The Little Sparrows

Listening to the Spirit

In the darkness of a starless night,
a night of no sense,
You, the Word of life,
like lightning in the storm of forgetfulness,
entered within the bounds of doubt
under cover of the limits of precariousness
to hide the light.

Words made of silence and of the ordinary,
Your human words, heralds of the secrets of the Most High:
like hooks cast into the waters of death
to find man once more, immersed in his anxious follies,
and reclaim him, plundered,
through the attractive radiance of forgiveness.
To You, Ocean of Peace and shadow of eternal Glory,
I render thanks:
Calm waters on my shore that awaits the wave, I wish to seek You!
And may the friendship of the brothers protect me
when night falls on my desire for You.
Amen.

Listening to the Word

Matthew 10:26-33

Jesus said to the Twelve: “Fear no one. Nothing is concealed that will not be revealed, nor secret that will not be known. What I say to you in the darkness, speak in the light; what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna. Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin? Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s knowledge. Even all the hairs of your head are counted. So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. Everyone who acknowledges me before others I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father. But whoever denies me before others, I will deny before my heavenly Father.”

Reflection

In the middle of the global crisis we are, for sure there no other word that can assure us more than the ones of Jesus: “do not be afraid.”

From some months now, then as it had been at all times, is impossible to read the gospel and not to relate to the present situation of the world. This confirm how alive is the Word of God. He talks to us. Once more, today He calls on us all to follow Him. To take a decision as disciples at the same time He assures all His care.

The past days for many times there were lots of troubles in countless fields due to present emergency. As disciples we read this gospel where Jesus repeat more than ones: “do not be afraid.” It is not only consoling word, but these are the windows for the disciples to see and read the present situation.

It is true, there is a deadly virus ‘that has claimed lives and has affected many.’ It is comprehensible to be afraid of that. However, Jesus tells us something more… “not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul”. Clearly, He is referring to the holy fear of God, that never wants to destroy but at the same time, it let us free to do choices that sometimes can bring us to total destruction. Furthermore, in our days He is not denying the first reality of the virus. He is showing us that beside the lethal disease there is rather something to be afraid… “of the one who can destroy both soul and body.” This can happen through numerous ways. From the flood of fake news to the indifference toward others, there are abundant kinds of “virus”. Surely, these are the most dangerous because it is killing our relationships, “body and soul”. Sad to notice that often we are not afraid of these, somewhat, we are its broadcasters. For this reason, the words of Jesus come today telling us from what we need to be afraid of.

At these periods of uncertainties, maybe fearing the wrong thing, it is heartening to see the image Jesus uses: the little sparrows. As disciples, or better as humanity, we are all little sparrows. Fragile, small, looking for a secure space to stay…but then again this is not all, the Master goes further: “you are worth more than many sparrows.” Yes, the last news around the world is not so encouraging, many perished but as sparrows we know… “not one of them (fell) to the ground without the Father’s knowledge.”

The cares of the Father who goes to the smallest of His creation surely will not abandon us. It is in His knowledge that we are little, fragile and often experience fear. For that only reason through the Son He repeats to us: “do not be afraid.” Do not be afraid of given testimony of Him, standing for truth and fighting against any kind of racism. Little and fragile undeniably but all in His knowledge. In front of Him we “are worth more than…”