “Blessed are the merciful” he wasn’t saying if happen to be humble or you happen to be merciful you will be blessed.  He instructed them that being clean of heart and being a peacemaker is the way of God.  By adopting His way, you will be blessed.

This is difficult for us because of our fallen nature.  We might think “if I do two or three out of the nine that’s not bad.”  God wants us to be perfect as our Heavenly Father is perfect.  

Perfection is found in love, and it is only possible with the Grace of God.  

Paul encouraged the Corinthians to continue on their path reminding them that when that before they were Christian they were not much.  Through their transformation by Faith, they have achieved much and are lifting themselves up.  

Their righteousness, sanctification and redemption come through the wisdom of God which is found in Christ Jesus.

The Beatitudes are as applicable today as they were then.  It seemed the world was going crazy then just as now.  The solution Jesus gives begins with transformation of the heart. 

Kenneth Dirksen is a deacon at Sacred Heart Catholic Church of Uvalde, which is a member of the Uvalde Ministerial Alliance, which contributes weekly columns to the Leader-News.