"Learn from the way the wildflowers grow"
Word for Sunday: http://usccb.org/bible/readings/022617.cfm
At the
time the United States decided to mark its money with the slogan “In God we
trust,” we may have wisely stated that though money is essential, trust in God
is more essential as a value we hold dear.
Our ultimate trust is in God and not in money so it remains a silent
reminder to all Americans that we, at least in words, have not forgotten from
where we find our true protection.
Yet, with
all the emphasis on the economy, jobs, the rise and fall of the stock market,
business deals and fair trade, one may wonder where our final trust really
lies. Obviously, we all need money but it can do strange things to our minds
and values if we overemphasize the power we give to it. And it isn't only money as much as it is where our treasure, our source of fulfillment and meaning, really lies. While we all enjoy the "stuff" of life, it can never fulfill our deepest spiritual needs. Everything is limited and the relentless pursuit of the newest and coolest leads us only to pursue more of the same in a never ending search to satisfy. So the Gospel passage this Sunday is indeed fundamental.
In the Gospel, Jesus begins with a warning to all: “You cannot serve both God and mammon,” aka money. The two Masters
of our lives cause us to make a choice between the two. Yet, this Sunday seems a nice rest after the
last two Sunday's which heard some strong and harsh images relating to Jesus'
moral teaching. All is taken from the
"Sermon on the Mount," Matthew, Chapter 5 - 7.
We began
with the well-known 8 Beatitudes in which we heard gentle and reassuring
comfort spoken by our Lord: "Blessed are the poor in spirit . . .
the merciful . . . peacemakers . . . the single hearted . . . for theirs is the
kingdom of heaven." We might
rest peacefully in this promise from Jesus to the lowly and humble.
Then, the
sermon turned more focused on the dangers of sin, the importance of the
marriage covenant and the dangers of infidelity and a wandering spirit of lust
and adultery. Jesus warned us about the
"consuming fire" and
recommended that if our hand or eye causes us to sin we should "cut it off" and the terrible "fire of Gehenna." While gentleness and kindness are essentially
a part of Gospel morality, so is the reality of sin: infidelity, among other
wandering attractions.
Then the
clincher about love for our enemies, and to "pray for your persecutors;" we must go two miles rather than
only one, and reconcile rather than seek revenge. Jesus sets a high bar for his
disciples, yet we are the "salt of
the earth and the light of the world."
We are privileged to bring this good news to the world around us and to
stand as witnesses to the truth. No
wimps or doormats here.
This
Sunday again swings to the more comfortable yet equal challenge of being
different than the world around us. We
must trust completely in God's providence, even when it seems he is silent or
invisible. To begin with a reflection on
the power of materialism is to remind us that we have a free will which God
will not interfere with, that that will allows us the privilege to choose God
and all things good, or to give ourselves over to a lesser power. But, in the
end, it is about trust – in God.
In a
simple and near poetic way, Jesus refers to the beauty of nature; what he
observed around him as he stood by the Sea of Galilee: "birds in the sky," those who "do not sew or reap," "gather into
barns," "the wild flowers," those who "work or spin."
In other words, the life his audience was most familiar with and was engaged in
themselves. He frames this all with a
reassurance: "Do not worry about
your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will
wear."
Facing the
truth that we are all worried about something, at least to the point of
guarding against loss in a wise and prudent manner, such as saving money and
buying ahead lest we be without in the future, our Lord’s challenge is a
framework for peace in our lives. Jesus
seems to tell us, God will provide. Will
he pay my Visa bill? Will he buy
groceries for the family, what about my mortgage or health insurance?
God will
provide, has already provided, resources for our use but not exploitation. He has given us his Word, his Son; his
assurance that even when things seem to fall short, it is then we should go to
him for “our daily bread.” Will he see
that I win the lottery? Probably not!
Will he
provide a deeper faith and a more firm trust?
If we ask for that grace, he will but in time.
In the
end, it is indeed that “in God we trust,” for there is no other firm
reassurance we can find from any thing. Isaiah
offers us a tender image that reassures us of God’s providence: “Can a mother forget her infant, be without
tenderness for the child in her womb? Even should she forget, I will
never forget you.”
Grant us, O Lord, we pray,
that the course of our world
may be directed by your peaceful rule
and that your church may rejoice
untroubled in her devotion.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
(Opening Prayer of Mass)
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