REFLECTION Sunday´s Gospel

8^th Sunday A (27 February 2011)

Fr James McTavish, FMVD

Channels of Providence

“Don’t worry, be happy” is a famous slogan easy to say but not so easy to live. Modern life is characterized by excess stress and worry. At times this reflects the demands of our world of today but also perhaps a lack of faith in God’s providence. I remember one young mother with 4 children who I met in Manila who became a widow at aged only 29. She was a woman who trusted in the providence of God and sure enough she was able to send all her children to school to receive their education. Many times in Europe I felt that we have lost that capacity to trust in God. Now of course it is not a type of trust where God has to do everything! We should do our part as many Saints taught “Pray as if everything depends on God but work as if everything depends on you.” The providence of God is that he will provide the grace we need to affront the challenges and difficulties.

I always found the derivation of the word providence very fascinating. It comes from the Latin pro videre which as you can probably guess means to see in advance, to see ahead or anticipate. When we are tuned in to God he will indicate to us what is needed in advance. It reminds us of what Jesus told his disciples in the Last Supper “I tell you these things before they happen so that when they do, you will know that I AM” (John 13, 19). Of course if we are sincerely trying to do God’s will and are serious about receiving the grace to put it into practice we would not even end up in so many dramas that we can find ourselves in.

In the Gospel today (Matthew 6, 24-34), Jesus speaks to us of a God who provides. He reminds us not to worry so much “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? ²⁶ 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?” Jesus does not deny the reality of human needs, but forbids making them the object of anxious care and, in effect, becoming their slave.

Fr Thomas Rosica, OSB, notes that the great Christian author and apologist C.S. Lewis was a devout Christian, but also a great worrier! Lewis frequently wrote to his friends saying: "If God wanted us to live like the birds of the air, it would have be nice for him to have given us a constitution that was more like theirs!" One thing is for sure – unnecessary worry makes one lose valuable mental energy. When we are worried we should examine if it is truly shall we say evangelical worry which even Jesus and Mother Mary in various moments in the gospel were anxious and distressed so we too should expect moments like this in our lives. What is to be avoided however, as much as possible, is useless worries that are the fruit of not trusting in God and his Providence. Usually the problem is putting our trust in other things. On the American dollar it states “In God we trust” but the reality is that in the end we can put more trust in dollars than God. Worrying so much about providing for the future that we don’t respond to the call to be generous today to others who are really in need. Even today some complain that God cannot be provident as some people starve. Just reflect on how much food society throws away and think again why is it that God's providence does not reach the hungry.

It gives much peace to believe in a provident and generous God. Sometimes it is easy to project our limited experience of God onto others. It reminds me of the grandmother who was always telling off the child. One day the child asked “Can I have an apple?” and the granny was outraged. “Of course not!” she screamed, “you know what God would say.” Later the child went to get an apple and as she was about to open the cupboard the grandmother’s stick crashed down on her hand “Stop! You know what God would say.” That night the child was so hungry she decided to get an apple. The cupboard was full and just as she was about to take one she spoke to God “Dearest God, I want to take an apple. What would you say?” “Take two!” the voice from heaven came. The one who is generous with others will really experience the providence and generosity of God. You cannot outdo God in generosity.

Of course we are reminded not merely to be generous materially but also spiritually. To share the blessings we receive such as the great blessing of Scripture, the comfort that comes from having faith in eternal life. As St Paul tells us in the second reading (1 Cor. 4, 1-5) we are “servants of Christ and administrators of the mysteries of God.” Last week I was invited to celebrate a mass for a worker who had died suddenly. He worked in a home for cats and dogs that had been cruelly treated. I was very busy but felt moved to respond generously. In the homily I shared about the beauty if eternity, that it can inspire us with hope even in front of death. Later a kind lady approached with the desire to help out in the mission. Later she contacted our community and made a donation. Generosity begets generosity. Perhaps it is good to ask ourselves – can others experience God’s providence through my life? In what way can we all grow in generosity, materially but also spiritually? As one man, who was always generous, joked “God provides, through us.” Are you a channel for God’s providence or an obstacle?

Let us ask Jesus the grace not to be worriers but rather warriors, soldiers of Christ, who do not lose courage in the middle of the battle. And may we be thankful, sensitive to recognize how our Father is caring for us and to be grateful for his Providence. I pray that we may not be obstacles for God’s loving providence to reach others but instead channels. Amen.