Creation has a beautiful way of illustrating God’s Word. I love to sit by my front window and watch the sunrise while saying my morning prayers, taking a breather before the day befalls me. In fact, it’s what I’m doing as I write this. The sun peeks through a small opening of trees illuminating the day; sometimes it’s an exquisite scene and other times a dim, cloudy morning... but the sun awakes the earth all the same. In the Gospel this weekend, Jesus tells us to “fear no one. Nothing is concealed that will not be known. What I say to you in the darkness, speak in the light.” Many times, I’m afraid to live in the light. It’s easier to keep to myself.
Then there’s the sparrow in today’s Gospel. And I promise, I’m not making this up, but the sparrows like to flutter by my front window while I watch the sunrise (boy this scene worked out for today’s article, didn’t it?). I always think of this Gospel when I see them. “You are worth more than many sparrows,” Jesus says. In ancient Jewish times, the sparrow was literally the cheapest bird one could buy to offer sacrifices to God... “two small coins” is all it took, and we can assume that it was the poorest of the poor who bought them. Sacrifice in the temple was mandatory for Jewish ceremony/life. How small one must have felt sacrificing their sparrow after the person in front of them offered their calf, goat, dove, etc... Yet Jesus says to us, “I see you, I got you, I love your efforts... don’t be afraid of what other people think or say about you... what they might to do diminish your light. Live in MY light! For if every hair on your head I can count, or every ‘worthless’ sparrow is known to me, my goodness, how much MORE do I love you! You are worth more than many sparrows.”
So literally or metaphorically, however you want to read this: whether it’s a perfect sunny day, or we have to look for the sun through the clouds the LIGHT is there all the same... and the light of truth is more powerful than anyone or anything we fear. Thank YOU for sharing your light in the world... especially in our beautiful world of St. Colette. Keep it going! ~Sara