The Gospel of Matthew, chapter 10:30

People for centuries, even today, look up to people whom they think are wise. But, what is wisdom? Do you have it? Do I?

Today’s gospel message is for people of every age and of every walk of life. At the root of this message is the conviction that our lives need not remain the way they are. We can change and we can change society for the better. What is true of your life and mine is true, too, for society. We can become a better community, a better state, a better country, and a better world. Jesus assures you that God is on your side: “every hair on your head has been counted.”

Life in 2010 is like riding in a jet-powered vehicle. Events swirl past us so quickly we find it difficult to absorb their meaning. Often, they become no more than a backdrop against which we live out our daily existence. It is natural to feel scared when our world seems to be coming unglued and out of control. What are we to do?

Jesus, and his gospel message, however, challenges us to overcome this fear. He asks us to probe our hearts and not to accept things the way they are? Think for a moment about pornography or war or nuclear armaments! Do things have to be the way they are in our age? Could they be different? Could we ban pornography, war and nuclear arms? Or, is it already too late? Jesus assures us that it is never too late. We can change not only our own lives but that of our society as well if we listen to Him, and He asks us “not to be afraid of anything.”

The Lord cares about your life and mine and about the lives of the poor and oppressed in every land. Life is a sacred thing. Everything that destroys life, from oppression to injustice, stands clearly against the will of God who orders all things for our benefit and His glory.

The challenge of today’s Gospel is a challenge to be unafraid: to live life in the spirit of Christ; to transform your lives, your families, your jobs and your society with the leaven of Christ’s purifying love. And, not be afraid of anything for God is on your side:
“Every hair on your head has been counted.”

Fr. Hugh Duffy