Radical Faith
Saturday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time
Read this Gospel passage aloud to the family
Matthew 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? Look at the birds in the sky; they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are not you more important than they? Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life-span? Why are you anxious about clothes? Learn from the way the wild flowers grow. They do not work or spin. But I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was clothed like one of them.
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.”
(Parent) Reread this part a few times aloud
“Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.”
(Parent) Read this meditation aloud to the family
There is so much comfort in this Gospel. But there is also confrontation. There is comfort because it is so wonderful to hear Jesus say that God will take care of us. There is confrontation here because most all of us Christians don’t really live like we actually believe this. It’s too radical. We tend to live as though “God will help those that help themselves.” Interestingly, this second phrase is not a Biblical one!
Jesus is not saying we shouldn’t consider the things we need; He’s saying we shouldn’t worry about the things we need. He actually wants us to believe that our only security is Him. It is so wonderful to hear: “Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.” God cares for us. God cares for us more than we care about ourselves. Our job is, first, to pay attention to Him. If we do this, He promises that “all these things will be given you besides.” God is calling us to radical faith—radical faith. He wants us to believe that He knows us enough, and loves us enough, to be entrusted with the smallest details of our lives.
As a family, pray a portion of the Rosary together (very short if children are young) reflecting on the Scripture passage above. (Optional: allow a brief time for discussion or questions from children concerning their thoughts and prayer.)
Reminder for Parents: Pier is just meant to be a jumping off point. The real goal is that you pray & eventually use the fruits of your personal prayer as the content of your family’s prayer. Duc in altum.
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