[00:00:02] Hello, my name is Sally Moriarty-Flask. Welcome to: From His Word to Our Hearts, my weekly Bible Study podcast. Together we will explore the readings to be proclaimed at the Catholic Mass on Sunday, June 21, 2026, the 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time.
This week's episode is entitled: Sparrows, and Hairs, and Fears, Oh My! And in these readings, we are reminded that we have no reason to fear anything because each and every one of us is valuable and precious to God.
As we journey through these readings, consider the following:
All of our readings this week touch on fear or anxiety - in one way or another. Whether we relate more to Jeremiah's danger or the vulnerability of the needy, whether we worry more about the state of the world or the state of our own lives, Jesus assures us that we should fear nothing but that which can separate us from God. Despite the assurances in Scripture, we often devote more time and energy to worldly concerns rather than heavenly ones. So, how do we change that way of thinking?
Let's begin in prayer:
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Heavenly Father, your Son assures us that you know everything about us, even things we think are insignificant. He reminds us that we are precious to you, and that we need fear no earthly authority. But we have so many fears, and sometimes they overwhelm us. In those times, fill us with your grace so that we remember how very much you love us. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
[00:02:17] Now that we've opened our hearts in prayer, let's listen to what God is telling us in the Scriptures. Our Gospel this week is from Matthew 10: 26-33.
“[Jesus said to the Twelve:], ‘[H]ave no fear of [anyone]; for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. What I tell you in the dark, utter in the light; and what you hear whispered, proclaim upon the housetops. And do not fear those who can kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground without your Father's will. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. So every one who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven; but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.”
[00:03:41] Last week we heard the names of the Twelve Apostles listed, and we were told that Jesus gave them a sharing of his own divine authority before sending them on mission. We aren't told how that mission turned out. And that short trip should not be confused with the sending of the seventy in Luke's Gospel… that is an altogether different event. Think of this sending of the Twelve as more of a short excursion, while the sending of the seventy will be more of an extended mission trip. Jesus sent out his Apostles for that first time so that they could experience what it meant to exercise the authority he shared with them in a limited way - sort of like riding a bike with training wheels - before they returned to sit again at their Master's feet and be taught even greater knowledge. Their short missionary undertaking gave them context… it helped them better understand what Jesus was teaching them and the responsibilities they would have going forward. And isn't that what every experience invites us to do? To grow and learn not only about ourselves, but also about the world in which we live?
[00:05:20] This passage comes toward the end of chapter 10, but in earlier verses, not only did we hear the names of the disciples listed, we also heard Jesus explain their mission to them, and we heard him warn them that their actions will bring about some level of persecutions. Now that they returned from their journey with a bit experience under their belts and the enthusiasm that comes with some level of success, Jesus will explain more about his mission - and theirs - he will explain in greater detail what is at stake, but he will also assure them that it's all worth it! He has the same message for us… no matter what mission he assigns us, no matter its relative gravity, no matter what adversity we might face, Jesus assures us that it's all worth it - in the end.
So, let's listen to what Jesus has to say to the Twelve and to us…
[00:06:34] “[H]ave no fear of [anyone];”
Jesus means that it doesn't matter who or what threatens; through him we are all connected to God (not only the Twelve, but all disciples throughout history) so there is no reason to fear. Persecutions will happen, but God will always be there.
“for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. What I tell you in the dark, utter in the light; and what you hear whispered, proclaim upon the housetops.”
[00:07:16] Quite often when Jesus talks about things that are covered, hidden, or in darkness, he is talking about sin, but that is clearly not the case here. And Jesus uses similar words in Luke's Gospel when he's teaching about hypocrisy - which further muddles our ability to understand this passage properly. But because of the context, because Jesus is talking about his mission and by extension the mission of the Apostles, I think he is referring to his own teachings.
Remember, Jesus taught the crowds in parables, but always explained the parables in private to his disciples. The disciples experienced many things the crowds did not. And Jesus’ Inner Circle witnessed privileged events that the other disciples did not. And yet we know all of those things because they were all eventually revealed, they were made known, they were brought to light in the Scriptures. And I think when Jesus says: “What I tell you in the dark, utter in the light” supports that interpretation. Then Jesus says…
“[D]o not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul;”
[00:08:48] Jesus means don't fear physical death… don't fear martyrdom! Martyrdom was, in fact, the fate of most of the Apostles… but Jesus means it's better to sacrifice the body in order to save the soul, because - let's face it - the body is destined to die anyway. And while we may not be meant to experience the type of martyrdom that involves physical death, remember as early as the 4th century, Saint Jerome warned not to make martyrdom one-dimensional… that it shouldn't be limited only to the shedding of blood - that there's martyrdom in everything, and that we should be prepared for whatever difficulties or challenges that we face. So, Jesus says we shouldn't fear mere physical death, but…
“rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”
We don't know what either heaven or hell is like… we can imagine what it might be, but we don't know for sure. We do know that in heaven we will be in God's presence for all eternity, and that in hell we will be separated from God for all eternity. And we tend to read that phrase that Jesus just said one-dimensionally. We tend to interpret those words as referring only to Satan. And by all means they do. Satan is to be feared because he can deceive us and tempt us and turn us to sin, which separates us from God.
[00:10:46] But we also have to understand that these words refer to God as well. In fact, God is to be feared because he alone has power over BOTH body and soul. The devil doesn't have that; only God does. God alone can decree that the faithless sinner is destined for eternal separation from him in hell, and that separation is its own form of eternal punishment because we're made for union with God. So, eternal separation from God is eternal punishment. That does not, however, mean that we should be morally afraid of our Heavenly Father who loves us… it does mean that we should be afraid of being separated from him in this life and the next. But that separation comes about from our own choice, it comes about because we turn our backs on God, it comes about because of sin.
“Are not two sparrows sold for a penny?”
That's another one of those phrases we simply don't have the cultural context to understand. We may think of sparrows as cute little birds that we can feed with bird food in our backyards, but in biblical times, sparrows were sometimes sold as food for the poor. And in Luke, the quote is: “Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies?” I guess it depended on where you shopped, and maybe Luke knew where to find a better deal. But Jesus is really talking about sustenance that would have been affordable even to those who were the poorest and most vulnerable. Then talking about those very sparrows, Jesus says…
[00:12:45] “not one of them will fall to the ground without your Father's will.”
Meaning that God is not a distant, disinterested manager. He didn't just set the world in motion and is now sitting back with a cosmic bowl of popcorn, watching events unfold. God is always present with us and aware of everything that happens in creation… we don't always perceive that, especially when we feel that our prayers aren't being heard or answered as we would like them to be, but God is always with us. We just don't know or understand his plan… and we won't this side of eternity. But Jesus says…
“even the hairs of your head are all numbered.”
That shows just how intimately God knows each of the creatures in his creation and how much he values each one of us!
[00:13:55] “Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.”
Those words are meant to reassure the Apostles - and us - that we are all precious to God, our Heavenly Father. Then Jesus offers an assurance…
“Every one who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven;”
We have absolutely no problem with that phrase, do we? We take that to mean that if we believe in Jesus, he will stand up for us when Judgment Day rolls around… and we're okay with that. But that puts limits on what Jesus means - and that's a problem, because we need to understand what Jesus is really saying. He's saying that if we do our best in this life, if we really try our best to live as he taught us to live, even if we stumble sometimes, he will be our advocate when we are judged. But then Jesus offers a warning. He says…
[00:15:17] “but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.”
And we have to understand fully what Jesus really means by those words… because he isn't talking just about words at all - he's talking about how we act! If we say we believe in Jesus, but we don't live the way he taught us to live… then we are denying him. Even if we attend church services every week, but then we go out and don't live the message we hear… we are denying Jesus. What we say doesn't matter… the only thing that matters is how we treat others, how we love others, how we forgive others, because the only right and just way to do that is to follow Jesus’ example.
Remember, he said that we are to: “love one another as I have loved you.” So, we must acknowledge that every single person on earth is created in God's image… every human person contains a spark of God's divine life, no matter how much they may try to cover it with the dirt and muck of sin and darkness… which means it is also our responsibility to care for every person, just as we would care for Christ himself.
[00:17:24] There is absolutely no place for violence, hatred, prejudice, or even indifference in this world if we truly believe that every single person is animated by that divine spark, by the divine presence of God.
There is a beautiful verse that is commonly attributed to Saint Teresa of Avila (16th century mystic and Doctor of the Church), and it goes like this:
“Christ has no body on earth but yours. Yours are the eyes with which he looks compassionately on this world. Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good. Yours are the hands with which he blesses all the world. Christ has no body now on earth, but yours.”
Those words are not easy to accept and they are even harder to live - but that is exactly what we are called to do. So, how do we align our thoughts to be more like the Gospel Jesus preached, to more closely represent the words of Saint Teresa of Avila?
[00:19:11] That takes us to our First Reading, which is from Jeremiah 20: 10-13.
“[Jeremiah said:] ‘For I hear many whispering. Terror is on every side! “Denounce him! Let us denounce him!” say all my familiar friends, watching for my fall. “Perhaps he will be deceived, then we can overcome him, and take our revenge on him.” But the LORD is with me as a dread warrior; therefore my persecutors will stumble, they will not overcome me. They will be greatly shamed, for they will not succeed. Their eternal dishonor will never be forgotten. O LORD of hosts, who test the righteous, who see the heart and the mind, let me see your vengeance upon them, for to you I have committed my cause. Sing to the LORD; praise the LORD! For he has delivered the life of the needy from the hand of evildoers.’”
Jeremiah lived in the 7th and 6th centuries BC. The book named for him is an anthology, of sorts, a collection of sayings, sermons, stories, letters, and oracles that were written down over the course of decades with the assistance of his personal companion and scribe, Baruch. And yes, that is the same Baruch that compiled the book by that name which is also found in the Old Testament.
[00:21:00] Jeremiah was a complex and tragic figure. He became a prophet when he was a young man… too young to be taken seriously by many of the powerful people who needed to listen to him, and too young to fully comprehend what he was getting into when he became a prophet. Jeremiah was trapped between two opposing forces… on the one hand, God was compelling Jeremiah to speak unpopular words to a community that refused to listen and, no matter how hard he resisted, God simply would not allow Jeremiah to remain silent…. and on the other hand, Jeremiah himself was being actively persecuted by those to whom he was preaching because they didn't want to hear the message he was being forced to share.
This entire passage is one long lament, and it reminds us that it is okay to complain to God! It's okay to share our deepest feelings with God… it's okay to pour out all of our pain to God. God will not reject us because we're angry or upset or hurt… he just wants us to be fully open and honest with him.
I also want to mention that Jeremiah is often seen as a type for Jesus - both were young men, both preached an unpopular message, and both were rejected by the Jewish religious authorities.
So, let's listen to what poor Jeremiah has to say…
[00:23:05] “I hear many whispering.”
This passage is from chapter 20, but as early as chapter 6, Jeremiah was already announcing that the kingdom of Judah and its capital city of Jerusalem would fall to the Babylonians. He will repeat that prediction in chapter 46 and again in chapter 49. But by “whispers,” Jeremiah means that the people are conspiring against him because of the alarming and unpopular words he has proclaimed and will continue to proclaim.
“Terror is on every side!”
Jeremiah uses those same words over and over again, so when they are echoed by his persecutors, he knows they are doing so only to mock him.
“Denounce him! Let us denounce him!”
Jeremiah is repeating the words of those who reject his warnings. And who are the people that are saying that?
[00:24:22] “all my familiar friends, watching for my fall.”
Anyone who has ever experienced rejection or betrayal can understand the pain that Jeremiah is feeling. That's one of the reasons it is so easy to be sympathetic toward Jeremiah, because we've all been there.
“Perhaps he will be deceived, then we can overcome him, and take our revenge on him.”
Jeremiah is suggesting that these are the types of things that his not-so-faithful friends are saying amongst themselves. And we hear those words in the book of Job and in Psalm 31 as well.
“But the LORD is with me as a dread warrior;”
[00:25:20] The NAB translates that a bit differently - it says as a mighty champion, placing the emphasis more on the idea of God as a protector rather than as an attacker. And these words prove that - despite Jeremiah's fear, despite the betrayal he has experienced, despite his isolation and the danger he faces - Jeremiah still trusts in the Lord! And what will be the result of Jeremiah's faith and trust in God?
“therefore my persecutors will stumble, they will not overcome me. They will be greatly shamed, for they will not succeed. Their eternal dishonor will never be forgotten.”
That list of consequences makes it easy to see why this passage was paired with our Gospel… those consequences are the kinds of things Jesus meant when he said: “every one who denies me before men, I will deny before my Father” - and Jeremiah prefigures that when he says: “their dishonor will never be forgotten.”
[00:26:47] “O LORD of hosts, who test the righteous, who see the heart and the mind,”
That too relates to our Gospel. Because again, it doesn't matter what we say… words are just words. It's what we do that matters… it's what we think that matters… it's how we treat others that truly matters.
And it always comes back to the same question - do we really see God in every person? That can be especially challenging when someone hurts us or hurts someone that we love… or when we see someone acting in an immoral or unethical manner… all those bad things that people do, intentionally or unintentionally out of ignorance, to cover the divine image that exists inside them with mud and muck and filth. But in spite of all of that, we still need to treat every person with the dignity they deserve - as if they are part of God and God is part of them - because that will always be the reality that persists underneath all the darkness that humanity tries to heap upon itself. And remember, even on the Cross, Jesus forgave those who put him there. Then Jeremiah goes a little overboard…
[00:28:50] “let me see your vengeance upon them,”
Okay, it is perfectly understandable for Jeremiah to want to witness for himself the punishment of those who hurt him so badly… understandable and very human. But then Jeremiah acknowledges..
“for to you I have committed my cause.”
In the midst of all the difficulties he is experiencing, Jeremiah remains fully aware of the awesome power of God and recommits himself to God's service. Then, as all laments do, this passage ends with words of praise!
“Sing to the LORD; praise the LORD! For he has delivered the life of the needy from the hand of evildoers.”
[00:29:54] By those words, we know that Jeremiah is fully aware that God is always listening and that he will act according to his own will and in his own time. Jeremiah's words should assure us of that same truth. They remind us that we too should know that God always listens to us, even when we aren't always so sure that's the case.
His words remind us that God always acts according to his own plan, even though we may not always understand it, and that God's actions always occur at the appropriate time and in the particular manner that he intends them to occur, not according to our will or in our time. These words remind us that we should devote more time to heavenly concerns rather than earthly ones. That won't be easy, and it will involve changing the way we think.
[00:31:30] That takes us to our Responsorial Psalm, which is Psalm 69, and the refrain is:
“O God, in the abundance of your mercy answer me.”
And here are the verses:
“[F]or your sake I have borne reproach, shame has covered my face. I have become a stranger to my brethren, an alien to my mother's sons. [Z]eal for your house has consumed me, and the insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.”
“[M]y prayer is to you, O LORD. At an acceptable time. O God, in the abundance of your mercy answer me [w]ith your faithful help. Answer me, O LORD, for your merciful love is good; according to your abundant compassion, turn to me.”
“Let the humble see it and be glad; you who seek God, let your hearts revive. For the Lord hears the needy, and does not despise his own that are in bonds. Let heaven and earth praise him, the seas and everything that moves therein.”
[00:32:49] As you were probably able to guess, this is a Lament Psalm. The Psalmist has been falsely accused, insulted, and unjustly persecuted, so he - understandably - wishes for God's judgment upon his tormentors… just as Jeremiah did. So, at first glance, it's evident why this Psalm paired so well with our passage from Jeremiah, but we should keep in mind that the Psalm is also meant to pair with the Gospel - and in Matthew's Gospel, Jesus predicted that the Apostles, too, would be persecuted for their actions, which is another way to tie all of those Scriptures together. When the Psalmist addresses the humble and those who seek God in that final stanza, that correlates with Jesus' words: “whoever acknowledges me before men, I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father.” And again, like Jeremiah's lament… this Lament Psalm ends with the Psalmist offering praise to God, meaning that we too should see God, we too should praise God, we too should change our way of thinking, even though we know it won't be easy.
[00:34:30] That takes us to our Second Reading, which is from Romans 5: 12-15.
“[Brothers and sisters:] [S]in came into the world through one man and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all men sinned—sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sins were not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come. But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man's trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift of the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many.”
If we think back to last week, I said that we would have 14 passages in a row from Romans in this portion of Ordinary Time - this is the 2nd of 14, and it follows immediately after the conclusion of last week's passage. Last week, Paul talked about how Christ died for all humanity - while we were still sinners. This week begins a section of Paul's letter that expounds more fully on the origins of sin. Paul's main point is that Jesus’ Death on the Cross was an extravagant response not only to the Original Sin of Adam, but to the sins that continue to be committed down throughout all of time. Paul also points out that Jesus’ Sacrifice not only freed us from our sin - sin that would have earned us eternal separation from God - but that he also made it possible for all mankind to enjoy the gift of life here on earth and to receive divine grace and love that will strengthen us along the way.
[00:37:06] I also want to point out that if this sounds familiar, that's because we heard part of this on the First Sunday of Lent back in February. So, let's listen to what Paul has to say to us this week…
“[Brothers and sisters:] [S]in came into the world through one man and death through sin,”
That one man, of course, is Adam, and the death that entered through sin is the bodily death that we are all destined to experience.
“and so death spread to all men because all men sinned—”
Paul mentions sin and death a lot in this passage, but our definition of these words may be too narrow. Sin isn't just individual sin, and it's not just inherited sin (or Original Sin, the sin of Adam) - it is both of those things, but it is also the power of evil that deceives us, that tempts us, that tries to separate us from God. And when that happens, evil wins. And death is not just physical death - because, as I said, we are all destined to experience physical death. An even greater danger lies in a type of emotional and spiritual death… which happens when the forces of evil persuade us that life is not a gift from God, but a hopeless existence filled with suffering and worry that ends in nothingness. And when people feel that, then evil wins again!
[00:39:21] Sin is - in many ways - unavoidable here in our concupiscence and in the midst of our fallen world… and the battle against sin is an individual one that each of us must fight along with God's help. But, when we see someone who is struggling… when we encounter someone who is mired in sadness or trapped in darkness or depression… then we need to reach out! We need to share some of our light and love… because being reminded that you're not alone and that someone cares can make a world of difference. It won't solve everything, but it just might get someone through another day. And in those instances, evil doesn't win! Paul then gives some interesting specifics….
“sin indeed was in the world before the law was given,”
Meaning before Moses brought the tablets of the law down from Mount Sinai.
“but sin is not counted where there is no law.”
What Paul means by that is not that there was no sin - he just said there was - but that there was no way to measure the severity of sin before the law was in place.
“Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses,”
[00:41:12] Sin and death came into the world through Adam and was present from Adam until Moses received the law. During that time, there may not have been a gauge that could be used to measure sin, but death was a very real consequence of sin nevertheless.
“even over those whose sins were not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who wants to come.”
The sin of Adam was based in pride and disobedience, things we all experience, but no one since then has had a transgression like Adam's because no one has had as intimate a relationship with God as Adam did - so his pride was unique, his disobedience was unique.
And when Paul says that Adam was a type of the one who was to come, he of course means Jesus. Adam, as the first man, was made from the dust of the earth and given life by the breath of God; Jesus, the new Adam, was the first to be Resurrected from death to eternal life in a body glorified at the moment of his Resurrection… a body no longer confined to earth, but transformed and belonging to the Fathers divine kingdom.
[00:43:19] Because Jesus is the firstborn from the dead, we believe that God will raise our bodies to incorruptible life also, through the power of Jesus’ Resurrection. We believe that we will follow where Jesus has already gone.
“But the free gift (meaning God's grace) is not like the trespass (meaning man's sin). For if many died through one man's trespass,”
From Adam to Christ, humanity lived in a world ruled exclusively by sin and death.
“much more have the grace of God and the free gift in the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many.”
Jesus, the new Adam, recreates the human race… Jesus undoes - through humility and obedience - the sin Adam committed in pride and disobedience. And by doing so, Jesus establishes a new reality… one that abounds in grace and does not end in eternal death, but in the hope of eternal life. This passage serves, in a way, as a prelude for Paul's theology of baptism, which we will begin exploring in next week.
[00:45:13] Our readings this week, however, managed to touch on some of humanity's deepest anxieties… from the danger Jeremiah faced, to the insults and reproach heaped upon the Psalmist… from our natural fear of death, to our inability to appreciate our own worth… we have so many fears and so much anxiety, and yet we still disregard Jesus’ assurance that we have nothing to fear and his promise that the Father sees value in each of us.
In fact, Scripture is full of reminders, promises, affirmations, and still we are not reassured… still we devote too much time and effort to the earthly concerns that are always before us… and still we ignore the heavenly concerns that should be of prime importance.
So, let's change that and let's begin by changing our actions!
Let's choose to be the eyes that Jesus uses to look compassionately at the world.
Let's be the feet with which he walks to do good.
Let's remember that God always listens to us.
Let's trust in God's plan, even though we don't understand it.
Let's surrender to God's will, no matter how difficult that may be.
Let's reach out and share some of our light and love with those who need it.
Because if we change what we do, then our thoughts will change with our actions, and those selfless earthly things we do will help us - will change us - to become more devoted to heavenly concerns!
[00:47:50] If you would like to reach out to me with questions or comments, send me an email at
[email protected]
Thank you for spending this time with me and until next we meet, may God shower his blessings upon you like a soft and gentle rain, and may he hold you safe and secure in the palm of his hand.
From His Word to Our Hearts is produced by SFS Audio Solutions.
The content of the show was assembled by me, Sally Moriarty-Flask.
Our music was composed by Jimmy Flask and is used with the permission of the composer. All rights reserved.
Information regarding references used in preparing the exegesis for this podcast is available upon request.
Thank you for listening and God Bless.
