Scripture:
Genesis 49:29-32; 50:15-26a
Matthew 10:24-33
Reflection:
Sparrows are small birds found in most parts of the world. They have a typical length of 6.3 inches and weigh a mere .85 to 1.39 ounces. Sparrows are native to Europe, the Mediterranean Basin and a large part of Asia. Sparrows’ intentional or accidental introduction to many regions, including parts of Australasia, Africa, and the Americas, make them the most widely populated wild bird in the world. Jesus relates today’s gospel message in the context of the Father’s attention to sparrows: “Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin? Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s knowledge.”.
Jesus admonishes his Apostles in today’s gospel reading not to allow their egos to swell in the context of their ministry. No disciple is above his teacher and no slave is above his master. It is enough for the disciple to become like his teacher and for the slave to become like his master. This seems to imply that in the context of the love of God, no one in our society is greater than any other. Like the sparrow, none of us can fall to the ground without the Father’s knowledge. Jesus tells us that we are each worth more than many sparrows.
So, I ask myself in whatever circumstance I find myself, how often do I compare myself to others in my family, my Parish, my community, my workplace, etc. When the Father looks across the entire network of people that I know and associate with, all members of his same creation, does he ever consider me better than anyone else that I know? I know the answer to that question. Unfortunately, all too often, my psyche tries to tell me otherwise. We realize intuitively that God loves every person on the planet with infinite love, which means that love has no bounds. We are all loved with that infinite love as if we were the only person that he created. That’s why not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without God’s knowledge.
This is not to suggest that God condones sinfulness in any one of his creatures. In fact he advises us to turn away from the house in which the master is called Beelzebul, since, if we cannot turn away, we are inherently destined to be thrown into Gehenna. However, even in the context of our sinful lives, God continues to love us with an infinite love. He cannot help himself. He is our creator, and we are members of his loving creation. At the end of our earthly journey, if we fail to achieve heavenly glory, it is not because God did not love us for every moment of our life with such infinite love. “Even all the hairs of your head are counted”.
Jesus gives us strong advice about how to stay in the Father’s good graces. “Everyone who acknowledges me before others, I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father. But whoever denies me before others, I will deny before by heavenly Father. In either case, it is not for lack of God’s infinite love that we might be thrown into Gehenna. It will obviously be because of our own sinfulness, turning away from that infinite love that will seal our fate.
Dear Lord God, teach me to love others more than I love myself. Let me come to realize that we are each and everyone like common and equal sparrows in your loving creation and therefore deserving of equal and abundant love.
May the Passion of Jesus Christ be always in our hearts!
Bill Berger has had a lifelong relationship with the Passionist Family. Bill and his wife, Linda, are currently leaders of the Community of Passionist Partners (CPPs) in Houston, Texas.