The Feast of Saint John Chrysostom | Wednesday 13 September 2023

Today is Wednesday 13 September, the feast of Saint John Chrysostom, in the 23rd week of Ordinary time.

The community of Taizé sing Beati voi poveri: ‘Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the Kingdom of God.’

Beati voi poveri,
Perché vostro è il regno di Dio.




Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Luke.

Luke 6:20-26

Then he looked up at his disciples and said:
‘Blessed are you who are poor,
for yours is the kingdom of God.
‘Blessed are you who are hungry now,
for you will be filled.
‘Blessed are you who weep now,
for you will laugh.
‘Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice on that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven; for that is what their ancestors did to the prophets.


‘But woe to you who are rich,
for you have received your consolation.
‘Woe to you who are full now,
for you will be hungry.
‘Woe to you who are laughing now,
for you will mourn and weep.
‘Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is what their ancestors did to the false prophets.

Today, in Jesus’ “Sermon on the Plain”, we heard a powerful contrast, between “blessed are you” and “woe to you”. Did you feel that they might offer an invitation to you today? What might that invitation have been for you?

Those who are blessed seemed to include a very unexpected lot: those who are poor, those who are hungry, those who weep and those who are hated, excluded, reviled, and defamed. They are told to ”rejoice and leap for joy”. Would you feel like that, under those circumstances? What might God be saying to you about this today?

And what did you think about those on whom the woes were pronounced? They included the rich, the full, those who laugh, and those of whom people speak well. How does that make you feel?

Now listen as the passage is read to you once more. Is there one word or phrase that leaps off the page at you? Could this be an invitation to you from God?

Finally, see if you can sum up all this prayer in your own words, and offer it to God.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.