Daily Catholic Lectio
Sat, 21 June 2025
Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time – Saturday
2 Corinthians 12:1–10; Matthew 6:24–34
Sufficient for the Day is Its Own Trouble
“Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
At first glance, today’s Gospel reading may appear to contain two distinct parts: (1) We cannot serve two masters – God and wealth. (2) We are told not to worry about tomorrow.
On the surface, these may seem like two separate teachings, but a deeper reading reveals their connection.
What is that connection? Those who serve wealth are more likely to be anxious about tomorrow. But those who serve God can let go of such worry.
What does it mean to not worry about tomorrow?
Is Jesus asking us to live like the Epicureans who say, “Eat, drink, for there is no tomorrow”? No.
Does it mean not having any goals or plans for the future? No.
Or is it sitting idle, assuming God will take care of everything?
Certainly not.
Instead, it means three things:
(a) To Trust in God’s Providence. When Isaac asked his father Abraham, “Where is the lamb for the sacrifice?” Abraham responded with faith: “God will provide.” He didn’t stop preparing the altar or making the journey. He simply trusted that God would take care of what mattered most. Trust does not negate effort—it directs it.
(b) To Release Our Anxieties In Italian, the word for worry is ‘preoccupazione,’ meaning “to sit ahead.” Worry fills our mind with thoughts that sit ahead of all others—cluttering our mental space and leaving no room for clarity or peace. Jesus invites us to step back and allow trust to occupy that space.
(c) To Reorder Our Priorities. Worries may remain, but not all worries are equal. When we recognise that life is more than food and the body more than clothing, we begin to distinguish the essential from the trivial. This discernment helps us to reduce the weight of unnecessary burdens.
Why is worry about tomorrow unnecessary?
(a) It achieves nothing. No amount of worry can extend our lifespan or fix tomorrow’s unknowns.
(b) It scatters our attention. Instead of focusing on one task, we are pulled in many directions, draining our strength.
(c) It isolates us. It turns our gaze inward, distracting us from others—and from God.
The Only Question for Today Is: Whom do I serve—God or wealth? Those who serve God let go of worry, live today with grace, and remain centred. Those who serve wealth are consumed by tomorrow’s anxieties, burdened by the present, and scattered in mind.
“God has given people so much trouble to keep them occupied in their toil.” (Ecclesiastes 1:13)
Fr. Yesu Karunanidhi
Archdiocese of Madurai
Missionary of Mercy
Yesu Karunanidhi 
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