20250621 SERVING GOD AND MAMMON
21 June 2025, Saturday, 11th Week in Ordinary Time
First reading |
2 Corinthians 12:1-10 |
'My power is at its best in weakness'
Must I go on boasting, though there is nothing to be gained by it? But I will move on to the visions and revelations I have had from the Lord. I know a man in Christ who, fourteen years ago, was caught up – whether still in the body or out of the body, I do not know; God knows – right into the third heaven. I do know, however, that this same person – whether in the body or out of the body, I do not know; God knows – was caught up into paradise and heard things which must not and cannot be put into human language. I will boast about a man like that, but not about anything of my own except my weaknesses. If I should decide to boast, I should not be made to look foolish, because I should only be speaking the truth; but I am not going to, in case anyone should begin to think I am better than he can actually see and hear me to be.
In view of the extraordinary nature of these revelations, to stop me from getting too proud I was given a thorn in the flesh, an angel of Satan to beat me and stop me from getting too proud! About this thing, I have pleaded with the Lord three times for it to leave me, but he has said, ‘My grace is enough for you: my power is at its best in weakness.’ So I shall be very happy to make my weaknesses my special boast so that the power of Christ may stay over me, and that is why I am quite content with my weaknesses, and with insults, hardships, persecutions, and the agonies I go through for Christ’s sake. For it is when I am weak that I am strong.
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 33(34):8-13 |
Taste and see that the Lord is good.
The angel of the Lord is encamped
around those who revere him, to rescue them.
Taste and see that the Lord is good.
He is happy who seeks refuge in him.
Taste and see that the Lord is good.
Revere the Lord, you his saints.
They lack nothing, those who revere him.
Strong lions suffer want and go hungry
but those who seek the Lord lack no blessing.
Taste and see that the Lord is good.
Come, children, and hear me
that I may teach you the fear of the Lord.
Who is he who longs for life
and many days, to enjoy his prosperity?
Taste and see that the Lord is good.
Gospel Acclamation | Mt4:4 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Man does not live on bread alone,
but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.
Alleluia!
Or: | 2Co8:9 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Jesus Christ was rich,
but he became poor for your sake,
to make you rich out of his poverty.
Alleluia!
Gospel | Matthew 6:24-34 |
Do not worry about tomorrow: your holy Father knows your needs
Jesus said to his disciples: ‘No one can be the slave of two masters: he will either hate the first and love the second, or treat the first with respect and the second with scorn. You cannot be the slave both of God and of money.
‘That is why I am telling you not to worry about your life and what you are to eat, nor about your body and how you are to clothe it. Surely life means more than food, and the body more than clothing! Look at the birds in the sky. They do not sow or reap or gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they are? Can any of you, for all his worrying, add one single cubit to his span of life? And why worry about clothing? Think of the flowers growing in the fields; they never have to work or spin; yet I assure you that not even Solomon in all his regalia was robed like one of these. Now if that is how God clothes the grass in the field which is there today and thrown into the furnace tomorrow, will he not much more look after you, you men of little faith? So do not worry; do not say, “What are we to eat? What are we to drink? How are we to be clothed?” It is the pagans who set their hearts on all these things. Your heavenly Father knows you need them all. Set your hearts on his kingdom first, and on his righteousness, and all these other things will be given you as well. So do not worry about tomorrow: tomorrow will take care of itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.’
SERVING GOD AND MAMMON
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [2 Cor 12:1-10; Ps 34:8-13; Mt 6:24-34]
What is motivating you in your life? Which master do you serve? The truth is simple. Jesus said, “No one can be the slave of two masters: he will either hate the first and love the second, or treat the first with respect and the second with scorn. You cannot be the slave both of God and money.” Indeed, we cannot serve two masters in this life. This was the same challenge Elijah gave to the Israelites, “How long will you go limping with two different opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Ba′al, then follow him.” (1 Kg 18:21) A life of integrity demands a clear choice.
If we choose mammon, that is, money and pleasure, glory and power, then we may never be able to find life. As Jesus says, “Surely life means more than food, and the body more than clothing! Look at the birds in the sky.” What brings us happiness is not good food and even a nice house to live in, but freedom – like the birds in the sky. Fine clothes and delicious food alone cannot satisfy an empty heart. This is the folly of man. Many deceive themselves into believing that wealth and success will bring fulfilment. Yet, life is about love, friendship and meaning. The body is easily satisfied; but the spirit is not. That is why the simplest lives are often the happiest. In small joys, we often find the deepest peace.
However, many of us struggle to let go of our pursuits of the world. We are anxious people – constantly worrying. Jesus says, “That is why I am telling you not to worry about your life and what you are to eat, nor about your body and how you are to clothe it. So do not worry about tomorrow: tomorrow will take care of itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” But how can we feel secure in such an unpredictable world? Hence, it is only natural that we, who are fearful of suffering, pain and death, would do everything to provide for our needs and security. As a consequence, we end up serving mammon as well. Indeed, we lack faith and confidence in God that He will look after us.
So whilst it is clear that we must choose to either serve God or mammon, we seek to serve both. Deep in our hearts we love God but at the same time, we do not have the confidence to surrender our lives to Him. We want to love God but we love ourselves first. We want to trust Him but deep in our hearts we don’t. God, for us, is not our security in whom we can place our total trust. The “Amen” we say is not a true “Amen”, that is, “I believe and I surrender.”
What is the reason for the lack of trust in God? Because we do not truly know God as Father. Jesus says, “So do not worry, do not say, ‘What are we to eat? What are we to drink? How are we to be clothed? It is the pagans who set their hearts on all these things. Your heavenly Father knows you need them all.” The truth is that if we believe that God is our Father, then we can expect Him to look after and care for us much more than He provided for the birds in the sky, or the flowers in the fields. Jesus asked, “Now if that is how God clothes the grass in the field which is there today and thrown into the furnace tomorrow, will he not much more look after you, you men of little faith? So do not worry, do not say, ‘What are we to eat? What are we to drink? How are we to be clothed?'” How true! Even though we are baptized, our hearts are often pagan in their trust. We behave no differently from non-believers – pursuing comfort, security, and earthly pleasures, instead of seeking the higher things of the spirit.
Yet the truth is that if we set our hearts on God, everything else will fall into place. As Jesus said, “Set your hearts on his kingdom first, and on his righteousness, and all these other things will be given you as well.” When we live righteously and with integrity according to the Spirit, we find true happiness. We may not be rich in material possessions, but we will enjoy a life of peace and joy. Those who live responsibly and are dedicated in their work often find success and accomplish much for Christ. The Holy Spirit will guide us to greater things and grant us the grace to achieve far more than we could ever imagine. Our families will be at peace. Our relationships with our spouses will be loving. We will be surrounded by good, caring, and supportive friends. The psalmist says, “Revere the Lord, you his saints. They lack nothing, those who revere him. Strong lions suffer want and go hungry but those who seek the Lord lack no blessing.”
Even if we suffer, we see them positively as means by which we are purified in faith and love. This was the way St Paul viewed his struggles and sufferings in life. He said, “In view of the extraordinary nature of these revelations, to stop me from getting too proud I was given a thorn in the flesh, an angel of Satan to beat me and stop me from getting too proud! About this thing, I have pleaded with the Lord three times for it to leave me, but he has said, ‘My grace is enough for you: my power is at its best in weakness.'” Truly, a man of faith has nothing to fear. After all, as the psalmist says, “The angel of the Lord is encamped around those who revere him, to rescue them.” Such is the person who seeks first the reign of God in his heart.
So, how then can we place our trust in Him? The psalmist invites us, “Come, children, and hear me that I may teach you the fear of the Lord. Who is he who longs for life and many days, to enjoy his prosperity?” To give ourselves entirely to God and surrender our lives to Him, we need to encounter His love as St Paul did. He himself encountered the Lord many times in his life, particularly when the Lord delivered him from death. He also spoke of his mystical encounter with Him. “I know a man in Christ who, fourteen years ago, was caught up – whether still in the body or out of the body, I do not know; God knows – right into the third heaven. I do know, however, that this same person – whether in the body or out of the body, I do not know; God knows was caught up into paradise and heard things which must not and cannot be put into human language.” But we need not only encounter God in a vision; we encounter Him most profoundly in our moments of weakness, as St Paul did. “So I shall be very happy to make my weakness my special boast so that the power of Christ may stay over me, and that is why I am quite content with my weaknesses, and with insults, hardships, persecutions, and the agonies I go through for Christ’s sake. For it is when I am weak that I am strong.” Truly, in our moments of total helplessness, when we can no longer depend on ourselves, it is in such moments that we encounter the power of God’s grace most mightily. From that moment, we know that we operate by God’s strength and not our own. Then we truly know that our Lord is God.
Today, we are invited to open our hearts and minds to “taste and see the Lord.” When we taste Him and see Him with the eyes of faith and with love in our hearts, we are able to surrender everything to Him – just as St Augustine did when he wrote: “Late have I loved you, Beauty so ancient and so new, late have I loved you! Lo, you were within, but I outside, seeking there for you, and upon the shapely things you have made. I rushed headlong – I, misshapen. You were with me, but I was not with you. They held me back far from you, those things which would have no being, were they not in you. You called, shouted, broke through my deafness; you flared, blazed, banished my blindness; you lavished your fragrance, I gasped; and now I pant for you; I tasted you, and now I hunger and thirst; you touched me, and I burned for your peace.”
Best Practices for Using the Daily Scripture Reflections
- Encounter God through the spirit of prayer and the scripture by reflecting and praying the Word of God daily. The purpose is to bring you to prayer and to a deeper union with the Lord on the level of the heart.
- Daily reflections when archived will lead many to accumulate all the reflections of the week and pray in one sitting. This will compromise your capacity to enter deeply into the Word of God, as the tendency is to read for knowledge rather than a prayerful reading of the Word for the purpose of developing a personal and affective relationship with the Lord.
- It is more important to pray deeply, not read widely. The current reflections of the day would be more than sufficient for anyone who wants to pray deeply and be led into an intimacy with the Lord.
Note: You may share this reflection with someone. However, please note that reflections are not archived online nor will they be available via email request.
Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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