Jeremiah 20:10-13 / Romans 5:12-15 / Matthew 10:26-33
We have come to the last week of the month of June.
Let us take a moment to ponder and see if we can think of anything that we can remember of the month of June.
Oh yes, it is the month of school holidays, and parents would be busy thinking of how to keep their children occupied.
There is also Father's Day, which was celebrated last weekend, and we hope that the fathers are happy with their Father's Day presents.
For our parish, it was the Feast Day celebrations last week, and we thank God for His wonderful blessings on us.
And there are more blessings coming up next week before the month of June comes to an end.
Father Adrian Danker will be celebrating his 10th sacerdotal anniversary on Thursday. And on the same day, two deacons will be ordained to the priesthood at a Church of the Holy Family.
So, the month of June has many good and wonderful things to remember.
And also, not forgetting that the month of June is dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
And as we meditate on the Sacred Heart of Jesus and His love for us, let us also ponder on what is in our hearts.
Can we say without hesitation, that our hearts are at peace and that we are happy with life?
Or, is it that our hearts are weighed down by worries and anxieties, resentment and disappointment, failures and frustrations that make our hearts freeze with fears.
If that is so, then the Good News in today's Gospel is that Jesus tells us this: Do not be afraid.
And Jesus wants to go deep into our hearts to uncover what is covered, to bring to the light what is hidden, so that we are able to face our fears.
The world has a force to be reckoned with. It has a force, and that makes us succumb to fears.
So, we fear for our security and our future, and we look to wealth and possessions to protect us from uncertainties.
We fear that our image does not give a good impression because the world says that good looks give a good prospect.
We fear for our reputation, and the world tells us to go with the flow and to play safe, and not to swim against the tide.
But Jesus tells us not to be afraid, because He will protect us and keep us safe.
Because when we keep thinking of problems and obstacles, then we will only see problems and obstacles.
But when we let Jesus uncover what is covered, and to let His light shine into what is hidden in us, then we will proclaim the marvels of God from the rooftops.
Then, instead of problems and obstacles, we will look for possibilities and opportunities.
Instead of being beaten by the world and its ways, we want to offer our hearts to Jesus, so that our hearts will beat with love and peace.
Jesus tells us not to be afraid, and He won't leave us alone to fight our battles in life.
He will go ahead of us, and fight our battles for us, so that we can sing about how great is our God.
So, the month of June has many blessings, and we want to count the blessings, and to sing of God's blessings that are poured into our hearts from the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Then, we will proclaim what is said in the 1st reading: Sing to the Lord, praise the Lord, for He has delivered the soul of the needy, from the hands of evil men.