Franciscan Friar Fr. Paul Gallagher reflects on the Gospel readings for the Fourth Sunday of Ordinary Time 2026. Who are the people who have reminded you that you are among those blessed?
The content is edited by Franciscan Sister of Christian Charity Sister Anne Marie Lom and Joe Thiel. The excerpts from the Sunday readings are prepared by Joe Thiel. To read or download the complete pdf with excerpts for your prayer, please click here: Franciscan Gospel Reflections February 1 2026 Excerpts are from the Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States of America, second typical edition © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC. Used with permission. All rights reserved. No portion of this text may be reproduced by any means without permission in writing from the copyright owner. Photo: St. Joseph the Workman Cathedral, La Crosse, Wisconsin
Matthew 5:1-12a
When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain, and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him. He began to teach them, saying:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land.
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.”
Background:
Last week Jesus learned of the arrest of John the Baptist and moved from the small town of Nazareth to Capernaum, which was located on major trade routes, to begins his ministry of preaching and curing the sick. He also called his first disciples, Peter, his brother Andrew, and the two brothers James and John. In the two verses between last week’s text and the Gospel for this week, Matthew states that Jesus’ fame had spread throughout Syria and people were bringing their sick to him.
The Gospel for this week gives us the start of Jesus’ instruction to his disciples. That instruction will continue for the next few weeks, until the beginning of Lent. Jesus expects the disciples to learn from him and to shape their lives by his teachings. As Matthew describes Jesus’ instruction to his followers, he is drawing on his community’s familiarity with Moses, who went up the mountain and brought back the commandments from God. Here, Jesus takes his disciples up the mountain and sits with them, assuming the position of a teacher. But he is not laying down a new set of commandments, rather he teaches in the tradition of a wisdom teacher.
Each of the Beatitudes begins with same, “Blessed are…” The sense of the word here is not simple statement of reality nor some future hope. These are expressions of reality as it will be experienced in the fullness of the Kingdom of God. They are blessings that a community experiences as it lives the Kingdom of God. The blessed one then is not affected by the other circumstances of life. The blessing described in the beatitudes comes to the disciples out of a profound awareness that Jesus is walking with them and they are journeying with Jesus. This bond, like the covenant, continues no matter what circumstances the disciple might experience.
The values that Jesus advocates in the beatitudes run contrary to those held by society of his day. Throughout Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus is described as the one who is poor in spirit, mourning, meek, hungering for righteousness, merciful, pure of heart, and a peacemaker. These beatitudes look to a future time when God’s presence will be brought to fullness on earth. That future day has begun to appear in the person of Jesus. Jesus teaches his followers, by the example of his own life, how to live their lives reflecting the values of the reign of God. Thus, hope for the reign of God will continue to be present and unfold in the world through his followers.
- What has been your experience of being coached or mentored? What has made some of those experiences better than others? What has made you a better student?
- How do you think the disciples are thinking and feeling as Jesus takes them up the mountain? Do you think they are aware of Moses going up the mountain?
- As the disciples climbed the mountain with Jesus, how might they have thought of themselves as being blessed?
- How does Jesus’ instruction challenge their understanding of what it is to be blessed?
- How do you experience being blessed or being among the blessed? Is there a difference?
- Who are the people who have reminded you that you are among those blessed?
- How would you like to respond to God as you hear Jesus’ instruction to his disciples in this text? Can you take some time to talk to God about your questions, thoughts, and desires?
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