Please read the passage before the homily.
Matthew’s sermon is called the Sermon on the Mount; Luke’s could be called the Sermon on the Plain. Matthew uses the third person, “Blessed are they” while Luke uses the second person, “Blessed are you”. Luke’s first readers seem to be poor; Matthew’s seem to have more wealth.
If you are poor, you will be glad to hear Jesus speak directly to you, “Blessed are you poor”. On the hand, if you are rich, you will probably cringe to hear, “Woe to you who are rich”. Luke is much blunter than Matthew.
For Luke, the mere fact of being poor puts you in a more direct line to God’s promises. We could say, using the language of today, that Luke has a preferential option for the poor. St Francis of Assisi would second this, and add that you have any extra money, it belongs, not to you, but to the poor.
This passage comes after Jesus had spent the night in prayer and called the Twelve, whom he also called Apostles. He had come down from the mountain and began to speak to the crowds.
Jesus stands among us on level ground. He speaks to us. He wants us to learn the need for poverty in our own lives. He wants to bless us in our lives and the more we can live without possessions, the more can depend on Jesus in our lives. The more we depend on Jesus, the more we are blessed. How will we respond?