Family Bible Study - 8th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Gospel Passage
Matt. 6:24 Jesus said, “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one
and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot
serve God and mammon. 25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life,
what you shall eat or what you shall drink, nor about your body, what you shall put
on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds
of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly
Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by
being anxious can add one cubit to his span of life? 28 And why are you anxious
about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor
spin; 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is
thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O men of little faith? 31
Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or
‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek all these things; and your heavenly
Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his
righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well. 34 “Therefore do not be
anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Let the day’s own
trouble be sufficient for the day.

Questions for discussion -

1. Jesus says we should not be anxious or worried about even the things we
really need in life: food, drink, clothing, housing. Why does he say we
shouldn’t be worried?

2. If we shouldn’t worry about what we really need in life (food, drink,
clothing or housing), is there anything else we should be worried about?

3. Jesus says, “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all
these things shall be given you as well.” What does it mean to seek God’s
kingdom first? Which saint famously preached quite often on these words?
used with permission - Fr. Roger Landry