Gospel (Lk 6,20-26) - At that time, raising his eyes towards his disciples, Jesus said: «Blessed are you poor, because the kingdom of God is yours. Blessed are you who are hungry now, because you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who cry now, for you will laugh. Blessed are you when men hate you and when they banish you and revile you and reject your name as wicked, because of the Son of man. Rejoice on that day and rejoice, for, behold, your reward is great in heaven. In fact, their fathers did the same thing with the prophets. »But woe to you, rich people, because you already have your consolation. Woe to you who are now full, for you will be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will be afflicted and weep. Woe to you when all men speak well of you. For in the same way their fathers did with the false prophets."

The commentary on the Gospel by Monsignor Vincenzo Paglia

The Beatitudes are the central speech of Jesus' preaching. While Matthew claims that they were pronounced from a mountain, as if to remember God's gift of the Law on Sinai, Luke speaks of a flat place. The word of the Gospel is mixed with people's lives, and Jesus does not pronounce an abstract speech, nor does he present a lofty doctrine that goes over people's heads. The evangelist Luke reports only four beatitudes. Jesus announces to the poor, the hungry, the abandoned and those thirsting for justice that they can finally be happy because God has chosen to be next to them. For this reason they are "blessed": because they are loved by God, preferred by him over the many who believe they are satisfied with their riches and their security. If Jesus says that they are blessed it is because God has chosen to be first and foremost with them before with others. He shows it firsthand, with his own example of him. We believers are entrusted with the very serious and fascinating task of making the poor and the weak feel the privileged love of God as Jesus did throughout his life. The rich, the satisfied, the strong must be careful - and often we too are among their ranks - because it is more difficult to be happy. With the "woe to you" Jesus warns: it is in vain to seek happiness in love for oneself and for riches. The path to happiness for the rich is to spend one's life for the poor and weak. It is the invitation that Jesus also made to the rich young man. He repeats it even today to all of us, often rich and satisfied with ourselves.