4th Sundy In Ordinary Time Jan.29, 2017

Written by Fr. Fitz Thursday, 26 January 2017 11:08

The "BE" Attitudes

 

An attitude is a frame of reference, a habitual mindset, or at the emotional level: an underying consistent set of feelings.

It would seem that prayer is the funnel through which good attitudes seep deep into the psyche.

What else but prayer could produce attitudes which are counter cultural?

And the beatitudes are counter cultural!

So what then is "the cultural?" or "the normal?"

Or like Pilate, we might ask today: "What is truth?"

Today the Internet caters to our preset  attitudes.

We believe what we want to believe which may or may not be the truth.

We are presented by intelligent people with "alternatve facts!"

And we nod, and say "Yes!"

Make no mistake the beatitudes given us today in the Gospel are "old fashioned." truths.

"Poor in spirit?"

"Peacemakers?"

"Merciful?"

And yet these are the radical truths of the Gospel we profess.

Impractical by the world's standards,

and yes, hard to believe.

And so we pray:

O God,

the truth shall set us free.

Set us free from Satan,

the Father of lies.

Let mercy, peacemaking, justice seeking

seep deep into our psyches,

even though they are unpopular

by current standards.

Let them be our basic 

attitudes.

Only then can we truthfuly bear the title of

"Christian."

Amen