LOOK AT THE BIRDS IN THE SKY

June 19, Saturday 

Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time

 

      Paul speaks of the extraordinary graces and experiences he had been given by God.

      Too often we worry much more than we should and about things that, after all, don’t matter much. Are not our fears and worries mostly about things and events of the future, and do they not usually prove groundless? We are in God’s hands. He who cares for the birds in the sky cares for us and knows what we need. Let’s be concerned, then, about making his kingdom reality now; this is all that matters.

 

First Reading: 2 Corinthians 12:1-10

You’ve forced me to talk this way, and I do it against my better judgment. But now that we’re at it, I may as well bring up the matter of visions and revelations that God gave me. For instance, I know a man who, fourteen years ago, was seized by Christ and swept in ecstasy to the heights of heaven. I really don’t know if this took place in the body or out of it; only God knows. I also know that this man was hijacked into paradise—again, whether in or out of the body, I don’t know; God knows. There he heard the unspeakable spoken but was forbidden to tell what he heard. This is the man I want to talk about. But about myself, I’m not saying another word apart from the humiliations.

If I had a mind to brag a little, I could probably do it without looking ridiculous, and I’d still be speaking plain truth all the way. But I’ll spare you. I don’t want anyone imagining me as anything other than the fool you’d encounter if you saw me on the street or heard me talk.

Because of the extravagance of those revelations, and so I wouldn’t get a big head, I was given the gift of a handicap to keep me in constant touch with my limitations. Satan’s angel did his best to get me down; what he in fact did was push me to my knees. No danger then of walking around high and mighty! At first, I didn’t think of it as a gift and begged God to remove it.

Three times I did that, and then he told me,

My grace is enough; it’s all you need.
My strength comes into its own in your weakness.

Once I heard that I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ’s strength moving in on my weakness. Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size—abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become.

 

Gospel: Matthew 6:24-34

“You can’t worship two gods at once. Loving one god, you’ll end up hating the other. Adoration of one feeds contempt for the other. You can’t worship God and Money both.

 “If you decide for God, living a life of God-worship, it follows that you don’t fuss about what’s on the table at mealtimes or whether the clothes in your closet are in fashion. There is far more to your life than the food you put in your stomach, more to your outer appearance than the clothes you hang on your body. Look at the birds, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, careless in the care of God. And you count far more to him than birds.

 “Has anyone by fussing in front of the mirror ever gotten taller by so much as an inch? All this time and money wasted on fashion—do you think it makes that much difference? Instead of looking at the fashions, walk out into the fields and look at the wildflowers. They never primp or shop, but have you ever seen color and design quite like it? The ten best-dressed men and women in the country look shabby alongside them.

“If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don’t you think he’ll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I’m trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God’s giving. People who don’t know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.

 “Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.

 

Prayer

Lord God, our Father,
you care about the birds in the sky
and let them find food in due time.
You clothe the flowers in the field
with colors and fragrance.
So, why should we worry?
We thank you for the gift of life,
for loving us and caring for us
free of charge.
Keep us firmly in your hand
on account of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

Reflection:

Do not be anxious/ do not worry about your life….

“You cannot serve God and wealth. Therefore, I tell you, do not be anxious/ do not worry about your life…” Worshiping money or wealth was a problem even in the days of Jesus as it is today. All the worries about life and anxieties originate from the worship of wealth, instead of worshiping God. We live in an age of anxiety.

Today’s Gospel invites us to abandon ourselves into the hands of God our Father, and worship him alone. Then, we move from fear and anxiety to trust and faith because He is our Father who cares for us.
The early Church in the Community of the evangelist Matthew was so concerned about the possession and use of wealth. Many of the rich people nurtured the perfect excuse that wealth and riches are blessings from God. Nobody disagreed on that either! But the real issue was about how to utilize this wealth. Hence, the Gospel cautions the wealthy members of the Community to pay attention not to give their hearts to the ‘money-god.’
The message is all the more relevant for the members of the Church today. Reliance on one’s wealth and riches can only bring one to greater anxieties and fear. Real peace of mind and happiness in life comes from God, our Father.
Matthew moves his attention from the rich people of his community to the poorer ones. They were the ones struggling for their daily needs. The evangelist brings them Jesus’s message of consolation. “Do not be worried about life…” Jesus encouraged his disciples to trust God. If we are children of God, he also knows for sure about all our needs. A God who takes care of every little plant and every living creature on this planet, will not leave us alone.
The Gospel reminds us today of our intrinsic value: We are of greater value than all the plants and birds and fish and animals of this world. Because God’s children carry the image of God. The Gospel also cautions us today about how to value our fellow brethren who are around us. It is not uncommon in today’s world that many people consider their pet animals and birds more valuable than people.
Jesus reminds his disciples to trust the God of the Kingdom, the God of ‘enough’. Worries and fears are signs of the absence of faith. Therefore, a Christian cannot afford to be anxious! You cannot be scared!
Jesus was realistic. In his prayer, Jesus had taught us to pray: Give to us each day our bread for the day. That was today’s need. God did not promise tomorrow’s bread. All what is called for is “Trust”. Each day’s trust would remove each day’s worry.

 

Video available on Youtube: Do not be anxious/ do not worry about your life….