LOOK AT THE BIRDS IN THE SKY
Introduction
It is dangerous to be a prophet who dares to speak out, particularly against the mighty. It cost the prophet Zechariah his life.
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 a reality now; this is all that matters.
Opening 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!
1 Reading: 2 CHRONICLES 24:17-25
After the death of Jehoiada, the princes of Judah came and paid homage to King Joash, and the king then listened to them. They forsook the temple of the LORD, the God of their fathers, and began to serve the sacred poles and the idols; and because of this crime of theirs, wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem. Although prophets were sent to them to convert them to the LORD, the people would not listen to their warnings. Then the Spirit of God possessed Zechariah, son of Jehoiada the priest. He took his stand above the people and said to them: “God says, ‘Why are you transgressing the LORD’s commands, so that you cannot prosper? Because you have abandoned the LORD, he has abandoned you.’” But they conspired against him, and at the king’s order they stoned him to death in the court of the LORD’s temple. Thus King Joash was unmindful of the devotion shown him by Jehoiada, Zechariah’s father, and slew his son. And as Zechariah was dying, he said, “May the LORD see and avenge.” At the turn of the year a force of Arameans came up against Joash. They invaded Judah and Jerusalem, did away with all the princes of the people, and sent all their spoil to the king of Damascus. Though the Aramean force came with few men, the Lord surrendered a very large force into their power, because Judah had abandoned the LORD, the God of their fathers. So punishment was meted out to Joash. After the Arameans had departed from him, leaving him in grievous suffering, his servants conspired against him because of the murder of the son of Jehoiada the priest. He was buried in the City of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.
Responsorial PSALM 89:4-5, 29-30, 31-32, 33-34
R. (29a) Forever I will maintain my love for my servant.
“I have made a covenant with my chosen one,
I have sworn to David my servant:
Forever will I confirm your posterity
and establish your throne for all generations.” R.
“Forever I will maintain my kindness toward him,
and my covenant with him stands firm.
I will make his posterity endure forever
and his throne as the days of heaven.” R.
“If his sons forsake my law
and walk not according to my ordinances,
If they violate my statutes
and keep not my commands.” R.
“I will punish their crime with a rod
and their guilt with stripes.
Yet my mercy I will not take from him,
nor will I belie my faithfulness.” R.
Alleluia – 2 CORINTHIANS 8:9
Alleluia, alleluia.
Jesus Christ became poor although he was rich,
so that by his poverty you might become rich.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel – MATTHEW 6:24-34
Jesus said to his disciples: “No one can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. 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 I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was clothed like one of them. If God so clothes the grass of the field, which grows today and is thrown into the oven tomorrow, will he not much more provide for you, O you of little faith? So do not worry and say, ‘What are we to eat?’ or ‘What are we to drink?’ or ‘What are we to wear?’ All these things the pagans seek. Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 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.”
Commentary
Worry vs Trust
Worrying does help—for 95% of the things that we worry about do not happen! It is as if our worrying about them has such magical effect on them that those events disappear! But the problem is: worry, our magical solution to making them disappear, leaves us with ulcer in the stomach and a high blood pressure! The only effective way to get rid of our worries is to learn to trust. In fact, psychologist Eric Erikson marked “basic trust” which develops (or fails to develop) in the initial years of our life on earth as fundamental to our well-being through our entire life span. We can also add on to this initial trust capital by modelling our life after that of Christ: He hardly worried about anything, for he totally trusted the will of the Father. Did it make his problems disappear? No, each day brought enough troubles for him as well. But he faced them with faith and trust in the Father’s love and providence.
Intentions
– For journalists and those in the media, who denounce the injustices and corruption in our world, that the Lord may strengthen and protect them and that we and all people may listen to them, we pray:
– For the poor and the needy, that they may experience something of God’s concern for them through the generosity of our hearts, we pray:
– For all of us, that we may not burden ourselves with unnecessary worries and artificial needs, but learn to entrust ourselves into the hands of a loving God, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
Our God and Father,
you have set for us, your children,
the feast meal of Jesus, your Son.
You provide us with food and drink
that give everlasting life.
We offer you our life and efforts,
our worries and our cares.
Accept them as a token of our gratitude
and of our deep and lasting trust
in you, our loving God.
We ask this in the name of Jesus, the Lord. Amen!
Prayer after Communion
Lord God, our Father,
in this Eucharist, you have reassured us
that you know what we need
better than we ourselves do,
and that you are with us
through Jesus Christ, your Son.
Let him always stay with us,
that we may forget our self-created little worries
and give first place to you
and to your kingdom of mercy and goodness,
of integrity and committed justice.
Let these be our genuine concerns
on account of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen!
Blessing
God really cares for us. If he cares for the birds in the sky and the flowers in the field, why would he not care for us? We are in his hands. May the God who loves you bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen!