Homily for Wednesday of the 23rd Week in Ordinary Time-Memorial of St. John Chrysostom (Bishop and Doctor of the Church) 13th September 2023
Homily for Wednesday of the 23rd Week in Ordinary Time. Memorial of St. John Chrysostom (Bishop and Doctor of the Church). Colossians 3:1-11. Psalm 145:2-3,10-11,12-13ab. Luke 6:20-26. St. Paul tells us in the first reading, "If you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God" (Col.3:1). As Christians, we are called to set our affections on things that are heavenly. Not only must we seek heaven, but we must think of heaven. Anything we do that will make us lose heaven must be avoided. A Christian should prefer heavenly treasures to earthly riches. He/she should prefer truth, purity, and love to any things that are temporal. Jesus, in today's Gospel, tells us what it takes to attain eternal bliss in heaven with St. Luke's version of the beatitudes. It began with, "Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God" (Luke 6:20). Hunger, thirst, hatred, weeping, persecution, and rejection a...