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[v.7] 2026-February-1, 4th Sunday of Year A, ●● Zephaniah 2:3; 3:12-13 ●● Psalm 146 ●● 1 Corinthians 1:26-31 ●● Matthew 5:1-12a ●●
Mended Nets Before Mission
Last Sunday: Mended Nets Before Mission
Last Sunday, in the Gospel and in Saint
Paul’s letter, we heard a hopeful image.
Saint Paul urged the community to
be of the same mind—a word that suggests repair, like mending
torn garments or fishing nets.
Before nets can be cast, they must be mended.
Not long ago, I realized my car needed new
tires. I hadn’t changed them in years. When I brought the car in, the mechanic
didn’t even have to bend down. He could see it immediately:
“You have no tread left.”
He told me the only reason the tires lasted
so long was because they were originally good quality. But even good tires wear
down. And when the tread is gone, you lose traction—especially when the road
gets rough.
Our lives of faith can be like that.
We may be sincere.
We may be strong.
We may start out and still have good "quality" or qualities.
But no one is
independently self-sustaining.
Over time, stress, conflict, and division
thin our spiritual traction.
That is why Jesus does not simply send us
out—He heals us first.
The fishermen He calls are not perfect. They
will misunderstand, argue, fail, and even run away. Yet by staying close to
Christ, they are healed, forgiven, and drawn into unity.
That is true for us as well.
We do not evangelize because we have
everything together.
We evangelize because God
heals what is torn—and draws us together.
The Beatitudes Spoken into a Wounded World
This Sunday, Jesus goes up the mountain and
begins the Sermon on the Mount with the Beatitudes.
These familiar words are spoken not into a
calm society, but into a wounded one.
We know something about that. We live in a
time of deep division—nationally, locally, even within families. Many of us
have been watching events unfold in Minnesota, especially in Minneapolis—a city
close to our hearts.
It is close to our hearts not only because of
the pain and tension being experienced there, but also because of a personal
connection we share. Archbishop Bernard Hebda, now the Archbishop of
Minneapolis–Saint Paul, once served as an auxiliary bishop of Newark. During
that time, he worshiped here, celebrated Mass here, and was present with
us—most memorably at the funeral Mass of Monsignor Petrillo.
So when we pray for peace in Minneapolis, we
are not praying for strangers.
We are praying for people and a shepherd we know.
The Beatitudes are not an escape from
reality.
They are God’s response
to it.
Three Beatitudes That Mend What Is Torn
Three Beatitudes stand out today:
·
Blessed are the merciful.
·
Blessed are the clean of
heart.
·
Blessed are the peacemakers.
These are not abstract ideals.
They are God’s way of
mending what is torn.
Blessed Are the Merciful — Healing Memory
Mercy is difficult when tensions are
high—especially when we feel justified.
Mercy does not deny that harm was done.
But mercy refuses to let the harm define the future.
Sometimes we say we have forgiven, yet we
keep replaying the injury. Slowly, the wound becomes part of our identity.
Mercy breaks that cycle.
Mercy does not erase memory—but it heals memory.
That is why mercy is essential for unity, and
why the Sacrament of Reconciliation is not simply about guilt, but about
repair.
God mends the net from the
inside.
Blessed Are the Clean of Heart — Healing
Vision
To be clean of heart does not mean naïve or
uninformed.
It means undivided.
When our hearts are ruled by resentment or
constant outrage, we lose clarity and charity. We stop seeing people as persons
and begin seeing them as opponents.
Purity of heart restores vision.
It allows us to see God at work—even where we disagree.
Saint Paul’s call to be of the same mind does
not mean identical opinions.
It means a shared center: Jesus
Christ.
Blessed Are the Peacemakers — Healing
Relationships
Peacemakers are not peacekeepers. Peacekeeping avoids conflict. Peacemaking enters tension with truth and love.
This is especially true in families. In
marriage, parenting, or caregiving, words are sometimes spoken not to wound,
but because someone is overwhelmed.
Peacemaking does not mean pretending words
did not hurt.
It means resisting the urge to return hurt for hurt.
Presence over accusation. Patience over escalation.
This is how unity is preserved—not by winning
arguments, but by refusing to tear the net further.
Peacemaking as Prayer for the World
Peacemaking also becomes prayer.
So today we pray for peace in our country and
in our world.
For peace in Minneapolis.
For leaders entrusted with difficult decisions.
For those who serve at personal risk.
For immigrants and families seeking safety and dignity.
This is not about choosing sides. It is about choosing the
way of Christ.
Sent Forth With Mended Nets
Last Sunday and this Sunday come together.
Before nets can be cast, they must be mended.
Jesus does not wait for perfect nets.
He heals—and then He sends.
So this week, let us pray we might...
·
Mercy: let
one old grievance go unspoken.
·
Purity of heart:
fast from one source of constant outrage.
·
Peacemaking:
choose presence instead of persuasion in one strained relationship.
We do not evangelize because we are whole.
We evangelize because Christ
is healing us—together.
And I invite you this coming Saturday, the
first Saturday of the month, after the 5:30 Mass—or on your own during this
week as we anticipate the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes—to pray the Rosary at
least once for peace in our world.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they
shall be called children of God.
Our Lady, Queen of Peace,
pray for us.
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