Opposite Day

Learning the difference between earth and heaven

11/01/2023

Mt 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."

When I was a little boy my friends and I would play a game called “opposite day.” Have you ever played that game before? Whatever someone said we would try to think of its opposite. If I said, for example, “black” they would say “white.” If I said, “It’s super cold this morning,” they would say, “It’s super hot this morning!” If I said, “Oh, I’m just a poor priest,” they would counter with “Oh, you are just a rich priest.” If I said, “The answer is yes,” they would say, “The answer is no.”

That reminds me of that scene from the movie “Pink Panther.” Inspector Clouseau checks into a hotel and talks to a man seated at the desk. There is a dog next to the desk, and so Clouseau asks, “Does your dog bite?” The man answers, “No, my dog does not bite.” So Clouseau reaches down to pet the dog, who growls and bites him. Clouseau says, “Hey, I thought you said your dog does not bite.” The man replies, “That is not my dog.” In other words, the man at the desk was playing opposite day with Inspector Clouseau. He should have said “yes” but instead he said, “no.”

In the Bible readings today we find another example of opposite day. In the first reading from Revelation saints make their robes white when they wash them in the Blood of the Lamb. If you get some blood on a white shirt, will it become white? No. But in the Bible the opposite happens: Blood cleans, washes, and makes perfect, when we are dealing with the Blood of the Lamb, Jesus.

In the gospel Jesus plays opposite day when he teaches his beautiful Beatitudes. The poor in spirit will be rich in the Kingdom. Those who are sad will be happy. Those who are hungry will be fed (probably chicken nuggets). Those who are rejected for doing the right thing will be praised by God. In other words, the Bible teaches us that opposite day is not just a game for small children to learn the difference between synonyms and antonyms.

Instead, opposite day gets to the heart of the gospel and what it means to be a Christian. Why? Because that is what it means to be like Jesus. How so? Well, people thought Jesus was poor, but he was really rich in mercy. They thought he was naked but he was clothed in grace and glory.

Everyone believed he was left alone on the Cross, but he always enjoyed the company of his Heavenly Father and his earthly Mother, Mary. The Roman soldiers thought he was beaten, bloody, and helpless hanging on the Cross, utterly defeated, but that was the moment of Jesus’ greatest victory and triumph, when he flexed his real muscles by being obedient to God’s will.

Boys and girls, I want you to keep this opposite day game in the back of your mind as you go through the day, and go through your life. Why? Well, because the way things look on earth may not be how they will look in heaven, in fact, they will look the opposite. For example, if you see a girl who does not look very pretty on earth, they will be prettier than Taylor Swift in heaven.

If you see someone who is clumsy or can’t play sports on earth, they will play tennis better than Roger Federer in heaven. If you see someone who has suffered and is sad a lot on earth, they will be super happy in heaven. If you see someone poor and homeless on earth, one day, they will have the biggest mansion in heaven.

You see, boys and girls, opposite day is not just a game for children to play to learn the difference between synonyms and antonyms. It is a game all people need to play to learn the difference between heaven and earth. So, when I say, “I am just a poor priest who doesn’t have two pennies to rub together,” and when you answer, “No, you are a rich priest who has more wealth than the whole world,” both statements are absolutely true. Why? Because opposite day is every day.

Praised be Jesus Christ!