8th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Cycle A, Year II)

Community Word:    Trusting God is living in His righteousness.

Theme:      We live in God’s righteousness when we trust His sufficiency.

Promise:     “Do not worry about tomorrow, tomorrow will take care of itself.”  (Mt 6:34)

Reflection: 
The words of Jesus in this gospel reading have been called the most beautiful in all of Scripture and the most impractical, yet they are very down to earth!  The Lord is specific and absolute, “no one can serve two masters”.  If God is God for us, then to trust in His providence is wise and will strengthen our life.  Clearly He is not calling us to abandon prudence and sit back passively awaiting divine intervention to meet all our needs.

God gave us common sense, intelligence, and will to help us fend for ourselves.  The injunction has to do with whether we serve God or mammon, which does not just happen.  It is a choice we make everyday between the presence of God in our life and sense of security from that presence, or the single-minded pursuit of material wealth.  The issue has to do with trust.  We simply set our hearts upon God’s righteousness and what this means for us.  Once we can focus on His righteousness, everything else should fall into place for us.

God created man to know Him and love Him, and to live with his fellowmen in a way God intended.  This is “seeking the kingdom of God and His righteousness”.  If man gives his best effort, divine providence will not withhold his needs. . He can be trusted with the details. Worrying about the future betrays lack of faith and trust in God.  How could you mistrust the love of your Father?  There are real challenges God wants you to face, and worrying keeps you from meeting those challenges.  If you concentrate on doing or accepting God’s will, you will not have time to worry. Why, indeed, worry about tomorrow? Tomorrow may never even happen, or may not bring about any of the things you have been worrying about!  Great love can drive out other irrelevant concern.

God will take care of us. His plans are always for our good, He desires our safety and success.  He will grant what is best and beneficial for us.  So we should rely on Him.  Material possessions should serve to create and strengthen harmonious relationships and friendships, to make life better and more meaningful, not only for ourselves but for our neighbors.  They should be the source of blessings for those in need.  Money and wealth are not in themselves sinful but they entail social responsibility and should be used and spent to improve and to promote one’s own life and those of others, especially those who have little, or nothing in  life.

St. Ambrose of Milan wisely observed that, “a man’s true wealth does not consist in what he kept, but in what he gave away”.  Our entry into heaven depends on how we use what God has entrusted to our care, and sharing manifests that we are serving the one true Master, our God.  St. Ignatius of Loyola’s motto captures the message of the gospel, “pray as if everything depends on God; work as if everything depends upon you.”  In the same vein, when Mother Teresa of Calcutta was asked if she did not worry about what would happen to her projects once she was gone, she gently replied:  “God does not expect me to be successful, but only to be faithful”.

Prayer
Lord, help us to maintain godly values, that we may be guided in making the right choices.  Teach us to value what is the important and meaningful, and help us to recognize what really counts for our salvation. Amen.

Reflection Questions:

1.    What things do I worry about most, or about which I am overly preoccupied? Are they necessary for my salvation?

2.    To which kingdom have I pledged my commitment, to the kingdom of mammon whose sovereignty is material and limited to the years of our life, or to our Lord Jesus whose kingship is spiritual and continues on to a life that never ends?  Which one truly sets me free and gives my life true dignity?

This Week’s Daily Mass Reading Guide:
March 2, 2014 (Sun)    Is 49:14-15/ Ps 62:2-3,6-9/ iCor 4:1-5/ Mk 6:24-34
March 3, 2014 (Mon)    1Pt 1:3-9/ Ps 111:1-2, 5-6, 9,10/ Mk 10:17-27
March 4, 2014 (Tues)   1Pt 1:10-16/ Ps 98:1-4/ Mk 10:28-31
March 5, 2014 (Wed)   Jl 2:12-18/ Pos51:3-6,12-14,17/ 2Cor 5:20-6:2/ Mt 6:1-6,16-18
March 6, 2014 (Thur)   Dt 30:15-20/ Ps 1:1-6/ Lk 9:22-25
March 7, 2014 (Fri)      Is 58:1-9/ Ps 51: 3-6, 18-19/ Mt. 9:14-15
March 7, 2014 (Sat)    Is 58:9-14/ Ps 86:1-6/ Lk 5:27-32

“Ignorance of the Bible is ignorance of Christ.  Read your Bible daily!”

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