FIRST
READING: 2
Chronicles 24: 17 -
25
17
After the death of Jehoiada, the officials of Judah came to pay court
to the king, and the king now turned to them for advice.
18
The Judaeans abandoned the house of Yahweh, the God of their
ancestors, for the worship of sacred trunks and idols and God's anger
fell on Judah and Jerusalem because of their guilt.
19
He sent them prophets to bring them back to Yahweh, but when the
prophets spoke, they would not listen.
20
The spirit of God took control of Zechariah, son of Jehoiada the
priest. He stood up before the people and said, "God says this:
Why are you disobeying the commandments of Yahweh? You cannot
prosper. You have abandoned Yahweh and he will abandon you."
21
They then plotted against him and by order of the king stoned him in
the court of Yahweh's House.
22
King Joash forgot the kindness of Jehoiada, the father of Zechariah,
and killed Jehoiada's son who cried out as he died, "Let Yahweh
see and do justice!"
23
When a year had gone by, the Aramaean army made war on Joash. They
reached Judah and Jerusalem, and killed all the officials among the
people, sending back to the king of Damascus all that they had
plundered from them.
24
Though the Aramaean army was small, Yahweh delivered into its power
an army of great size for they had abandoned him, the God of their
ancestors.
25
The Aramaeans wounded Joash and when they withdrew they left him a
very sick man; and his officers, plotting against him to avenge the
death of the son of Jehoiada the priest, murdered him in his bed. So
he died, and they buried him in the City of David, though not in the
tombs of the king.
PSALM:
Psalms 89:
4 - 5, 29 - 34
4
You said, "I have made a covenant with David, my chosen one; I
have made a pledge to my servant.
5
I establish his descendants forever; I build his throne for all
generations."
29
I will keep my covenant firm forever, and my love for him will
endure.
30
His dynasty will last forever, and his throne as long as the heavens.
31
If his sons forsake my law and fail to follow my decrees,
32
if they violate my statutes and do not keep my commandments,
33
I will punish their crime with the rod and their offenses with the
scourge;
34
yet I will not withdraw my love from him, nor will I withdraw my
faithfulness.
GOSPEL:
Matthew 6:
24 - 34
24
No one can serve two masters; for he will either hate one and love
the other, or he will be loyal to the first and look down on the
second. You cannot at the same time serve God and money.
25
This is why I tell you not to be worried about food and drink for
yourself, or about clothes for your body. Is not life more important
than food and is not the body more important than clothes?
26
Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow, they do not harvest
and do not store food in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds
them. Are you not worth much more than birds?
27
Can any of you add a day to your life by worrying about it?
28
Why are you so worried about your clothes? Look at the flowers in the
fields how they grow. They do not toil or spin.
29
But I tell you that not even Solomon in all his wealth was clothed
like one of these.
30
If God so clothes the grass in the field which blooms today and is to
be burned tomorrow in an oven, how much more will he clothe you? What
little faith you have!
31
Do not worry and say: What are we going to eat? What are we going to
drink? Or: what shall we wear?
32
The pagans busy themselves with such things; but your heavenly Father
knows that you need them all.
33
Set your heart first on the kingdom and justice of God and all these
things will also be given to you.
34
Do not worry about tomorrow for tomorrow will worry about itself.
Each day has enough trouble of its own.
