Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time, cycle A

MATTHEW 6:24-34

ONE OF MY FAVORITE COMICS IS BABY BLUES, WHICH APPEARS IN THE REPUBLICAN EVERY DAY. IT'S ABOUT A FAMILY WITH THREE CHILDREN, AND I THINK I LIKE IT BECAUSE THE OLDEST CHILD, A VERY PRECOCIOUS LITTLE GIRL, AND THE MIDDLE CHILD, A BOY WHO IS ALWAYS GETTING IN TROUBLE AND BEING MANIPULATED BY HIS SISTER, REMIND ME OF MY TWO YOUNGEST CHILDREN WHEN THEY WERE THAT AGE. LAST WEEK THERE WAS A CARTOON FOCUSED ON THE PARENTS, THOUGH. THE HUSBAND IS WAKING UP AND NOTICES HIS WIFE SITTING UPRIGHT IN BED WITH A FROWN ON HER FACE. “HOW COME YOU'RE STILL AWAKE?” HE ASKS. SHE REPLIES, “I'M PAYING MY WORRY DUES. IF I WORRY ENOUGH ABOUT SOMETHING BAD, THEN IT TENDS NOT TO HAPPEN. BUT IF I DON'T, THEN IT DOES.” THE HUSBAND SUGGESTS THAT SHE WORRY MORE ABOUT GOING OFF HER ROCKER.

WE'VE ALL KNOWN PEOPLE WHO WORRY TOO MUCH. SOMETIMES PEOPLE WORRY SO MUCH THAT THEY GET SICK – PHYSICALLY, BUT ALSO MENTALLY. THERE ARE PEOPLE IN MENTAL HOSPITALS THAT JUST GO OVER THE SAME OBSESSIVE THOUGHTS ALL DAY LONG. AND IF IT WEREN'T FOR WORRYING, PROZAC WOULD BE OUT OF BUSINESS. I THINK WE WOULD ALL AGREE THAT TOO MUCH WORRYING IS NOT A GOOD THING. BUT WE'D PROBABLY DECIDE THAT NOT WORRYING AT ALL, AS JESUS TELLS US, IS IMPOSSIBLE AS WELL AS IMPRACTICAL, AND JESUS WAS JUST BEING HIS USUAL SELF, EXAGGERATING SOMETHING TO MAKE A POINT. AFTER ALL, WHO HAS EVER TAKEN HIM UP ON HIS SUGGESTION THAT IF YOUR EYE CAUSES YOU TO SIN, PLUCK IT OUT?

DO YOU REMEMBER THE STORY OF THE ANT AND THE GRASSHOPPER? WHEN WE FIRST MEET THEM, THE GRASSHOPPER ISN'T WORRYING. HE'S HAVING A GREAT TIME. THE ANT IS BUSY, PACKING AWAY FOOD FOR THE WINTER. WHEN WINTER COMES, THE GRASSHOPPER TRIES TO TALK THE ANT INTO FEEDING AND SHELTERING HIM FOR THE WINTER, AND OF COURSE, THE ANT DOESN'T. IS JESUS TALKING ABOUT THE GRASSHOPPER OR THE ANT? BECAUSE I SUSPECT THAT AFTER THE ANT HAS CLOSED THE DOOR ON THE GRASSHOPPER, ONE OF THEM IS NOW REALLY WORRYING.

JESUS IS A GOOD PSYCHOLOGIST; HE KNOWS THAT WORRYING ISN'T GOOD FOR YOU AND I. BUT SOME PEOPLE MIGHT POINT TO OTHER PARABLES THAT SEEM TO MAKE A POINT JUST THE OPPOSITE OF THE POINT IN THIS SERMON OF HIS. REMEMBER THE FIVE WISE AND FIVE FOOLISH YOUNG LADIES WHO WERE WAITING FOR THE BRIDEGROOM? THE SMART ONES HAD PACKED ENOUGH OIL TO GET THROUGH THE EVENT, AND THEY WERE THE ONES WHO GOT TO GO IN TO THE WEDDING FEAST. I THINK, THOUGH, THAT THIS TELLS US THAT WORRYING IS NOT THE SAME THING AS BEING PREPARED.

I THINK JESUS DOESN'T WANT HIS FOLLOWERS TO WORRY BECAUSE IT TAKES THEM AWAY FROM GOD. AFTER ALL, IF YOU WORRY, YOU ARE IN A SENSE LIVING IN THE FUTURE, HOPING TO REDUCE UNCERTAINTY BY THINKING THROUGH ALL THE POSSIBLE BAD THINGS THAT COULD HAPPEN; OR MAYBE LIVING IN THE PAST, GOING OVER ALL THE THINGS YOU COULD HAVE SAID OR COULD HAVE DONE, THAT WOULD HAVE CHANGED THAT MOMENT THAT YOU WISH HAD NEVER HAPPENED. BUT GOD IS ONLY IN THE PRESENT, WHICH IS WHERE WE SHOULD BE AS WELL. SO WORRYING TAKES US AWAY FROM GOD. AND WORRYING ALSO GOES AGAINST THE WORDS THAT GOD HAS SPOKEN TO US ALL THROUGH THE SCRIPTURES; HE WANTS US TO PUT OUR FAITH IN HIM; HE WANTS US TO FULLY TRUST HIM. WORRYING, EVEN A LITTLE WORRYING, IS A BETRAYAL OF THIS TRUST. WE HEAR THE PSALMIST SAY: “THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD, THERE IS NOTHING I SHALL WANT.” WE HEAR JESUS TELLING HIS APOSTLES, “PEACE BE WITH YOU.” AND “FEAR NOT, LITTLE FLOCK, FOR IT IS THE FATHER'S GOOD PLEASURE TO GIVE YOU THE KINGDOM.” WE SEE MARY'S EXAMPLE OF JOY AND TRUST WHEN SHE TELLS THE ANGEL, “LET IT BE DONE TO ME ACCORDING TO YOUR WORD.” WORRYING, EVEN A LITTLE WORRYING, IS WHAT THE PAGANS DO; IT'S NOT SOMETHING THE CHILDREN OF GOD SHOULD DO.

JESUS IS NOT TELLING US NOT TO PREPARE, NOT TO THINK ABOUT THE FUTURE AND BE PROACTIVE. IN FACT, THAT'S THE QUESTION WE SHOULD ALWAYS HAVE IN OUR MINDS. IS THERE ANYTHING I CAN DO TO PREPARE FOR POSSIBILITIES IN THE FUTURE? AND IF THERE IS, THEN WE SHOULD PREPARE. BUT AFTER WE'VE DONE WHAT IS REASONABLE, WE'VE DONE WHAT WE CAN DO, THEN WE PUT THAT ASIDE AND GO ON TO WHAT IS NEXT. AS JESUS ADVISES US, “SUFFICIENT FOR TODAY IS ITS OWN EVIL”. IF WE ARE LOSING SLEEP BECAUSE OF WORRY, WE KNOW WE NEED TO CHANGE.

GOD ASSURES US, IN THE FIRST READING, THAT EVEN IF A MOTHER FORGETS HER CHILD, HE WILL NOT FORGET US. EVERY TIME I HEAR THAT READING, MY MIND GOES BACK ABOUT 30 YEARS. WE LIVED IN BUFFALO, HALF A BLOCK FROM OUR PARISH CHURCH. ON SUNDAYS WE WOULD RUSH AROUND TRYING TO GET FIVE DAUGHTERS AND OUR YOUNGEST, OUR SON, READY FOR MASS. ON GOOD DAYS WE WOULD WALK TO CHURCH. ONE SUNDAY WHEN OUR SON WAS ABOUT FOUR, AS WE FILED INTO THE PEW, WE NOTICED THAT HE WAS NOT WITH US. I QUICKLY WENT BACK TO THE HOUSE, AND THERE ON THE LIVING ROOM CARPET HE SAT, UNCONCERNED, PLAYING WITH HIS TOYS. I PICKED HIM UP AND GOT BACK TO MASS JUST IN TIME TO HEAR THE READING, “CAN A MOTHER FORGET HER CHILD?” I'M SURE EVERYONE WONDERED WHY ALL THE HIGBY FAMILY STARTED SNICKERING.

BUT WE LEARN A WONDERFUL LESSON FROM LITTLE CHILDREN. MY SON TRUSTED. HE FIGURED THAT SOMEONE WOULD NOTICE HE WASN'T AROUND AND WOULD COME TO GET HIM. HE DID WHAT HE COULD, SAT DOWN AND BEGAN PLAYING WITH HIS TOYS, A TASK FOUR YEAR OLD BOYS CAN DO QUITE WELL. HE LIVED IN THE PRESENT, WHERE GOD IS. AND WHEN I PICKED HIM UP AND BROUGHT HIM TO CHURCH, HE DIDN'T BOTTLE UP A LOT OF RESENTMENT AT HAVING BEEN FORGOTTEN; HE FORGAVE US, AND FORGOT ABOUT IT.

TRUST GOD, LIVE IN THE PRESENT, FORGIVE AND FORGET. THEN THERE'S ROOM IN YOUR LIFE FOR GOD. WHEN YOU WORRY, EVEN A LITTLE BIT, YOU MAKE LESS ROOM FOR GOD.