Memorial of Saint Aloysius Gonzaga, Religious
Matthew 6:24-34
You cannot serve two masters

Jesus tells us with great clarity: “No one can serve two masters… You cannot serve God and mammon” (Mt 6:24). These are strong words, not suggestions. They are an invitation to choose: whom do we serve — the Lord of life, or the illusion of security that wealth and worry promise?
To understand this, think of the parable of the sower. The seed that falls among thorns is choked by “riches and worldly concerns” (Mt 13:22). These are not harmless distractions — they suffocate God’s Word in us. They twist our hearts, confuse our lives, and make us live as if we have no past and no future.

But we do. Our life, our faith, stands on three pillars: choice, promise, and covenant. God has chosen us. He called us by name, He loved us first. He has made us a promise — a future filled with hope, eternal life with Him. And now, in the present, He invites us into a covenant: a living relationship of trust and love.

But wealth and worry can cut us off from this story. When we cling to riches or are consumed by anxiety, we forget the past — that God has chosen us — and we lose sight of the future — that He has promised us joy. We live trapped in a false present, running in circles, without roots or hope.

The Lord, however, reminds us: “Do not worry… Your heavenly Father knows what you need” (Mt 6:31–32). We are not orphans. We have a Father. Let us not allow riches and worries to steal that truth from our hearts.

Let us walk forward, remembering our past in God, trusting in His promise, and living today with peace. We cannot serve two masters — but we can joyfully serve the One who never stops loving us.

© Claretian Publications, Hong Kong, China
Cum Approbatione Ecclesiastica 2025