4TH Sunday of Year Racial Justice

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." (Mt 5, 3a)

Ancient folklore, tells of a mountain climbed by families that the world told they had no right to do so. They were considered to be the "wrong" colour, the "wrong" sort of people. But they had heard the words of the prophet Zephaniah whispered to the humble: Seek righteousness, seek humility. So they climbed it anyway.

On that mountain, they met others. A Korean woman who cleaned offices at night. A Jamaican man denied housing because of his accent. A young white teacher who'd lost her job for standing with them. They were nobodies in society's eyes—poor in spirit, mourning, meek—but on that mountain, something extraordinary happened. They discovered that they were blessed in a special way.

Blessed not because they were comfortable but because in their poverty of spirit, they learned to depend upon each other. Suffering from injustices, they found comfort in solidarity. In their meekness they began to grow into something the powerful could never own: genuine community.

An elder once said, "When the world strips away everything you thought made you valuable, you finally see what really does matters." She was right. Paul said God chooses foolish things, the weak and despised, not because of who they are, but to show that dignity isn't earned—dignity is inherent.

They became a remnant described by Zephaniah: humble, lowly, seeking refuge in God's name. They did no wrong, told no lies. They simply insisted on truth: that every human being carries the divine image, regardless of skin colour, accent, or postcode.

The climb grew harder. They hungered and thirsted for righteousness when laws protected discrimination. They were persecuted for righteousness' sake when they sat at lunch counters, when they marched and spoke up. But they learned to be merciful, even to those who didn't deserve it—because they had received mercy ourselves.

The pure in heart among them saw God in unexpected faces: in the asylum seeker fleeing violence, in the teenager stopped by police for "looking suspicious," in the elderly neighbour too frightened to leave home. They became peacemakers, building bridges where others dug trenches.

This well defined map of the mountain is now passed on to you. The path needs to be climbed continually. People still face hatred because of how they look or where they're from. But you can climb. Seek humility. Practise meekness. Hunger for justice. Show mercy.

Remember: the Kingdom belongs not to the powerful but to the humble, not to the boastful but to those who treat everyone with reverence. God chose what the world considers weak to shame the strong. God chose what the world considers lowly to demonstrate that true worth lies in our shared humanity.

Will you now walk this path? Will you see God's face in every face? Will you stand with the persecuted, blessed by their costly efforts? The mountain awaits! You are being called to climb it!

"Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord." (1 Cor 1:31)

By Fr. Thomas O'Brien a.a.