Daily Catholic Lectio
Sat, 20 June 2026
XI Week in Ordinary Time
2 Chr 24:17-25. Mt 6:24-34
Seek God
One of the deepest desires of the human heart is the desire for certainty. We want life to be predictable. We want guarantees. We want to know that our future is secure. We would like life to function like a mathematical formula: if we do this, that will happen; if we work hard, everything will go well; if we make the right choices, we will avoid suffering.
This desire for certainty explains why wealth can become such a powerful attraction. Wealth gives a sense of security, independence, and control. We often feel that if we have enough resources, we can manage every situation and protect ourselves from uncertainty.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus addresses this temptation directly. The Gospel has two closely connected parts. First, Jesus says, “You cannot serve both God and wealth.” Then He tells His disciples, “Do not worry about tomorrow.”
These two teachings belong together. Attachment to wealth often produces anxiety. Trust in God brings freedom from anxiety.
Jesus is not condemning material possessions. Rather, He warns against allowing wealth to become our master. Wealth is a useful servant but a poor master. When our security rests entirely on money, possessions, or achievements, anxiety inevitably follows. We become afraid of losing what we have. We worry about the future. We try to control everything.
Yet Jesus reminds us that there are limits to what wealth can accomplish. Money cannot add a single hour to our lifespan. It cannot guarantee health, happiness, peace, or love. It cannot remove all uncertainty from life.
This is why Jesus invites us to look at the birds of the air and the lilies of the field. They remind us that life itself is a gift. Behind all our efforts stands the loving providence of the Father.
At the heart of today’s Gospel stands a beautiful invitation: “Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you besides.”
What does it mean to seek God?
It means looking at life through the eyes of faith. It means recognising that we are not in control of everything. It means accepting life’s uncertainties and surprises without fear. It means living the present moment fully rather than being imprisoned by worries about tomorrow.
Seeking God does not eliminate responsibility. We still work, plan, save, and make prudent decisions. But we do so with trust rather than anxiety. We recognise that our future ultimately rests not in our hands but in God’s hands.
The first reading offers a powerful example. Zechariah, filled with the Spirit of God, courageously proclaims God’s word. Yet instead of being rewarded, he is rejected and killed. His story reminds us that there is no earthly guarantee that doing good will always lead to immediate success.
This raises an important question. If righteousness does not always bring visible rewards, why do we spend so much energy trying to secure everything for ourselves?
The answer of the Gospel is clear. Our security is not found in controlling life but in trusting God. Faith does not remove uncertainty. It teaches us how to live within uncertainty.
Many of our anxieties come from trying to carry burdens that belong to tomorrow. Jesus invites us to carry only today’s burden and to leave tomorrow in the Father’s care.
The wisdom of today’s Gospel is simple but profound: do not make wealth your master; do not make worry your companion; make God your treasure.
Fr. Yesu Karunanidhi
Archdiocese of Madurai
A Yesni Prays Initiative
Yesu Karunanidhi 
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