Church of the
Annunciation

I have reached a milestone in my life. This month -- I receive my first Social Security check. Social Security can provide, for some, necessary funds to pay for food, lodging and transportation. Yet we hear Jesus say: “Do not worry about what you are to eat, to drink and to wear.” We must understand the words of Jesus in the context of the Gospel according to St. Matthew. Jesus is providing spiritual sustenance in his Sermon on the Mount. Jesus is concerned about our physical wellbeing. Indeed he feeds the hungry multitude in the wilderness with bread and fish. He tells the nations of the world that they/we will be judged on whether or not we have cared for people in need. Certainly Jesus knows human stress in surviving the challenges and heartaches of life. But he cautions about getting upset about material things and losing sight of the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus encourages his disciples to live in the present moment without being overcome with regrets of the past, troubles in the present and worries about the future. He invites us to trust in God. Yesterday in the Buffalo News, a doctor makes a connection between stress, strokes, heart attacks and even dementia. He advises that we can lessen stress through prayer, support of family and friends, meditation, breathing and exercise. Reflect on our short 1^st reading from the prophet Isaiah. When we feel forsaken and forgotten by God, ask the question: “Can a mother forget her infant, can a mom not be tender to the child of her womb?” There is in God a feminine attribute of tender caring and love that is our most precious social security.