Reflections
for Sunday, March 2, 2014
The first reading today, from the Prophet Isaiah, is so strong and
comforting that we can use it to understand the other two readings today.
God Himself is telling us through the Prophet: I will never forget you!
Always I am thinking of you. Always I am loving you. We know how easy it
is to believe that God pays no attention to us, that things happen by
accident and that our prayers are useless. The Prophet Isaiah wants us to
know that none of that is true. God wants us to know that He always is
paying attention to us. He pays attention to each one of us individually
and personally. Nothing ever happens by accident in our lives. Our
prayers are always heard. God loves us completely.
If we look at the second reading today, from the First Letter to the
Corinthians, we heard Saint Paul talking about judging others and even
judging oneself. Paul is clear that God loves us. Thus we need not judge
others. Even in our own lives, we sometimes judge ourselves - sometimes
thinking that we are doing well and other times thinking that we have
failed. These judgments are useless, Saint Paul tells us, because only God
sees our hearts completely. We cannot see our own hearts.
None of this should cause us to stop trying to do good and trying to avoid
evil. God invites us always to continue in that struggle. Yet, in that
struggle, we must trust completely in the Lord. There are times when we
kind of give up because we seem to be going nowhere. Paul tells us that it
is required of stewards that they be found trustworthy. Trustworthy, in
this case, means continuing in the struggle.
Finally we see God's love for us expressed in the Gospel of Matthew that is
given to us today. Don't worry! Don't serve two masters. Seek God. God
will provide all that you need. When we are without food, this is
difficult to believe. When we are without money or any means to care for
those we love, this is difficult to believe. When we ourselves or someone
else we love is dying because of a lack of human resources, this is
difficult to believe.
Yet once we begin to see the world with the eyes of God, placing ourselves
in the mystery of His love, we are always able to see God at work in our
lives. We are always able to see God's love.
The challenge of these readings for us today is to open our eyes and our
hearts to the mysteries of faith. We are challenged first to believe that
God always loves us, always provides for us, always in present, always
hears our prayers. Once we choose to begin believing that, the way that we
understand all that happens begins to change in our lives.
My sisters and brothers, let us walk in faith and know the love of God in
our lives.
Readings of the day:
First Reading: Isaiah 49.14-15
Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 4.1-5
Gospel: Matthew 6.24-34
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