WORRIES ARE OBSTACLES TO HOLINESS - 6/18/22 (Saturday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time)

Matthew 6:25-28,33-34

“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 seek first the Kingdom of God and His 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.”

For the full readings, click here: 

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/061822.cfm

Blessed Saturday! Our Lord Jesus Christ is telling us not to worry. Perhaps, we are always thinking over and over about some things. But, it is important for us to understand that a person who has a deep trust in God will not be worried about these things because the plan and providence of God is always what is best for us. This is why we pray in the "Our Father" prayer, "Thy Will be done." Jesus is inviting us to live this prayer by not worrying about many things. Worrying will not help us as well. It will not help us solve our problems, and it may even affect our health, both physical and mental health, which makes it more difficult for us to do what we need to do. 

To not be worried about many things is to make an act of hope in God. And yet, this is difficult to do. Sometimes, the reason why we become worried about many things, whether it's about our needs, our food, our clothing, our money, our jobs and other things, is because we have attachments to them. This means that we are spending too much of our attention, time and energy on these things that we may forget that there are other aspects of our lives that we need to focus on. And, that is holiness. Our Savior is telling us to seek first the Kingdom of God and righteousness. When we become worried, even to the point of discouragement and despair, our soul becomes disturbed that we find it difficult to discern and follow the will of God. Our time may also be wasted in such a way that we are losing the opportunity to grow in our faith and persevere in virtues. 

Although it's not bad to make decisions about personal lives that are not necessarily about spiritual matters, our God is reminding us of what's most important, and it's our union with Him. Jesus says to us that sufficient for today is its own evil. Let's always recognize that there are many temptations around us, and we have many imperfections. Now is the time for us to strengthen our faith and our spiritual life. If we are not aware of our weaknesses and tendencies to commit a sin because of worrying, we may not have the strength to endure such temptations. Although we have some concerns in our life, we should still examine ourselves and reflect on our relationship with God? Are we struggling with sins like pride, anger, lust, and others? Why did we fall to these temptations? How is our prayer life and sacramental life? Do we love to pray and go to sacraments like the Mass and confession? Do we take the opportunity to share to our family members, especially the children, our Catholic faith and the truth on the sanctity of marriage?

When we think about what God is telling us to do in order to enter the Kingdom of God in our journey to holiness, we may also be overwhelmed. But, God is not impatient with us. Despite our sinfulness and weaknesses, His compassion and mercy remains with us. We simply need to trust in Him and walk with Him little by little. If we are struggling to trust in Jesus, may we ask for help from our Mother Mary. She always said "yes" to the will of God. Even when she saw that her beloved Son, Jesus Christ, was crucified for our sins, her hope never faded. Even in times of sorrows, she was at peace and abandoned herself fully to the will of God. By seeking her intercession, especially during times of discouragement, we will learn to trust in God more. By the grace of God and through her prayers, our faith will be strengthened amidst all difficulties and worries, and we can proclaim the glory of God by remaining hopeful in Him every day of our lives. 

Amen +

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, be with us always until the hour of our death. Amen. +

 

May the Lord + bless us, protect us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life. Amen. +  

Reflection by: Dominic