March 2, 2014: 8th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Jesus said to his disciples: “No one can serve two bosses.
The person will either hate one and love the other,
or be devoted to one and despise the other.
You cannot serve God and riches.

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life,
what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear.
Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?
Look at the birds in the sky; they do not sow or reap,
they gather nothing into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them.
Are not you more important than they?

Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life-span?
Why are you anxious about clothes? Learn from the way the wild flowers grow.
They do not work or spin. But I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor
was clothed like one of them. If God so clothes the grass of the field,
which grows today and is thrown into the oven tomorrow,
will God not much more provide for you, O you of little faith?

So do not worry and say, ‘What are we to eat?’
Or ‘What are we to drink?’ or ‘What are we to wear?’
All these things those without belief seek.
Your heavenly Father/Mother knows that you need them all.
But seek first the reign of God and God’s righteousness,
and all these things will be given you besides.
Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself.
Sufficient for a day is its own evil.” (Matthew 6:24-34)

Reflection

This Gospel passage is a good one if you tend to worry.
Jesus invites his listeners to consider the abundance in nature. He asks, in effect, “Where does worrying get you, anyway? Have faith in me. Put your trust in God, in God’s Providence.”
Jesus is not saying “sit on your hands and do nothing.” But, rather, “If you seek God and do God’s work of love, what is supposed to fall in place for you will fall in place.”

Action

Lent has begun.
This week notice how often you express worry about something: your grades, the weather; a difficult task; a friend. Ask God to increase your trust in providence.