HOMILY FOR SATURDAY OF THE 11TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME CYCLE II (1)

HOMILY FOR SATURDAY OF THE 11TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME CYCLE II

THEME: Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself

BY: Fr. Mike Lagrimas
St. Michael the Archangel Parish
Diocese of Novaliches

HOMILY FOR SATURDAY JUNE 18 2022

Mt 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? … 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.”

The most common ailments now among many people are stress-related. People worry about so many things in life. Worry and anxiety about the future are a waste of time and energy yet we indulge in them too much. As a result, people get sick due to lack of sleep, tension, worries, lack of appetite, and many other causes.

God does not want us to get sick. He wants us to be healthy and happy. So, Jesus in the Gospel today said, “Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear.” He reminds us that God is our loving Father. If He takes care of the birds in the sky and the flowers in the field, He will surely take care of us, His beloved children. This is what St. Paul tells the Romans: “He who did not spare his own Son but handed him over for us all, how will he not also give us everything else along with him?” (Rom 8:32).

Worrying is a clear symptom of a weak faith in God: “O you of little faith!” A person who does not really believe in a God who cares and provides will always be worried about every little thing in life. But the person who believes in a loving God will always be at peace, knowing that everything is in God’s hands.

So, may we always follow the advice of Jesus today: “Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself.” St. Francis de Sales puts it this way: “Let us think of spending the present day well. Then, when tomorrow shall have come, it will be called ‘today’, and then we will think about it.” Our God is eternal. That means He is always in the present. He is in the here and now and nowhere else. He is always available. As a popular quotation says, “Do not worry about tomorrow. When tomorrow comes, God is there.”

Coming to Mass is an encounter with God who is always with us: Emmanuel! We receive the Incarnate God in Holy Communion. There is nothing to worry about. What is only needed is our full trust in Him. St. Padre Pio gives us this important advice: “Don’t spend your energies on things that generate worry, anxiety and anguish. Only one thing is necessary. Lift up your spirit and love God.”

Fr. Mike Lagrimas
St. Michael the Archangel Parish
Diocese of Novaliches