Loading...
Loading...
Click here if you don’t see subscription options
Kerry WeberJuly 19, 2024
Photo from Unsplash.

A Reflection for the Memorial of Sts. Joachim and Anne, Parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Find today’s readings here.

I am a worrier. I frequently have to stop myself from assuming the worst possible outcome of any situation. And today’s Gospel, about all the ways in which we might be tempted away from following God’s word, does little to calm my nerves. Think you’ve taken the Word of God to heart? Well, the Evil One might steal it. Or maybe you’ll forget about it at the first sign of persecution. Or perhaps “worldly anxiety and the lure of riches” will cause you to fall away.

Here the “worldly anxiety” likely means concerns about material goods, status or power. But I am also reminded by this phrasing that focusing on the things of the next world first helps to keep the worries of this world, whether it be wealth or outcomes, in perspective.

The seed that is sown on rich soil bears the most fruit. Having recently prepared our vegetable garden, I am heartened by the fact that, with the right elements, soil can be made richer. While we might encounter rocky ground or thorns, they can be cleared and enriched so that it is better suited for growth. So to our spiritual lives. I am prompted to consider: What spiritual practices might I add to my life in order to foster true growth? What new prayers or service opportunities might help to better serve others in God’s name. How might I embrace stillness and silence in order to better hear and understand God’s word, knowing that even in the midst of my worries, I am never alone?

More: Scripture

The latest from america

The Irish government “has done nothing to reduce the numbers of abortions…and seems not to care why women choose abortion, or what happens to them afterwards,” Bishop Kevin Doran of Elphin and Achonry said.
A Homily for the Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, by Father Terrance Klein
Terrance KleinJuly 23, 2025
Rome is organizing security, hydration stations, portable bathrooms, and giant water cannons to prepare for the influx of young pilgrims coming to celebrate the Jubilee. 
The Scopes trial has long been depicted as a clash between modern science and religious fundamentalism. But it was also a chapter in the eugenic racism that had become a creed of social elites in the early 20th century.