Homilies8th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME: TRUSTING IN GOD AND HIS PROVIDENCEMt 6:24-34
ONE IMPORTANT ASPECT of faith is trust. It may be easy to say that we believe in God, but trusting is another thing. It is an area in our spiritual life that we need to discover and deepen. The theme of our readings, especially the gospel, today is trusting. There are many aspects of trusting God, as the readings suggest.
First, we need trust in God’s goodness. In the First Reading, the prophet Isaiah describes God as a “mother.” We know that our God is a Father, but the prophet has a reason for using the mother imagery for God. Isaiah explains that a mother cannot abandon or forget the child of her womb. God is like a mother; he is the fullness of maternity. A mother, naturally, is good, caring and nurturing. In this way, the prophet brings confidence to the Israelites and impels them to get moving, looking towards the future. In the same way, when we experience difficulties and frustrations, we may feel the absence of God in our lives. We may also say, “God has forsaken me or God as forgotten me.” But faith is about trusting the goodness of God in the midst of his seeming absence. Even if the odds are against us, we should not forget that God is and will be forever good to us.
Secondly, we need to trust in God alone. The first part of the gospel shows the tendency of man to be tempted to serve two masters: God and money. But Jesus explains that this is not be possible. He says, “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.” I am convinced that this is true. In fact, I encountered a Catholic man who does not practice his religion anymore. When asked why he no longer goes to Mass, his shocking reply was “What for, Father? I have become rich without the help of God and I do not need God in order to become rich. Going to mass is just a waste of time!” Riches and wealth are not bad in themselves. They are actually gifts from God and they are ordered for the development of man. But if we don’t have a good and healthy attitude toward them, our spiritual life will be endangered and will suffer. It is so because money can replace the position of God. Money can appear as God. So, Jesus reminds us that our role is simply to trust in God. In God alone we should trust, and not in the mammon. We should trust in Someone, not in something.
Third, we should trust in God’s providence. The second part of the gospel tells us that God loves his creation and he continues to sustain them. God is ever faithful in caring for his creation. God is always with them. Jesus mentions the birds in the air and the wild flowers which God cares. And if God cares for them, how much more for us people who are more important that the birds and flowers. Jesus acknowledges that people are filled with worries. We have to admit that worries and anxieties are part of our day to day life. For those who have the resources, they nevertheless feel anxious and worried what will happen to their properties. If the economy is not doing well, then this can be a source of their worries. While for those who have not, they are also worried about the future because they don’t have the means to survive. But worries and anxieties could only become worse if we have little or no faith at all in God. If we are a believer, our worries are being lessened because we know there is God who provides for our needs.
“O you of little faith!” was the remark of Jesus to his disciples. That is a remark which we should also try to reflect. One implication of the remark is this: Jesus wants us to grow in our faith. We must grow in the trust of God. If we know how to trust people or things, then we should trust God all the more. It is an attitude which should be seen in our day to day living.
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