Sunday March 2, 2014 - Serve God Alone!

Gospel mt 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.”

Brothers and sisters in Christ, would you like to be worry free?  Would you like to be free from all stress and anxiety?  Well, you can; but only if you serve God alone!  In today’s Gospel our Lord tells us to stop worrying about all the worldly temptations that He calls “mammon”.  "Mammon" comes from a Greek word meaning material goods and possessions - things that money can buy.  In other words, Jesus is telling us that we shouldn't worry about bank accounts, mortgages, work, career, reputation, achievements, or success.  He is warning us that those things cannot satisfy our hearts, and that if we care too much about them, they will separate us from God and from the peace of mind that comes only from a strong relationship with Christ.  Unfortunately, this seems easier said than done!  So how do we serve God alone and not let ourselves be consumed with the anxieties of this world; He says "Seek first the Kingdom of God, and his righteousness…and all these other things will be given you as well."  Sisters and brothers to “seek” means that we go out into the world with our heart’s ablaze with His love and mercy striving to make visible His Kingdom!  So I ask: How actively are we seeking to know, love and follow Jesus Christ? How firmly is our heart set on his Kingdom? How eagerly and energetically are we striving to achieve righteousness, which is success in God's eyes, as opposed to success in the world's eyes?  Sisters and brothers, when our hearts are divided, when we try to find happiness both in our friendship with Christ and in our worldly successes, we end up losing both - we cannot serve two masters.  But if we seek first his Kingdom, then "all these other things will be given us as well."  Remember these words of Saint Teresa of Jesus: “Whoever has God lacks nothing. God alone suffices." Blessings. Fr. Steven