Today’s Scripture Readings

Meanwhile, when the crowd gathered in thousands, so that they trampled on one another, he began to speak first to his disciples, ‘Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees, that is, their hypocrisy. Nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered, and nothing secret that will not become known. Therefore whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered behind closed doors will be proclaimed from the housetops.

‘I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that can do nothing more. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him! Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten in God’s sight. But even the hairs of your head are all counted. Do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.

Jesus’ words to his disciples in today’s Gospel are profoundly tender. He begins by calling them friends. In that naming lies a radical intimacy, a promise that in the midst of fears or the noise of public opinion, each of us is known and cherished. Jesus reassures them: ‘Even the hairs of your head are counted’. His care is personal, compassionate and all encompassing.

This Gospel passage resonates powerfully with Pope Leo’s exhortation Dilexi Te (“I have loved you”). In it, Pope Leo calls Christians to attend especially to the poor, reminding us that Christ’s love is not abstract but embodied in the suffering of the vulnerable. Just as Jesus sees each sparrow and numbers each hair, the Pope reminds us that God’s concern never bypasses the marginalised or the forgotten.

In a world that often measures worth by influence and achievement, Dilexi Te and today’s Gospel together remind us that true value is not found in prestige, power or productivity. It is intrinsic and grounded in divine love.

To be called friend by Christ is to be invited into that love. Even when the world is indifferent, the Father’s gaze remains fixed lovingly on each of us. Fear loses its grip when we rest in the certainty that every life bears infinite worth.

Jesus, friend to all, let our hearts find courage and rest in the love you extend to us. May we mirror your tenderness in voice and deed, speaking up and reaching out to welcome those most in need. Amen