Based on a talk by Fr Joseph Edattu:

We are living in a world where there is a spirit of tiredness, a spirit of hopelessness, and a spirit of disappointment everywhere. During my holiday, I met people at the Divine Retreat Centre in Kerala. They spoke to me and I got a general feeling that everyone was tired, weak, filled with disappointment, feeling helpless and hopeless. The COVID lockdown had done this and more. Businesses had collapsed. Farming was at a standstill, providing no income to farmers. Small scale industries were suffering. People faced a lot of insecurities, fear, and tension in different ways.

Hopelessness, helplessness, and weakness overtake us when there is no hope, no aim, no assurance from the Father above. Even though we read the Bible every day, go for confession, attend Holy Mass every day, we are lacking the trust, the trust in the Lord. This is what I am going to talk to you about: “Trusting the Lord”.

In Luke 12: 6 we read, “Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten in God’s sight.”

In ancient times sparrows were sold for two pennies, an insignificant amount. The value of a sparrow was dirt cheap compared to a human being, just two pennies. Think of other worthless animals and insects, like cockroaches. These are insects that no one wants; they have no value to human beings. “Yet, not one of them is forgotten in God’s sight.” What does it mean? It means even their life is formed by God, their limbs and everything is formed by God, even their life is accounted for in the presence of God. God knows them. God prepares their life. God counts their life. Everything is touched by God. It is not forgotten. Jesus says, “Yet, not one of them is forgotten in God’s sight. Then how much more He will take care of you.”

Verse 7 states, “But even the hairs of your head are all counted. Do not be afraid. You are of more value than many sparrows.”

Jesus, the Son of God, is telling you face to face. Even your hair is counted. Your hair may be falling out. You may be worried; you may get tense and disturbed. But Jesus says, God knows, He is aware of every hair follicle that falls from your head. Each one of them is accounted for. God says, “Do not be afraid! This season will pass, this mountain – we will cross, this desert – we will pass through too. “Therefore, do not be afraid, you are of much more value to me than many sparrows. This is the message God wants you to know, do not be afraid.

There is this lady I know of, who is one of those people who came to the Divine Retreat Centre in the first year. I have known her for a very long time. She sends me long, painful, and sorrowful messages about her child. She has been sending me messages for the past eight years and still continues to send me these messages asking for prayers. Even though there is no improvement in the situation, I can assure you she still trusts the Lord. She is still holding on to God. She is still hopeful. This is the message I want to tell all those who are going through painful experiences, do not be afraid. You were worried about your child eight years ago and are still worried to date. Worry is only disturbing you. Worrying doesn’t change anything. Nothing different would have happened. You are still alive, your child is alive, everyone is alive, life is going on.

I know it is easy to say don’t worry and difficult to do. When you are in the midst of a storm, it’s difficult not to feel its effects. The turbulence, the shaking, the uncertainty—it can all be overwhelming. However, God does not promise us a life without storms. He does not promise that we will not feel pain, or sorrow, or grief. But what he does promise is to be with us in the midst of the storm.

In the book of Isaiah 43:2, God says, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.” This verse does not say that we will not go through waters, or rivers, or fire. It says that when we do, God will be with us.

So, when worry begins to creep in, when the disappointments and the hopelessness start to weigh heavily on you, remember these words. Remember that you are not alone, that your life matters to God, even the smallest details of it, and that he is with you in your struggles. He is with you in the midst of your storm.

This kind of trust in God does not come easy. It is a trust that is built over time. It is built through the process of constantly turning to God in prayer, reading and meditating on His Word, and experiencing His faithfulness in your life. It requires patience, it requires persistence, and it requires faith. But once it is built, it is a trust that can carry you through the darkest storms and the deepest valleys.

So, my dear friends, despite the hardships we face, despite the uncertainty of these times, let us place our trust in the Lord. Let us cling to his promises and hold fast to his love. Remember, he values you more than you can ever comprehend.

Let this trust in the Lord be our strength, our hope, and our guiding light in these trying times. For if God cares for the sparrows, how much more will He care for us? May these words of Jesus inspire you and fill you with hope, even in the midst of your worries. Amen.