Eighth Sunday in Ordinary TimeOUR GOD IS A WORRYING GOD!Isaiah: 49:14-15
1Corinthians 4:1-5
Matthew 6:24-34 Good morning dear friends in Christ Jesus! How are you all? (Normally when you ask this question “(how are you all)” to people only few responses you will get note this point at the end of your sermon)
Do you know the common sickness of every creature on this earth?!
Dear friends, the common sickness of man is “Worry” or Anxious.
Is there anybody here who does not have worries?
Dear friends, every one of us are always worried about something. Is it not true? I remember the text somewhere I have read like this; The worries start from conception and it never ends in the life of human beings who are very much concerned with worldly things.
For example;
The child in the womb worries weather will I be born or will I be aborted or sometimes if I born, will I be born in a Normal way or way of Caesarian?
The born child worries will I get mothers milk or animal’s milk?
The school going child worries will I get the affection of my parents, relatives, teachers etc?
The teenager worries their worries are plenty as we all know, friends, love, opposite sex, education, getting good marks etc?
Dear friends the psychologists say that, based on the results of the worries that are above; the future of the person is determined and worries are also changes according to their approaches.
The person who gets good marks worries will I get good college to study?
The person who gets low marks worries why should I live, what will be my future?
The person who studies in good college and gets good result he worries will I get good jobs or not ?
If he gets a good job he worries will I get good salary, will I get good life partner etc,?
If he gets a good salary he worries where to store my treasures, bank accounts etc?
The married people worries will I get a child, will I get Car, Big house, etc?
When the person gets old he worries will my children take care of me in my old age? All my possession where will it go? etc
If the person dies he worries will I go to heaven or hell?
Thus, everyone on this earth worries about something all through their life.
Dear friends is it possible for you and me
to live our life without worries and anxieties? You can answer?
Living without worries and anxiety is not possible. By human nature all of us have worries and anxieties. Even our God is a worrying God. For example; When God created the human beings His worries are also started. Because when He created heaven, earth, birds, animals, fish, plants and trees etc. He does not have worries. But when God created the man his worries started. In the book of Genesis chapter 2:18 we read that God says “it is not good that the man should be alone” He worries about the man and thus, He created Eve as a partner for Him. Also He worried about the people of Israel and He accompanied with them and till today God accompanies with us. In the New Testament too we find Jesus too worried in the Garden of Gethsemane Mt: 26:38 “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death” and 39th verse “My Father if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will but as you will”. And again when he saw the disciples were sleeping the verse 40 we read “could you not watch with me one hour? Thus, though Jesus as God yet because of his human nature He too had worries and anxieties. And the sinless woman Mother Mary too had worries. When Mary and Joseph found the boy Jesus in the Jerusalem temple Mary says to Jesus Luke 2:48 “Son, why have you treated us so? Behold your father and I have been looking for you anxiously”. Therefore all the human beings have worries.
Dear friends, just remember in the beginning of the mass I have asked you all. “How are you all today? Also asked other questions but only few responded to me? Because you are really present in the church, but your mind is somewhere is in it? That’s why though we are all in the presence of God yet we are not able to say I am fine.
As a result, today through the liturgy, our God invites us and supports us with positive energy saying; my dear children “Do not worry about anything on this earth or above the earth? Do not worry about your food, Do not worry about your drink, Do not worry about your cloth, etc and He is telling; look at the birds they neither sow nor reap yet your Father feeds them. You are much more worth than these birds. Therefore, dear friends, do not worry about anything rather try to channelize our worries.
How do we channelize or overcome our worries?
There are so many ways we can overcome our worries.
01. When our thinking becomes other centered we can overcome our worries.
For example; Our God is worrying God. His worries are not self-centered but the other centered. He worries are about His creation.
Also, during the time of Second world war in the Nazi camp everyone is worried about their life but when St. Maximilian Kolbe broke away of his self-centeredness his worries are turned to be blessing for the people over there. Whereas all our worries are mostly self-centered. For example, what will happen to me what will be my future, my family, my work, etc
02. By surrendering our wills to God we can overcome our worries
For example; Mother Mary worried when the angel greeted her! With anxiety and fear she replied to angel Luke 1:34 “how shall this be, since I have no husband”. And the angel positively empowers Mother Mary saying Luke1:37 “for with God nothing will be impossible”. Immediately Mother Mary surrenders her whole self to God by saying “Behold, I am the hand maid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word”. Thus her anxieties are positively empowered as soon as when she surrounded her whole self.
Also, in the life of all saints we find that they have lots of worries to follow Jesus. They had two choices either to follow Jesus according to the values of the gospel or to follow the world according the advertisements of the world. The saints have positively channelized their worries thus they remain as saints. That is why Jesus in today’s gospel tells us that “you cannot serve two masters; either you hate the one and love the other”. The holy people have surrendered their worries to God thus, God has empowered them.
So dear friends our God is worrying God. He worries about you, me, he, she etc. when God himself says that I am worried about you then why do we worry about ourselves. In the first letter of St. Peter 5:7 we read that “put all your worries to the Lord because He cares about you”. And again first Corinthians 7:32 we read that the Lord says “I want you to be free from your worries”. Hence our God is always in search of His creation. Though the people have committed sin after sins yet God did not abandoned his people he is always in search of His people. We find the Israel’s history God is always in search of the people in Egypt, red sea during their captivity even in the New Testament Jesus is always in search of the people. Hence through the first reading God assures us that Isaiah 49:15 “can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should have no compassion on the sons of her womb? Even these may forget yet I will not forget you. so, let us cost all our worries to the Lord and be happy and let us enjoy our earthily life.
Dear friends, just imagine that most of the families have bikes, cars etc. Is in it? For example: You collected the money, you bought the bike in your name, and you became an owner of the bike. But when your bike gets repair then why do you take your bike to the mechanic. Because though you are the owner of the bike yet you cannot repair it by your selves therefore you take it to the mechanic. Because the mechanic knows each part of your bikes very well and he knows where is the problem. Therefore he is able to repair it. In the same way God has created you and me in His own image and likeness. And He knows how to take care of you and me. Hence God assures to every human being that do not worry about anything. Do not worry about your life, children, education, money, health, jobs, future, and life after death either on this earth or in heaven. Because God says that mothers may forget her sucking child yet I will not forget you because I am worrying about you. Thus God empowers us when we follow His instructions. The word worry itself empowers every one of us. For example:
W - Read the WORD OF GOD!
O - Love OTHERS as yourself!
R - READY TO FORGIVE anybody at any time!
R - BE RESPONSIBLE to your fellow beings!
Y - Because YOU ARE MY CHILD and I am worrying about you! Amen
So dear friends just I ask you to close your eyes and feel that we are all in the presence of God. God is our creator, He is our maker. Let us place all our worries, anxieties. Because He says by worrying we cannot add or make anything. And God assures us that we are all his children and He will not leave us alone. And when we get out the church today surely we all will be blessed bountifully. So, place our worries to the lord and be happily live our life on this earth.
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