Daily Gospel Reflection
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June 18, 2022
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.”
Throughout her beautiful 100 years of life, my beloved Nonna lived by two seemingly simple phrases: “I choose to be happy” and “Life is what you make it.”
My “Nonnie” grew up during the Great Depression and lived through World War II. She lost her husband when he was only 66 years old, raised six children, and lived through times afflicted by both the polio epidemic and the Covid-19 pandemic.
Through it all, her faith never wavered. A devout Catholic and a daily mass attendee, Nonnie’s prayer list included everyone from her children and grandchildren to their spouses, friends, and the near-strangers she had once met. In all that she did and in all that she saw in her lifetime, God was present.
Nonnie cherished every aspect of her day, from the birds in the sky outside her window to the delicious cookie served with her meal, from laughter-filled moments spent with family to quiet moments in prayer. Never worried. Never anxious. Always trusting in the Lord and forever appreciating all God had given her.
Today’s gospel tells us that we, too, ought not to worry—particularly about those material aspects of our lives that so significantly consume us and the challenges of tomorrow that may face us. Instead, we are to appreciate today’s gift and learn from the beauty and good that surround us.
Matthew asks, “Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life-span?” I believe that in the nearly 101 years that she lived, Nonnie served as living proof that you cannot—that, instead, you can add to your life by finding God in all things and choosing to be happy.
Prayer
O God, we can be anxious about so many things, even though Jesus your Son counseled us to be free of worry. Assist us to trust you in all things and to be mindful of your providential care for us. Might we thus receive your abundant gifts openly, cherish them reverently, and share them generously, confident in the inexhaustible concern you show.
We make this prayer through Jesus your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, God forever and ever. Amen.
Saint of the Day
St. Gregory Barbarigo had all the skills for a successful life in politics, but instead dedicated himself to serving the Church.
He was born in 1625, the son of a senator from Venice, Italy. He was a brilliant student, well-educated, and took on the life of a diplomat with his well-connected family. He accompanied the Venetian ambassador to several important negotiations and traveled extensively.
After five years with the ambassador, he returned to Italy to continue his studies and to enter the world of politics. He soon became disillusioned by the political world, however, and sought advice from a cardinal he had met in his travels. Gregory was thinking of becoming a hermit, but the cardinal advised him to pursue his doctorate in law, then become a priest.
Ten years later, Gregory had earned a doctorate in both civil and canon law and was ordained a priest. His skills were valuable to the Church and he soon was named a bishop, and then cardinal.
He was given responsibility for the diocese in Padua, Italy, and he led the Church there with wisdom. He reorganized and enlarged seminaries in his region, adding a library and a printing press, and worked hard to carry out the reforms that the Church was encouraging at the time.
St. Gregory died on this date in 1697. His relics rest in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica, and his image is used here with permission from Catholic.org.
St. Gregory Barbarigo, you were a strong leader who gave up your life in politics to serve the Church—pray for us!