4th Sunday in Ordinary Time: February 01, 2026
Readings: Zephaniah 2:3; 3:12-13; Psalm 146:6-10; 1 Corinthians 1:26-31; Matthew 5:1-12
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| Sermon on the Mount by Jesus |
We do desire to make a mark here on this earth. We wish to distinguish ourselves from others. We want to be differentiators. God has blessed us not only in his own image and likeness, but also endowed us with a gift of uniqueness. Two people are not the same. Everyone has something different from the other. However, this uniqueness does not stop us from doing something together for the welfare of others. Whatever we do should be good, beautiful, and useful. It must bring a smile on the faces, joy to their lives. It is not that SMART concept that is specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound that we are talking about. It is simply about being good, having the best attitudes and being generous in our thoughts and actions. In this context, we have the beautiful readings on the fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Jesus speaks about the beatitudes, in other words, cultivating certain values, attitudes, virtues, which are higher and are close to the heart of God.
1. Standing for values and the Logic of God
The Gospel of St Matthew 5:1-12 leads us up a quiet hill, where Jesus sits and opens his words of wisdom—not to command, not to accuse, but to bless. “Blessed are the poor in spirit… blessed are the meek… blessed are the peacemakers.” These familiar words of Jesus still unsettle us. They turn the logic of the world upside down. Interestingly, Jesus does not call the powerful blessed, nor the self-sufficient, nor the loud and triumphant. Instead, he names as blessed those who know their need of God, those who mourn, those who hunger for righteousness, those who choose mercy when revenge seems easier.
The Beatitudes are not a list of moral achievements; they are a portrait of a life shaped by trust in God. To be “poor in spirit” is to stand before God without pretence, aware that everything we are and have is a gift. Such poverty creates space—space for grace, for compassion, for God’s reign to take root. They challenge our deep desire to measure worth through success, titles, and recognition. Our dignity, our accomplishments come from God and God alone.
2. God comforts in the midst of struggles
In the Gospel, we realize the meek and the merciful reveal a quiet strength. Meekness is not weakness; it is power that refuses to dominate. Mercy is not indulgence; it is love that sees beyond failure and chooses healing over judgment. We live in a world marked by competition, anger, arrogance, pride and deep divisions. Jesus dares to call peacemakers “children of God.” Peace, in the Gospel sense, is not the absence of conflict but the courage to work for justice, reconciliation, and dignity for all.
The Beatitudes also acknowledge human suffering. Jesus does not romanticize poverty, grief, or persecution as if we must live in such miserable things. He names them honestly—and then he dares to say that God is especially near there. Those who mourn will be comforted; those who hunger and thirst for righteousness will be filled. This is the hope of God's reign: God’s future breaking into our fragile present. Our life is nothing, before the tragedies of this world.
3. God knows how to make use of us for His service
Fascinatingly, the beatitudes invite us to ask not, “Am I successful?” but “Am I becoming like Christ?” "Am I capable of cultivating some humane values, virtues, attitudes, and ethics in my life?" The call of Jesus through the beatitudes calls us to a way of life that may not impress the world; many people around us may not even appreciate them. However, beatitudes have the capacity to transform all of us quietly. Blessedness is found not in having more, but in loving more—and trusting God enough to live that love each day.
Saint Paul is the one who tried to live out those beatitudes in his life after his conversion. Being such a ferocious Jew and intelligent Pharisee, he turns completely to Christ and becomes all in all for Christ. He gave up everything, including his comfortable life as an ardent teacher. He went on preaching Christ with all the sufferings and humiliations that he had to endure. He becomes a fool for Christ. God acts in his life powerfully. Indeed, God works through our limitations, limitedness, uncertainty, inadequacy, and unqualifications. In God, our smallness is not an obstacle but a starting point.
Questions for self-reflections
- Where in my life am I being invited to become poor in spirit, to rely more on God than on my own strength or status?
- What does it mean for me, concretely, to hunger and thirst for righteousness in my daily work, relationships, and decisions?
- How can I be a peacemaker in my family, community, or workplace, especially where there is tension, misunderstanding, or injustice?
Prayer
Loving God, as we come to the close of this reflection, we place our lives gently in your hands. Teach us the quiet wisdom of the Beatitudes, where true blessedness is found not in power or possession, but in trust, mercy, and love. Make our hearts poor in spirit, free from pride and open to your grace. Give us the courage to be meek in a world that rewards aggression, and merciful when judgment feels easier than compassion. Awaken in us a deep hunger for justice and righteousness, and form us into peacemakers in our families, workplaces, and communities. As we walk through the ordinary days of our lives, may your Kingdom grow silently within us, shaping us more and more into the likeness of your Son. We make this prayer in Jesus' Holy Name, Amen.
- Fr Olvin Veigas, SJ
E-mail: olvinveigas@jesuits.net
Blog: Celebrate Faith
Video: YouTube
29 January 2026
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