Category: Uncategorized

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Gospel: Matthew 10: 26-33

Jesus said to the Twelve:
“Fear no one.
Nothing is concealed that will not be revealed,
nor secret that will not be known.
What I say to you in the darkness, speak in the light;
what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops.
And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul;
rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy
both soul and body in Gehenna.
Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin?
Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s knowledge.
Even all the hairs of your head are counted.
So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
Everyone who acknowledges me before others
I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father.
But whoever denies me before others,
I will deny before my heavenly Father.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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What is one of the most common sayings in the bible?

“Do not be afraid.”

It appears more than 100 times – three of which occur in today’s Gospel.

Jesus is sending his disciples out into the world to continue his ministry, and he knows the first hurdle they must overcome is fear.

The disciples are not afraid of following Jesus; they marvel at his power and bask in his fame. What they are afraid of is being his witnesses – of going out and preaching the Gospel to all nations.

The same is often true of us. 

We love Jesus. We enjoy listening to him and learning from him. But when our faith moves from a private to a public sphere, we can become afraid – afraid of speaking out; afraid of stepping into the unknown; afraid of placing our fate into God’s hands.

“Do not be afraid,” Jesus says, “every hair on your head is counted; you are worth more than many sparrows.”

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Consider a few other moments in the New Testament when this phrase – “do not be afraid” – occurs.

They are some of the first words spoken by the Angel Gabriel to Mary when he reveals God’s plan for her. Reading her heart, Gabriel says to Mary, “Do not be afraid. You have found favor with God.” 

And so Mary says humbly, “Let it be done unto me according to your word.”

Or, thirty years later, the first time the disciples are without Jesus. A storm breaks out on the Sea of Galilee, one so strong that these professional fishermen fear they are drowning! Suddenly, they see Jesus walking on the water towards them, mistaking him for a ghost.

Approaching them on the waves, Jesus says to them, “Do not be afraid.” Then he stills the sea, calming their fears.

Then at the Last Supper, the night before Jesus’ death, he tells his disciples, “Do not let your hearts be troubled.” To be “troubled” meant to be overwhelmed by the fear of death. The Lord would no longer be with them physically. Change was coming. 

But so was the Holy Spirit. 

And when the tomb was empty that first Easter morning, the angels say to a tearful Mary Magdalene, “Do not be afraid. You are looking for Jesus, but he has been raised from the dead.” 

After seeing him, Mary runs off to share the Good News of the resurrection with the others. 

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God is constantly comforting people in the bible as they face their fears. The same can be true of us today.

So, what am I afraid of?

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It could be something physical like spiders or snakes.

But then there’s a deeper, more subtle type of fear that can influence – even control – our decisions. It could be the fear of rejection; failure; loneliness; loss; or losing control.

When not brought before the Lord in prayer, these fears can stifle us. But the Lord says to us what he once said to his disciples before sending them out on mission, “Do not be afraid, every hair on your head is counted; you are worth more than many sparrows.”

God is watching over every step we take.

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Interestingly, the word “trust” appears in the bible nearly as many times as the word “fear” does. As it’s written in the Book of Proverbs, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. Trust in the Lord and he will act.”

It’s a lesson that Mary, the disciples, and every Christian must learn. At times fear can threaten to overwhelm us. But God is with us, assuring us that we shall not be overcome.

As the Lord says at the conclusion of the Gospels, “Do not be afraid. I have overcome the world.”

May we place our trust in him today.

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Image credits: (1) GodSongs.net (2) Psephizo (3) God Pictures

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Gospel: Matthew 6: 19-23

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth,
where moth and decay destroy, and thieves break in and steal.
But store up treasures in heaven,
where neither moth nor decay destroys, nor thieves break in and steal.
For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.

“The lamp of the body is the eye.
If your eye is sound, your whole body will be filled with light;
but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be in darkness.
And if the light in you is darkness, how great will the darkness be.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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If you’ve ever traveled through an airport, then you know the drill of going through security.

You must empty your pockets, remove your belt and shoes, separate your electronics, and slide everything you’ve packed onto a conveyor belt.

Then approach the x-ray scanner with your arms up, pockets empty, shoes off.

That narrow gate has no room for excess luggage. We ourselves can barely fit!

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Isn’t that an appropriate image for life? 

We cannot take anything with us when we pass through that narrow gate of death; all we can bring with us are the good works we’ve done, the faith we’ve exercised, and the relationships we’ve nurtured.

“Do not store up for yourself treasures on earth, where moth and decay can destroy,” Jesus says, “but store up treasures in heaven.”

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How much treasure might I have stored up in heaven? 

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May we spend this day doing what matters – loving our God with all our heart and serving Him in our neighbor. 

As Saint Paul reminds us, “Only faith, hope, and love remain, and the greatest of these is love” (1 Corinthians 13:13). 

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Image credits: (1) Adobe Stock (2) Passenger Terminal Today (3) Amazon.com

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Gospel: Matthew 6:7-15

Jesus said to his disciples:
“In praying, do not babble like the pagans,
who think that they will be heard because of their many words.
Do not be like them.
Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

“This is how you are to pray:

‘Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name,
thy Kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.’

“If you forgive others their transgressions,
your heavenly Father will forgive you.
But if you do not forgive others,
neither will your Father forgive your transgressions.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Prayer is a two-way street. In most cases, we begin by asking the Lord for things we want…then we hang on, and await a response.

I think of God’s response to our prayers like a stoplight – it’s either green, yellow, or red.

At times, we pray for something and it’s given right away. For example, we lose our keys and pray to Saint Anthony. Suddenly, POOF! We find them. 

A green light. 

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Other times, the answer is, “No.” A red light. 

Even Jesus heard “no” from his Father. 

Remember what happened on the last night of his life on earth. Overwhelmed by the knowledge that he’s about to be crucified as his ministry seemed like a failure, Jesus prayed to his Father, saying. “Let this cup pass from me.”

But hours later, he was dead. A red light.

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The majority of our prayers receive yellow lights. We ask God for something, but it takes time before it’s answered. 

Consider how many people around the world are praying for an end to war; for their daily bread; for help in their marriage; for strength to remain sober; for healing from an illness; for divine peace.

We beg Jesus for help. Until he answers, we wait. This period of waiting is intended to be fruitful. Think of faith like a muscle; it must be exercised in order to become stronger. 

Thus, waiting is type of spiritual exercise that is meant to strengthen our faith in God’s Providence.

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So, what are you praying for? What’s the “yellow light” in your life?

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While waiting for an answer, meditate on the Lord’s prayer: “Thy kingdom come…Thy will be done.” We might add: “If you will it, Lord, turn that yellow light green.”

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Image credits: (1) My Bible Thoughts with Pastor Rich (2) Readers Digest (3) The Drive