Every single one of the readings for mass today are absolutely beautiful. These words come alive and burn brightly with the Holy Spirit. They are living words. The Word of God isn’t just words that we read or hear read to us at mass, the sacred words in scripture have a life all their own. The Word of God becomes seeds that are sown in our hearts. They change our lives. The changes are so imperceptible at times that we may not even notice it. One day we may look back at our lives and understand how dramatically the living words in the scriptures changed our lives. God’s love for us will be woven throughout our days, that turned into years. God shapes us and forms us through these holy words, into the person we were meant to be, if we remain open to allowing Him to do this.
The first reading for mass from the book of Isaiah is short, but so profoundly beautiful:
“Zion said, “The Lord has forsaken me; my Lord has forgotten me.” Can a mother forget her infant, be without tenderness for the child of her womb? Even should she forget, I will never forget you.” Is 49: 14-15
At some point in life, many of us have felt like no one loves us. We feel lonely, forgotten, used by others for what we can give them, but not loved and valued for who we really are. People get lonely, no matter what their state in life is. We all go through periods of loneliness. Older people may feel like their loved ones have forgotten them, if they do not visit or call them very often. Young people sometimes feel rejected by their parents, whether it is due to their own bad behavior or the parent’s closed hearts. But, God assures us in today’s reading from Isaiah that no matter what, God loves us, even if no one else does. This is why God’s love is so beautiful, the way He loves us. We should never feel depressed or sad over a lack of affection from our loved ones, or at least allow it to affect our happiness or inner peace. Human relationships are like shifting sands that change from moment to moment, day to day, but God never changes and His love for us will never change. It’s hard for us to remember sometimes, that we are His children and He cares for us day by day.
In the second reading from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians, Paul told his listeners (and readers) that, “It does not concern me in the least that I be judged by you or any human tribunal … the one who judges me is the Lord. Therefore, do not make any judgement before the appointed time, until the Lord comes, for he will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will manifest the motives of our hearts.” Saint Paul’s heart, mind and soul rests in the Lord. The center of his being rests undisturbed in the Lord’s loving care. What anyone else thinks of him doesn’t matter at all. Jesus knows the true state of his soul. Those who judge are not the Lord Jesus, and their judgement is not valid. Perhaps we should remember this too, when others make judgements about us.
Jesus’ words are comforting, reassuring, healing and peaceful. We should write these words down and tape them to the wall in our homes so that we never forget them. Almost every human being on earth worries about money, and how to survive, how to have their basic needs met. But, many of us worry well above and beyond what we should. Worry makes us miserable. Jesus doesn’t want us to be miserable. He wants us to be happy. We should let his words sink deeply into our hearts, allow them to heal us and bring us peace.
Our jobs are only a means to provide for the basic necessities we need. If we should loose our job, it does not take our human dignity away. Many people feel bad about themselves when they are out of work, disabled, or stay home to take care of small children or aging parents. Our human dignity is not based on a job or any human things. Our beauty as individuals, uniquely made by God, is not diminished by the circumstances we live in. This is such a hugely important thing to remember, both for ourselves and other people as well. Whether we live in complete poverty, or we are prosperous and have lots of nice things, it doesn’t matter to Jesus. We are equal in his eyes. This is hard sometimes to remember because of the secular society we live in, but we should try to make an effort to look at life, and at people in general, in this way.
Jesus uses the birds in the sky for an example, that they do not sow or reap, they do not store up things for themselves and yet God feeds them. A beautiful parrot, or cardinal, or hummingbird does not need to do anything to earn God’s love. God loves them just the way that he created them. They do not need to earn His love. They simply exist and rest peacefully knowing they are in His care, no matter what tomorrow may bring.
Jesus tells us at the end of the gospel to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. This is really good advice, because if we aren’t careful, our jobs can become our main concern in life. Taking care of our possessions, or enjoying life can also become our main concern in life. There are so many distractions and things to be concerned about, but really we should set these things aside in our hearts and seek the things of God first. Seek to know Jesus more deeply and rely on God’s loving care for us more completely.
Today, could be a very peaceful day, filled with peace and love and the Holy Spirit, if we will just relax and allow this to happen. The world will not fall apart if we take some time to rest in the presence of God, wherever we happen to be today.
Sunday Mass Readings:
Is 49: 14-15 / Ps 62: 2-3, 6-7, 8-9 / 1 Cor 4: 1-5 / Mt 6: 24-34
