Eighth Sunday Of The Ordinary Time Year A

Table of Contents

Do not worry

INTRODUCTION AND CONFITEOR

At times we allow our problems to get us down. We fear, fret, and worry about many things, and lose sight of the one thing necessary, which is to live a life pleasing to our heavenly Father. Let us try during this Eucharist to place our lives in his hands, and to leave all other cares and worries to him. [Pause]

Lord, you said: ’Do not worry about food- there’s more to life than food’. Lord, have mercy.

Lord, you said: ‘Do not worry about clothes- there’s more to life than clothes’. Christ, have mercy.

Lord, you said: ‘Do not worry about tomorrow- just live today well’. Lord, have mercy.

HEADINGS FOR READING

First reading (Isaiah 49:14-15). The message of this is short and sweet. It is that, come what may, God will never forget us.

Second reading (1Cor 4:1-5). God is the only one who can judge rightly, because he alone knows the secrets of the heart.

Gospel (Matthew 6:24-34). Christ urges us to avoid useless fretting and worrying about material things, and to place our lives in the hand of our heavenly Father, to whom we are important and precious.

1st Reading – Isaiah 49:14-15

¹⁴ But Zion said, “The Lord has forsaken me; my Lord has forgotten me.”

¹⁵ Can a mother forget her infant, be without tenderness for the child of her womb? Even should she forget, I will never forget you.

Responsorial Psalm – Psalms 62:2-3, 6-7, 8-9

R. In God alone be at rest, my soul.

² In God alone is my soul at rest,
My salvation comes from Him,
³ He alone is my rock,
my salvation, my fortress.” Never shall I falter
R. In God alone be at rest, my soul.

⁶ In God alone be at rest, my soul;
For my hope is from Him
⁷ He alone is my rock,
my salvation, my fortress.” Never shall I falter
R. In God alone be at rest, my soul.

⁸ In God is my salvation and glory,
my rock of strength;
in God is my refuge.
⁹ Trust Him at all times, o people.
Pour out your hearts before Him
R. In God alone be at rest, my soul.

2nd Reading – 1 Corinthians 4:1-5

¹ Thus should one regard us: as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.

² Now it is of course required of stewards that they be found trustworthy.

³ It does not concern me in the least that I be judged by you or any human tribunal; I do not even pass judgment on myself;

Eighth Sunday Of The Ordinary Time Year A

⁴ I am not conscious of anything against me, but I do not thereby stand acquitted; the one who judges me is the Lord.

⁵ Therefore, do not make any judgment 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, and then everyone will receive praise from God.

Alleluia – Hebrews 4:12

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
¹² Indeed, the word of God is living and effective, sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating even between soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel – Matthew 6:24-34

²⁴ “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.

²⁵ “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?

²⁶ 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?

²⁷ Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life-span?

²⁸ Why are you anxious about clothes? Learn from the way the wild flowers grow. They do not work or spin.

²⁹ But I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was clothed like one of them.

³⁰ 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?

³¹ So do not worry and say, ‘What are we to eat?’ or ‘What are we to drink?’ or ‘What are we to wear?’

³² All these things the pagans seek. Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.

³³ But seek first the kingdom [of God] and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides.

³⁴ Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself. Sufficient for a day is its own evil.

HOMELY

Most people have lots of acquaintances put perhaps only a few close friends. There is a world of difference between acquaintances and friends. Acquaintances are people about whom you know a lot of facts – where they live, what they work at, and so on. You exchange greetings when you meet, but usually it doesn’t go beyond that. But friends are different. You know a lot of facts about them, yes, but a whole lot more as well. If you meet, you stop to chat. You share experiences. You swop secrets. Let’s take an example. Let’s look at two children and at how they relate to their respective fathers.

If you ask Mary to tell you about her Father she says: ‘He works in an office. He gets up very early. He comes home very late. He drives a car. He is very tall. He is about forty years old… ‘If you ask her does she love her father, she replies: ‘I don’t see very much of him. He’s away a lot’. And if you ask her does she trust him she replies: ‘It depends on the mood he’s in. If he’s in a good mood, yes, but if he in a bad mood, I try to avoid him’

For Mary the father is not a real father. He is only an acquaintance. She knows a lot of facts about him, but even these have to be dragged out of het. It’s obvious that she doesn’t enjoy a relationship of love and trust with him. And this colors her whole attitude and response, not just to him, but to life. She does what is right, but only to please him. She avoids what is wrong, only because she is afraid of punishment. Her life is a kind of bargaining- something given for something received. Her growth will be stunted like that of a shrub planted in a cold climate.

Now let’s take Kate. She describes her father like this: ‘ I like my Daddy very much. He makes me happy. He buys me presents, and I buy him presents. He doesn’t like it when I’m naughty. He takes me for walks in the woods. Once he saved me from running in front of a car. I’m getting a card for him for father’s day, but I’m keeping it a surprise…’

She’s bubbling over with enthusiasm, and you have to stop her. Kate is telling us that she loves her. She is talking about a relationship of love that exists between them. In a climate like this, Kate will grow like a flower in the sun.

Let us now turn to our relationship with God. We could know lots of facts about God (learned from our religion books), yet me might not have a loving relationship with him. There is a vast difference between knowing about God and knowing God. Even the devils believe in God’s existence and know certain facts about him. But they do not love him. Might be able to recite the Creed word perfect, but it doesn’t follow that we have the kind of faith in God and trust in him that Jesus speaks about in today’s Gospel. Unless we get our relationship with God right, we will get nothing about our religion right. Everything will be out of focus. Our faith will not be rooted in our hearts, and will therefore be superficial and sterile.

What was Jesus talking about? In a nutshell he was saying that the heavenly father loves us. The most wonderful thing that can happen to people, especially to those who have known loneliness and lack of love, is to discover that someone loves them and cares about what happens to them. That they matter to someone, even if only to one person, a person who accepts them and loves them as they are. This can be sheer magic. This is what Jesus is telling us.

God is not an impersonal God, remote from us and from our world. he is near us. He loves us unconditionally. We do not have to merit or deserve his love. Like the sunshine, it is a pure gift. Jesus opens for us the door to the father. He reveals to us the Good news that we are precious to our heavenly Father. Thus our anguished and restless hearts are on the road to being healed and we are gradually being transformed.

What Jesus tells us should change our whole attitude, not only to God, but to life itself. When he tells us not to worry about food, drink, and clothes, he is not condemning human resourcefulness. Of course we have to plan for tomorrow. The flowers of the field fade, and the birds of the air sometimes die of hunger. We have to be resourceful in providing for the necessities of life. They do not fall into our laps. But what Jesus telling us is to avoid kind of fretting that dehumanises us, the kind of worrying that robs us of peace of mind and prevents us from taking a longer and deeper view of life.

Our lives are gift from a loving God. The meaning of our lives is that we are on a journey to our Father’s Kingdom. That is the only thing we have to worry about. That is the only thing that really matters. We are not grains of sand or specks of Dust. We are children of our heavenly Father, and we have a splendid destiny. Sure of his love, and of our own dignity and destiny, why should we worry? It has been said that the whole of Christianity can be summed up in the concept of God as our Father, a Father who, like any father worthy of the name, rejoices in his children.

‘God loves us not because we are good, But because he is good’ ( Catherine de Hueck Doherty)

‘To really know, is to be transformed by what one knows’ (Anthony de Mello)

PRAYER OF FAITH FULL

Let us pray to God our Father for greater trust in him, and for a better insight into what is important in life. R. Father, hear our prayer.

For the pope and bishops: hat they may help the people of God to keep their hearts and minds on the Kingdom of God. [Pause] We pray to God our Father.

For all governments: that they may spare no efforts to ensure that everybody has the basics of life, and so become instruments of God’s providence. [Pause] We pray to God our Father.

For all those who are overburdened with problems and worries: that they may place themselves in the hands of God. [Pause] We pray to God our Father.

That we may not allow ourselves to get upset over material cares and worries; that our priority may be to do the will of God in our lives. [Pause] We pray to God our Father.

For local needs.

Let us pray:

God our Father, grant us in all our tasks your help, in all our doubts your guidance, in all our weaknesses your strength, and in all our sorrows your consolation. We ask this through Christ our Lord.

SIGN OF PEACE

Lord Jesus Christ, you said to your disciples: ‘Do not worry about food or drink or clothes. Set your hearts on the kingdom of God, and your heavenly Father will take care of you’. Help us to live by these words, So that we may enjoy the peace and unity of your kingdom where you live for ever and ever.