Saturday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time (June 23, 2018): God's Abundant Help

Thứ Sáu, 22-06-2018 | 15:00:25

Today’s Readings:

2nd Chronicles 24:17-25
Psalm 89:4-5,29-34
Matthew 6:24-34
www.usccb.org/bible/readings/062318.cfm

USCCB Podcast of the Readings:
ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/18_06_23.mp3

Areading from the Holy Gospel according to Matthew.

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.”

Good News Reflection: God’s Abundant Help

Near the end of my sabbatical, on the Feast of the Most Holy Trinity, I felt inspired to paint an image that would portray how each Divine Person of the Trinity assists us with our daily lives. As with previous paintings, I went into it with a vague idea, relying on the Holy Spirit, and watched a message reveal itself that I hope will minister to someone in their home or office.

This 16×20 painting is available to anyone who will pay shipping costs (about $50 in the US) and who explains to me why it ministers to them. If more than one person asks for it, the one with the strongest reason for having it will be chosen to receive it.

I posted it on my Facebookpage and asked: “It’s name is God’s Abundant Help; can you identify all the symbolism?” The comments were fascinating.

Gift Nyirenda said, “The drawing is really illustrative, but very clear. Water is life, and we see the Holy Spirit depicted as water. The stony path before the cross is our stony heart that we carry with us before we meet Jesus Christ our saviour. Jesus removes the stony heart and gives us a heart of fresh in his ministry, that we carry to eternal life. The tree represents our hope, our life, our salvation. The green field is our body as naturally made, and the blue sky is our life giving breath. It is an amazing drawing.”

Michael Kondor said, “Father is the tree of life. Cross is Jesus. Cross on the path — ‘I am the way the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’ Lake Holy Spirit and the graces of baptism. Clouds — Old Testament God’s voice from the clouds. Sunrise, resurrection. Earth, flowers, sky — the Trinity’s gift of creation.”

Nancy Viola said, “The Holy Spirit water represents Baptism. The rocky road is what our life experiences until we connect our suffering with the Cross where, behind it, the road is smoothed out of the cross. The tree is the tree of Life that we will once again partake from because of Jesus opening reconciliation with the Father after the fall of mankind caused us to be kicked out of paradise where this tree ever grows. The Sun is the Father, lighting our path. The grass and the flowers are those products of our tears of regret, which are never wasted in God’s eyes. It is a marvelous depiction of Holy Trinity Sunday. Thanks for sharing your creation with us.”

Josephine Tan said, “Terry, this picture is truly full of beautiful symbols! I see the sun more as a symbol of the Trinity: created by God the Father, often associated with the Son of God and bringing us warmth and light through the Holy Spirit. And they are all one in unity!”

What do you see in it? How is God speaking to you?

God bless you!

Keep your eyes on Jesus!

Look to the past with gratitude.
Live the present with passion.
Move into the future with hope.
Find creative ways to proclaim the gospel of joy!
(Wisdom by Pope Francis)

Tags: Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time, Good News Reflection, Holy Gospel according to Matthew