11th Week in Ordinary Time: Saturday 22nd June 2019

Today’s Gospel reading focuses on Jesus’ teaching about cares & anxieties of life. Jesus did  not mean to forbid our concerns on our daily necessities but the anxiety and preoccupation with such needs like food, drink, clothing etc. Jesus wanted his disciples and us too to put our complete trust in God’s care and providence and not to be over anxious over anything else.

In v.33 : “Seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness.” spells out the basic Christian principle towards life. We are to seek God’s kingdom on earth and to accept the demands of  righteousness in our relationship with God, others and material things.

When we are preoccupied with material possession and persons, we will soon lose sight of what is essential in our Christian living. To do this, we need the inner freedom to be free and  responsible so as to trust God and His power who alone can free us from worries, anxieties and other preoccupations of life.

The kingdom values that Jesus spoke about include justice, equality, mutual concerns and care for our relationships. This is our priority as disciples of Jesus. This also include self-acceptance like what Paul said in the first reading: “I shall be happy to make my weaknesses my special boast so that the power of Christ may stay over me. It is when I am weak that I am strong.” (v.10)

“Lord, help us to depend totally on You so that we may experience the Divine Providence promised by our Heavenly Father.”