January 29, 2023                      4th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Zephaniah 2:3, 3:12-13 • 1 Corinthians 1:26-31 • Matthew 5:1-12a

“Rejoice and be glad for your reward will be great in heaven.” —Matthew 5:12

Have you ever heard the expression “no pain; no gain”? It’s sometimes associated with dieting. The idea is if you refrain from eating greasy or sugary foods that you might 
enjoy, you’ll see the benefits when you step on the scale. It’s hard to keep our eyes on the prize though, isn’t it? Especially when the sacrifice we must make is painful.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells his followers that if we follow his example, we may suffer now, but we will experience joy in heaven someday. He said that we might be sad 
if we care for others who are hurting. We might face opposition when we stand up for people who aren’t treated fairly. Others may not like us if we forgive people they 
don’t think deserve to be forgiven. We won’t be popular if we try to make peace when everyone else wants to get even. He said that all these things will bring us happiness 
in the long run. But it won’t be easy day-to-day! It wasn’t easy for Jesus either when he sacrificed his own life for us, but he thought we were worth it.
 

Pray together: Dear Lord, help me to remember that though this life may bring pain at times, you have a wonderful place in heaven prepared for me.

Discuss together: Do you think it’s worth it to be made fun of when you are following Jesus’ example? Who can you forgive today, even if it seems like they don’t deserve it?

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