February 1, 2026
4th Sunday
Ordinary Time
FOCUS: Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness.
By proclaiming the beatitudes, Jesus turns the world’s values and expectations upside down. He tells us that the poor, the meek, and the hungry are at the center of God’s kingdom, not the wealthy or powerful. God’s ways are not our ways, and Jesus’ words invite us to live by a different set of standards than the world offers. Those who hunger for God’s ways will be satisfied.
What's in Your Heart
Today's readings show the special place the poor and the just have in God's heart. Consider the following questions:
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How can you lead the members of your parish to be even better ministers to the hungry, the poor, the abandoned, the disabled?
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In what ways have the times you felt weak actually made you stronger?
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"The Lord protects strangers," says today's psalm. Are there strangers in your community who need your protection? Are there others whom you could welcome and thus make them "strangers" no more?
Homily Stories
Certain pieces of music have had an incredible impact in my life. The first time I heard Pachelbel's "Canon in D Major," I was brought to tears. I felt the same way when I heard Ralph Vaughn William's "Adagio for Strings" and the Righteous Brothers' "Unchained Melody." These three pieces remain favorites of mine and still have a huge impact on me. But nothing can replace the very first time I heard them.
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Our gospel this weekend is one of the most important passages in all of scripture. The Beatitudes are the sum total of the meaning of salvation that Jesus came to share with us. They were destined to become the guideposts of who we are, even more than what we do, as Christians. They are radical in their outlook, challenging those who hear them to look at the world and all they value in new and different ways.
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Imagine the very first time the Beatitudes were heard by the crowd and the disciples sitting on the side of the hill. Most probably fled, some in disgust, others laughing at Jesus' naÏveté, and some in fear of the power of the message. The disciples must have felt something stir in their souls that would be dormant until the Spirit anointed them on the first Pentecost.
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We've heard these words at weddings, at funerals, at Sunday Mass, and at prayer services. So perhaps they have lost some of their impact. Can we try to hear them as though we've never heard them before? Maybe not. But let's listen more closely the next time the words "Blessed are . . ." are proclaimed to our ears and hearts.
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First Reading
Second Reading
Gospel
Quotes
The secret of happiness is to live moment by moment and to thank God for what He is sending us every day in His goodness.
—Saint Gianna Beretta Molla
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O God, grant that whatever good things I have, I may share generously with those who have not, and whatever good things I do not have, I may request humbly from those who do.
—Saint Thomas Aquinas