By Msgr. Joseph Prior • Posted February 14, 2025

(See the readings for the Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time)

“Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose hope is in the Lord,” says Jeremiah. The words have a certain poignancy coming from Jeremiah. He had to face huge trials, one after the other, as he served the Lord as his prophet. Rejection, abandonment, abuse, imprisonment, and the threat of death were all part of his life. He is able to endure the suffering because he trusts in the Lord and places his hope in him.

Jeremiah draws a contrast between the person who trusts in the Lord and those who place their trust in human beings. The prophet is speaking here of the “big picture” so to speak. He is not speaking of interpersonal relationships where trust is good and necessary. Rather he is referring to the ultimate, that to which we aspire and desire.

Placing our hope in him who is all good and knows all provides a bedrock on which to live a good life. His contrast is vivid and stark. The one who trusts in the Lord is full of life, like the tree planted near water. The roots will take in the water no matter what the weather is like. If it is hot or even if there is a drought the tree will still bear fruit. On the other hand, the one who relies on human beings is like a barren bush in the desert standing in a “lava waste, a salt and empty earth.”

On this past Dec. 18, Pope Francis canonized the 16 Carmelite nuns of Compiègne who refused to abandon their faith during the French Revolution. They were arrested by revolutionary authorities in their convent. They had refused to acknowledge the “Civil Constitution of the Clergy” which abolished religious life. They endured imprisonment and ridicule before being tried at a revolutionary tribunal in Paris. After a quick trial at which they were found guilty, they were loaded into carts for the two-hour ride to the guillotine on the Place de la Nation.

The nuns began singing songs, starting with the Salve Regina. All along the route they sang. When they arrived at the execution site they began to sing the Veni Creator, then they renewed their baptismal and religious vows.

As the first sister, the youngest, Sister Constance was placed in the guillotine she began chanting Psalm 117 (“Praise the Lord all you nations; extol him, all you peoples. For great is his love for us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever.”) She was silenced by the blade but the next sister, and each thereafter, took up the song. The date was July 17, 1794.

These women are wonderful examples of people who place their trust in God rather than man. They faced death full of hope, remaining faithful and providing a powerful witness to the love of God. And their witness filled many with hope.

In the Gospel account, St. Luke recalls Jesus’ teaching on the beatitudes. His version is perhaps a little less familiar to us as the Matthean version is more widely used in catechesis. In this version, a sharp contrast is presented. First Jesus speaks of those who are “blessed” then offers “woes” to a second group.

The first group is composed of those who are poor, hungry, weeping and persecuted. Jesus is not saying that these situations are good in and of themselves. But people who deal with these situations trusting in the Lord for help, strength, consolation and courage are truly “blessed” and they will have the reward of their faith.

The second group represents those who are satisfied with all this world offers, not looking beyond themselves, and not looking toward the Lord. Perhaps complacency could be a general description of this group. Through this complacency they have nothing to look forward to, nothing in which to hope. Since they already have that in which they hope, nothing more should be expected.

Jesus lives these beatitudes as he places all his hope and trust in the Father. We see this tested at different times in his life but ultimately in his passion and death. The intensity is immense as we hear him say, “Father if you are willing, take this cup away from me; still, not my will but yours be done” (Luke 22:42). His faith and trust in the Father leads from death to resurrection as he is raised three days later.

As disciples of Christ we walk in the path of faith, hope and trust in the Lord. The beatitudes encourage us to keep that trust during the ordinary activities of life — for example working, eating and drinking, dealing with struggles, sadness or sorrow and even when we are “put out” for doing what is right.

Keeping faith in the ordinary challenges of life will help us face extraordinary ones with courage, serenity and hope. It will lead us to victory, reward and life. “Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose hope is in the Lord.”

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Msgr. Joseph Prior is pastor of Our Lady of Grace Parish, Penndel, and a former professor of Sacred Scripture and rector of St. Charles Borromeo Seminary.