Providence and Prudence

 The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to live in the tension between faith in Providence and our mission to be active workers for good in our environment.

Providence and Power

The  Reading from the Second Book of Chronicles presents Joash’s Apostasy and His Punishment.

e. [24:18] Ex 34:13.

f. [24:20] Jgs 6:34.

g. [24:23] 2 Kgs 12:17–18.

h. [24:24] Dt 32:30.

i. [24:25–26] 2 Kgs 12:21–22. (2 Chronicles, CHAPTER 24 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 89 laments the defeat of the Davidic king .

* [Psalm 89] The community laments the defeat of the Davidic king, to whom God promised kingship as enduring as the heavens (Ps 89:2–5). The Psalm narrates how God became king of the divine beings (Ps 89:6–9) and how the Davidic king became king of earthly kings (Ps 89:20–38). Since the defeat of the king calls into question God’s promise, the community ardently prays God to be faithful to the original promise to David (Ps 89:39–52).

* [89:3–5] David’s dynasty is to be as long-lasting as the heavens, a statement reinforced by using the same verbs (establish, stand) both of the divine love and loyalty and of the Davidic dynasty and throne, cf. Ps 89:29–30. (Psalms, PSALM 89 | USCCB, n.d.)

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus asserts the disciple can serve only one master and must choose between God and wealth.

* [6:19–34] The remaining material of this chapter is taken almost entirely from Q. It deals principally with worldly possessions, and the controlling thought is summed up in Mt 6:24: the disciple can serve only one master and must choose between God and wealth (mammon). See further the note on Lk 16:9.

* [6:22–23] In this context the parable probably points to the need for the disciple to be enlightened by Jesus’ teaching on the transitory nature of earthly riches.

* [6:24] Mammon: an Aramaic word meaning wealth or property.

* [6:25–34] Jesus does not deny the reality of human needs (Mt 6:32), but forbids making them the object of anxious care and, in effect, becoming their slave.

* [6:27] Life-span: the Greek word can also mean “stature.” If it is taken in that sense, the word here translated moment (literally, “cubit”) must be translated literally as a unit not of time but of spatial measure. The cubit is about eighteen inches.

* [6:30] Of little faith: except for the parallel in Lk 12:28, the word translated of little faith is found in the New Testament only in Matthew. It is used by him of those who are disciples of Jesus but whose faith in him is not as deep as it should be (see Mt 8:26; 14:31; 16:8 and the cognate noun in Mt 17:20).

* [6:33] Righteousness: see note on Mt 3:14–15. (Matthew, CHAPTER 6 | USCCB, n.d.)

Carol Zuegner comments that her outlook is mostly positive, but her imagination can run away with the what-ifs. We all wish for a little more control over the events and people in our lives. We don’t have that control and worrying will not change any outcome. 

Jesus does not mean to make light of our concerns. People’s lives can be difficult and faced with heavy decisions and problems. It’s easy to get caught up in the spiral of worry. What are we missing if we are always worrying about what might happen? The gospel ends with the admonition that God knows we need food and clothing. We should start with God in the here and now. This doesn’t mean bad things won’t happen. Jesus says: “Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself.”

 

My prayer: To do what I can to make the world a better place. To work hard for the dignity of all in my own way. To take a deep breath and trust in God. To pray for those who are facing hardships, difficult decisions or life events beyond their control. I pray to be present, really present in the here and now and to trust that God loves me. (Zuegner, 2026)

Don Schwager quotes “The value of life,” by John Chrysostom, 347-407 A.D.

"Note the acceleration of images: just when the lilies are decked out, he no longer calls them lilies but 'grass of the field' (Matthew 6:30 ). He then points further to their vulnerable condition by saying 'which are here today.' Then he does not merely say 'and not tomorrow' but rather more callously 'cast into the oven.' These creatures are not merely 'clothed but 'so clothed' in this way as to be later brought to nothing. Do you see how Jesus everywhere abounds in amplifications and intensifications? And he does so in order to press his points home. So then he adds, 'Will he not much more clothe you?' The force of the emphasis is on 'you' to indicate covertly how great is the value set upon your personal existence and the concern God shows for you in particular. It is as though he were saying, 'You, to whom he gave a soul, for whom he fashioned a body, for whose sake he made everything in creation, for whose sake he sent prophets, and gave the law, and wrought those innumerable good works, and for whose sake he gave up his only begotten Son.'" (excerpt from THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW, HOMILY 22.1) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Matthew 6:24-34 comments that we have needs—for food or clothing or shelter—that we can’t ignore. We also have wants—for recognition, influence, or respect—that weigh on our minds and hearts. Jesus knows that.

Putting aside worry may still feel easier said than done. That’s where remembering comes in. Consider God’s work in your own life or the lives of the saints. Even when a worrisome difficulty comes your way, God is with you. Each time you offer trying situations to God, your relationship with him deepens. The grip that fear and anxiety have on your heart starts to loosen. The key is to remember how much God loves you and to find the strength to surrender your worries to him. You mean so much more to him than the birds of the air or flowers of the field, and you can trust him to take care of you.

So how can you let go of just a little bit of your worry today?

“Heavenly Father, I believe that I am precious to you. I trust that you will take care of me and stay close to me.” (Meditation on Matthew 6:24-34, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments that the passage from 2 Chronicles presents how the young heir, Joash, was saved and made king. The king and his nobles abandoned the Temple “King Joash was unmindful of the devotion shown him by Jehoiada, Zechariah’s father, and killed the son.”(2 Chronicles 22 ). Zachariah was stoned to death even as his Father had saved Joash from murder. This becomes an example of a lack of protection due to infidelity. In the Gospel of Matthew Jesus asserts our choice to serve Mammon or God. If we trust, God’s Providence will shower down. God will take care of us.  Friar Jude suggests we balance prudence with charity and trust in God’s goodness. We need to keep in mind the goodness and generosity of God to us.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces Episcopal priest Stephanie Spellers who highlights the church’s call to meet the human longing for community. 

You don’t have to be religious to seek “beloved community”. I believe we humans are created with a homing device that begins to hum and light up when we see individuals and communities driven not by ego but by self-giving love.

But if you are religious, and certainly if you are a follower of Jesus Christ, then beloved community should be one of the basic tenets of faith. That’s what Jesus told the young seeker who asked him the greatest commandment. Jesus told him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind,” and “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22: 37–39). Jesus welcomed people into a countercultural, self-giving community of love with God at the center.

True, the ideal gets watered down…. [But] hold out for the robust and uncompromising vision of God’s kingdom of love. For us, it’s a dream. For God, it’s reality.

Even if we have failed a thousand times before, don’t let this hour pass without calling on Jesus and the prophets one more time. Notice how God’s reign is already breaking in and how the Spirit empowers us to join up with that movement. Especially now, even as the powers of empire and established order are busy reassembling the cracked pieces of our national and church life with the same self-centric powers and goals at their core, we should be striving and praying that God will reshape us in the image of God’s beloved community. If not now, when? (Rohr, n.d.)

We seek the Spirit as guide in our travel in the tension between trust in God and our tendency to take on matters informed by our own limited experience.

References

Matthew, CHAPTER 6 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved June 20, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/6? 

Meditation on Matthew 6:24-34. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved June 20, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/06/20/1595479/ 

Psalms, PSALM 89 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved June 20, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/89? 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). The Way of the Early Church: Weekly Summary. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved June 20, 2026, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/the-way-of-the-early-church-weekly-summary/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Why Are You Anxious - Seek First His Kingdom. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved June 20, 2026, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/ 

2 Chronicles, CHAPTER 24 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings, Audio and Video Every Morning | USCCB. Retrieved June 20, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/2chronicles/24?17 

Zuegner, C. (2026, June 20). Daily Reflection June 20, 2026 | Creighton Online Ministries. Creighton Online Ministries. Retrieved June 20, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-june-20-2026 

Fortune reversed and life protected

The texts from the Roman Catholic lectionary today resonate with concepts of fortune reversed and life protected.


The apostasy of Joash, described in the Second Book of Chronicles, is a reminder of how the influence of bad companions may result in very poor decisions.

The inability to serve two masters and our preferred attitude of dependence on God are the subjects of Jesus’ teaching from the Sermon on the Mount in the Gospel of Matthew.

* [6:25–34] Jesus does not deny the reality of human needs (Mt 6:32), but forbids making them the object of anxious care and, in effect, becoming their slave.

Tom Purcell reflects on the relationship between these passages.

the blessings we enjoy also may be our roadblocks – our attachments to people and things and material goods make it much harder to live life in harmony with God.  What Jesus is calling us to do today, and what the people of Judah did not do, is to be in tune with God, to synchronize our actions with the life that God calls us to live, to detach ourselves from things that do not matter and to help God do the things that need to be done to bring about the Kingdom of God here on earth.

Don Schwager asks what do the expressions "serving two masters" and "being anxious" have in common?

They both have the same root problem - being divided within oneself. The root word for "anxiety" literally means "being of two minds." An anxious person is often "tossed to and fro" and paralyzed by fear, indecision, and insecurity. Fear of some bad outcome cripples those afflicted with anxiety. It's also the case with someone who wants to live in two opposing kingdoms - God's kingdom of light, truth, and goodness or Satan's kingdom of darkness, sin, and deception - following God's standards and way of happiness or following the world's standards of success and happiness.

The Word Among Us meditation on Matthew 6:24-34, suggests what Jesus wants us to be on the lookout for. He knows it’s impossible for us to stop worrying completely. But He wants not to let anxiety paralyze us.

Some experts recommend keeping a “worry list” and setting aside thirty minutes during the day devoted to the list. Each time a worry starts to dominate your thoughts, stop and write it down. Then put the list aside until your worry time. That’s when you can pay attention to it. If it’s something you can fix, make a plan to fix it. Plan to call a mechanic and make an appointment to check out that noise in your car. But if the worry is something you can’t control, like the future of your airplane flight, acknowledge it, recognize that it’s out of your hands, and do your best to turn it over to God.

Friar Jude Winkler describes how Joash allowed himself and the nobles to behave in pagan ways resulting in Judah being conquered. If we do evil things, the evil will come back on us in the misery we have brought into our lives. Friar Jude offers prudence as a balance to Jesus use of Jewish exaggeration in His teaching. When we selfishly build up riches, we are stealing from the poor.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, summarizes teaching on justice noting that only by solidarity with other people’s suffering can comfortable people be converted. Otherwise we are disconnected from the cross—of the world, of others, of Jesus, and finally of our own necessary participation in the great mystery of dying and rising.  Watch this short music video of Eileen Shaughnessy, who teaches on environmental and social justice at the University of New Mexico & the In-Betweens hosting a dance party with friends in front of a beautiful mural—“Honor the People” by artist Nani Chacon—on historic Route 66 through the heart of Albuquerque.

The attitude described by Jesus toward the material world places emphasis of being in harmony with the will of God.

References

(n.d.). 2 Chronicles, chapter 24 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved June 23, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/bible/2Chronicles/24:17

(n.d.). Matthew, chapter 6 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved June 23, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/matthew6:48

Creighton U Daily Reflections .... Retrieved June 23, 2018, from http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html 

(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved June 23, 2018, from http://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org

(n.d.). Meditations - The Word Among Us. Retrieved June 23, 2018, from https://wau.org/meditations/

What about the apostates?

Paris terror and our needs in prayer