Feeling depressed? Frustrated? Bad news got you down? Well, cheer up! Today's Gospel readings really are some Good News: In this life, or certainly in the next, God rewards those who, despite the jeers, insults and temptations of the world, seek to do good; and he punishes those who spread evil. 

JER 17:5-8

5 Yahweh says: Cursed is the man who trusts in man, and makes flesh his arm, and whose heart departs from Yahweh. 6 For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good comes, but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, a salt land and not inhabited. 7 Blessed is the man who trusts in Yahweh, and whose trust Yahweh is. 8 For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, who spreads out its roots by the river, and shall not fear when heat comes, but its leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit. 

Lesson: To be (blessed) happy, trust in God (refreshing waters), not man (parched land). 

PS 1:1-2, 3, 4 AND 6

Blessed is the man who doesn’t walk in the counsel of the wicked,
    nor stand on the path of sinners,
    nor sit in the seat of scoffers;
2 but his delight is in Yahweh’s law.
    On his law he meditates day and night.
3 He will be like a tree planted by the streams of water,
    that produces its fruit in its season,
    whose leaf also does not wither.
    Whatever he does shall prosper.
4 The wicked are not so,
    but are like the chaff which the wind drives away.
5 6 For Yahweh knows the way of the righteous,
    but the way of the wicked shall perish.

Lesson: To be (blessed) happy, avoid the wicked (chaff) and embrace the righteous (fruitful tree). 

1 COR 15:12, 16-20

12 Now if Christ is preached, that he has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 16 For if the dead aren’t raised, neither has Christ been raised. 17 If Christ has not been raised, your faith is vain; you are still in your sins. 18 Then they also who are fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If we have only hoped in Christ in this life, we are of all men most pitiable. 20 But now Christ has been raised from the dead. He became the first fruits of those who are asleep.

Lesson: Happy (Blessed) are we who follow God' precepts, for we shall see God.

LK 6:17, 20-26

17 He came down with them, and stood on a level place, with a crowd of his disciples, and a great number of the people from all Judea and Jerusalem, and the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases.

20 He lifted up his eyes to his disciples, and said,

“Blessed are you who are poor,
    God’s Kingdom is yours.
21 Blessed are you who hunger now,
    for you will be filled.
Blessed are you who weep now,
    for you will laugh.
22 Blessed are you when men shall hate you, and when they shall exclude and mock you, and throw out your name as evil, for the Son of Man’s sake.

24 “But woe to you who are rich!
    For you have received your consolation.
25 Woe to you, you who are full now,
    for you will be hungry.
Woe to you who laugh now,
    for you will mourn and weep.
26 Woe, when men speak well of you,
    for their fathers did the same thing to the false prophets.

Lesson: You may struggle financially, lack the basic necessities of life, suffer tragedy, or be persecuted because you do what pleases God rather than man, but the Kingdom of God is yours. That's what Jesus says and you can trust in his words.

Now that is some Good News!

God bless!