Scripture Reflection - February 1, 2026

Fourth Sunday of Ordinary Time

First Reading: Zephaniah 2:3; 3:12-13

Psalm: 146:6-7, 8-9, 9-10

Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 1:26-31

Gospel: Matthew 5:1-12a

Discipleship in a Time of Violence and Division

When Jesus climbs the mountain in Matthew chapter 5, he does not offer political slogans. He offers a way of life — a roadmap for discipleship that turns the world’s assumptions upside down. The Beatitudes call us to be poor in spirit, meek, merciful, and peacemakers — not first loyal to ideology or party, but first loyal to Christ. “Blessed are the peacemakers,” Jesus says, “for they shall be called children of God” (Mt 5:9).

A recent tragedy in Minneapolis, where two people were killed amid immigration enforcement operations and protests, has once again exposed how quickly we retreat into blame and justification when violence erupts. Before the human dignity of those who died can be honored, public discourse too often descends into suspicion, excuses, and political point-scoring. Victims are scrutinized. Language hardens. The Beatitudes interrupt this reaction. Jesus blesses those who mourn, those who show mercy, those who refuse to participate in the dehumanization of others.

In response to the turmoil, Catholic bishops have spoken with moral clarity, condemning violence, rejecting victim-blaming, and warning against rhetoric that inflames hatred. They remind us that respect for human life must govern not only our actions but our words. This is not politics; it is discipleship.

Cardinal Joseph Tobin of Newark called on people of faith to counter violence with lament and love — to mourn, to name the victims, and to recognize that our words have consequences. He urged Catholics to think seriously about the moral implications of public policy and to say “no” to violence in all forms, quoting Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.: “Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

This is where the witness of Catholic Sisters belongs at the center of this reflection. I—and many Sisters across the country—have peacefully protested unjust policies and the inhumane treatment of immigrants. We have stood in prayerful presence at detention centers, courthouses, and public squares. Not as agitators. Not as partisans. But as women vowed to follow Christ. And so the question must be asked plainly: Are Catholic Sisters domestic terrorists or are we—and others who stand for the just treatment of immigrants—blessed?

The Gospel names as blessed those who stand nonviolently for human dignity, those who refuse silence in the face of cruelty, those who insist that no human being is disposable.

Being a disciple of Jesus is more important than any political identity. When the first question we ask is, What side am I on? we lose sight of the truth that the Church exists to make disciples of all nations — not Republicans or Democrats, but believers who reflect Christ’s face in every neighbor.

As Christians, we are called to search for truth with humility, to speak it with charity, and to practice it with mercy — not to accept name-calling, dehumanization, or tribalism as normative.

In our fractured country, Jesus still climbs the mountain and still calls disciples by name proclaiming: Blessed are the peacemakers. In times like these, that blessing is not passive.

It is prophetic.

It is consistently pro-life.

And it is the cost of following Christ.

U.S. Bishops’ statement on Minneapolis violence: https://www.usccb.org/news/2026/archbishop-coakley-urges-calm-restraint-and-respect-human-life-minneapolis

Sr. Terry Rickard, OP