First Reading: Jeremiah 20:10–13
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 69
Response: Lord, in your great love, answer me.
Second Reading: (Romans 5:12–15)
Gospel: (Matthew 10:26–33)
Reflection
Mass at St. Martha's Parish was magnificent. The homily was wonderful. The priest started with Jesus saying "do not be afraid" and on the same reading down, He said "Be afraid"- of course to the one you can destroy both the body and soul. Then he went back to one of the most repeated messages in Scripture: "Do not be afraid."
Today's readings remind us that faith does not remove life's difficulties; rather, it gives us the courage to face them. Jeremiah knew fear. He was mocked, opposed, and abandoned by those closest to him. Yet he did not allow fear to have the final word. Instead, he proclaimed, "The Lord is with me like a mighty champion."
In the Gospel, Jesus speaks directly to the fears that often dominate our hearts. Fear of failure. Fear of rejection. Fear of suffering. Fear of the future. He reminds us that we are never abandoned. The Father knows every sparrow that falls and has counted every hair on our heads. If God cares so intimately for His creation, how much more does He care for us?
Trust does not mean having all the answers. Trust means believing that God is present even when we cannot see Him.
Imagine a child trapped in a burning house. Looking through the smoke, he hears his father's voice below saying, "Jump." The child cannot see his father, but the father can see him. The child jumps because he trusts the one who is calling him. That is what Jesus meant by, "fear not". If God is the rock on which we stand in this life, then there is nothing that can derail us.
That father and son image captures the Christian life. There are moments when we cannot see clearly. Circumstances are confusing, painful, and frightening. Yet God says, "Trust me." We may not see Him, but He sees us. We may not understand His plan, but He is guiding us with perfect love.
St. Paul reminds us that while sin entered the world through Adam, grace comes through Jesus Christ. Sin does not have the last word. Fear does not have the last word. Death does not have the last word. God's grace is greater than all of them.
So today, Jesus asks us:
What fears are we carrying?
Do we trust God only when life is easy?
Can we place our future into His hands, even when we cannot see the way forward?
The Lord's message is clear: Do not be afraid. You are loved. You are known. You are precious in God's sight.
God bless you,
Happy Father's Day
Pal Ronnie from St. Martha's, Uniondale, NY.
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