you are worth more than hundreds of sparrows

Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Year A

Collect

Grant, O Lord, that we may always revere and love your holy name, for you never deprive of your guidance those you set firm on the foundation of your love. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Ammen. 

He has delivered the soul of the needy from the hands of evil men.
Jer 20:10-13

A reading from the book of the Prophet  Jeremiah
Jeremiah said: I hear so many disparaging me,
“Terror from every side!” Denounce him! Let us denounce him!’

All those who used to be my friends watched for my downfall,
‘Perhaps he will be seduced into error. Then we will master him and take our revenge!’

But the Lord is at my side, a mighty hero; my opponents will stumble, mastered, confounded by their failure;
everlasting, unforgettable disgrace will be theirs.
But you, Lord of Hosts, you who probe with justice,
who scrutinise the loins and heart, let me see the vengeance you will take on them,
for I have committed my cause to you.
Sing to the Lord, praise the Lord, for he has delivered the soul of the needy from the hands of evil men.

The Word of the Lord.
℟. Thanks be to God.

Psalm 68:4-5. 29-34

℟.: In your great love, answer me, O God.

It is for you that I suffer taunts,
that shame covers my face,
that I have become a stranger to my brothers,
an alien to my own mother’s sons.
I burn with zeal for your house
and taunts against you fall on me. ℟.

This is my prayer to you,
my prayer for your favour.
In your great love, answer me, O God,
with your help that never fails:
Lord, answer, for your love is kind;
in your compassion, turn towards me. ℟.

The poor when they see it will be glad
and God-seeking hearts will revive;
for the Lord listens to the needy
and does not spurn his servants in their chains.
Let the heavens and the earth give him praise,
the sea and all its living creatures. ℟.

The gift itself considerably outweighed the fall.
Rom 5:12-15

A reading from the letter of St Paul to the Romans

Sin entered the world through one man, and through sin death, and thus death has spread through the whole human race because everyone has sinned. Sin existed in the world long before the Law was given. There was no law and so no one could be accused of the sin of ‘law-breaking’, yet death reigned over all from Adam to Moses, even though their sin, unlike that of Adam, was not a matter of breaking a law.

Adam prefigured the One to come, but the gift itself considerably outweighed the fall. If it is certain that through one man’s fall so many died, it is even more certain that divine grace, coming through the one man, Jesus Christ, came to so many as an abundant free gift.

The Word of the Lord.
℟. Thanks be to God.

Gospel Acclamation
Jn 15, 26b.27a

Hallelujah. ℟. Hallelujah.

The Spirit of truth will be my witness;
and you too will be my witnesses.

℟. Hallelujah.

Do not be afraid of those who kill the body.
Mt 10:26-33

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew

Jesus instructed the Twelve as follows:
‘Do not be afraid of them therefore. For everything that is now covered will be uncovered, and everything now hidden will be made clear. What I say to you in the dark, tell in the daylight; what you hear in whispers, proclaim from the housetops.
‘Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; fear him rather who can destroy both body and soul in hell. Can you not buy two sparrows for a penny? And yet not one falls to the ground without your Father knowing. Why, every hair on your head has been counted. So there is no need to be afraid; you are worth more than hundreds of sparrows.
‘So if anyone declares himself for me in the presence of men, I will declare myself for him in the presence of my Father in heaven. But the one who disowns me in the presence of men, I will disown in the presence of my Father in heaven.

The Word of the Lord.
℟. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Reflection

In the First Reading, Jeremiah declares: “But the LORD is with me as a dread warrior; therefore my persecutors will stumble; they will not overcome me.”

In Psalm 69 we pray to the Lord: “Answer me, O LORD, for your steadfast love is good; according to your abundant mercy, turn to me.” And again: “You who seek God, let your hearts revive.”

In the Second Reading, St Paul writes to the Romans that “the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many.”

In the Gospel, Matthew records the words of Jesus, who repeatedly tells us: “Have no fear of them … And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul … Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.” Fear is an unpleasant emotion experienced in the face of danger, pain, or some form of harm. It is a powerful emotion arising from the awareness or anticipation of danger.

It is in moments of fear that we turn to the Lord, because we know with certainty that he is our strength, our refuge, and our shepherd. It is in moments of fear that, in the Lord, we find a mighty warrior who is always ready to come to our aid. It is in moments of fear that we seek God and allow the abundance of his mercy to fill us once more with courage. It is in moments of fear that the grace of Jesus Christ is poured out abundantly upon you and upon me.

Often in our lives we experience fear because of other people, flesh and blood like ourselves. We fear circumstances in life, situations within our families, or difficulties in our workplaces. When we do so, we allow these things to gain power over our lives. We see wars all around us—those we hear about daily, such as the war between Ukraine and Russia, and also the forgotten conflicts that have continued for many years but no longer attract media attention. One may ask: are such things driven by fear?

The word fear appears hundreds of times in the Bible. So does the phrase “Do not fear.” In Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus tells us not to be afraid. We need not fear because we are precious in his sight and in his heart. How many people do we meet who confess that they see no value in their lives or in themselves? How many struggle with low self-esteem?

We need not fear because God knows us in the finest detail: “even the hairs of your head are all numbered.” We need not fear because he assures us that “you are of more value than many sparrows.”

What troubles me more is that there are those who strive to introduce abortion and are prepared to destroy what God has created with such love. I am troubled by efforts to promote euthanasia, whereby individuals—or laws granting them authority they should never possess—decide to end a life that is so sacred. I am also troubled by those who encourage the use of harmful substances such as drugs.

Yet there is one truth we must always keep before us: the Lord rose from the dead to lead us out of all these fears, because he is the God of the living, of those who trust in him in moments of fear and who, with him, emerge victorious.

Prayer

Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God.

Father, how grateful I am for the immense love that you have for me. You are with me at all times, whenever I need the comfort that only you can give. Amen.

 

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