Memorial of Sr. Romuald (+1027) anchorite and father of the Camaldolensis monks.

Reading of the Word of God

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

Whoever lives and believes in me
will never die.

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

Matthew 6,24-34

'No one can be the slave of two masters: he will either hate the first and love the second, or be attached to the first and despise the second. You cannot be the slave both of God and of money. 'That is why I am telling you not to worry about your life and what you are to eat, nor about your body and what you are to wear. Surely life is more than food, and the body more than clothing! Look at the birds in the sky. They do not sow or reap or gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they are? Can any of you, however much you worry, add one single cubit to your span of life? And why worry about clothing? Think of the flowers growing in the fields; they never have to work or spin; yet I assure you that not even Solomon in all his royal robes was clothed like one of these. Now if that is how God clothes the wild flowers growing in the field which are there today and thrown into the furnace tomorrow, will he not much more look after you, you who have so little faith? So do not worry; do not say, "What are we to eat? What are we to drink? What are we to wear?" It is the gentiles who set their hearts on all these things. Your heavenly Father knows you need them all. Set your hearts on his kingdom first, and on God's saving justice, and all these other things will be given you as well. So do not worry about tomorrow: tomorrow will take care of itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.'

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

If you believe, you will see the glory of God,
thus says the Lord.

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

"You cannot serve God and riches," says Jesus to his disciples. Jesus personifies riches (the term "mamonas" is the Greek form of the Aramaic "mammona" which means riches). Riches behave like a true dictator even if they do not have a face, and even less, a soul. The implacable dictatorship of riches steals the soul of those who entrust them their lives. They are at the origin of conflicts, disorder, hatreds and wars which still today continue to make life bitter and sad for many peoples. The Lord instead is love and asks a free response from us. God does not want subjects but friends. Jesus knows well that if we bind ourselves to God, we will grow in love, in justice and in the commitment to fight for the freedom and progress of all, starting from the poorest. For this reason, it is not possible to serve God and riches at the same time, the Gospel and money. The heart cannot be divided. Jesus lives himself the claim for an exclusive love. In the First Testament God is several times presented as a "jealous God", but not just for himself; he is jealous also for us. So, to trust in the Lord means being free from the slavery of things, knowing that he will not fail us anything. Often, anxiety for things of life prevents us from being generous in proclaiming the Gospel. Jesus reminds it to us: "Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink... your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things." The Lord is a good Father who takes care of His children and provides for their necessities. And if many remain hungry and naked, it is because others do not seek the Kingdom of God and its justice, but only their own advantage. Therefore, they keep for themselves what is destined to all. God does not abandon anyone. When Adam and Eve left the garden of Eden, God made a dress for them so that they would not suffer from the cold of history. The true worry for the disciples, says Jesus, must be that of the Kingdom, that is, the communication of the Gospel to all peoples, the edification of the community and service to the poor. The disciple must seek this "justice." The Lord is at our side, he sustains and protects us so that the Gospel may be proclaimed and men and women may find salvation.