Matthew 6:26 (WEB)
See the birds of the sky, that they don’t sow, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns. Your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you of much more value than they?
Catechism · 3
The Seventh Commandment
“By their mere existence they bless him and give him glory.” — Catechism footnote: Cf. Mt 6:26; Dan 3:79-81.
The Tenth Commandment
“Abandonment to the providence of the Father in heaven frees us from anxiety about tomorrow.” — Catechism footnote: Cf. Mt 6:25-34.
The Seven Petitions
“In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus insists on the filial trust that cooperates with our Father's providence.” — Catechism footnote: Cf. Mt 6:25-34.
Fathers and councils · 31
Origen
- Origen, Against Celsus VII.24Book VII
“Consider the lilies of the field;”—these precepts, and those which follow, are not inconsistent with the promised blessings of the law, which teaches that the just “shall eat their bread to the…” — editor's note: Matt. vi. 25–28.
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Cyril of Jerusalem
“…is in heaven; this also, Behold the fowls of the heaven that they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; and your heavenly Father feedeth them; and this, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.” — editor's note: Matt. vi. 26.
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Ambrose of Milan
““Behold,” He said, “the fowls of the air, they sow not, neither do they reap.”” — editor's note: S. Matt. vi. 26.
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Augustine of Hippo
“…body; to the substance of which belong meat and drink, according to what is said in the Gospel, “Is not the soul more than meat, and the body than raiment?” as if it belonged to the soul to eat, to the body to be clothed.” — editor's note: Matt. vi. 26.
Read the whole comment“There are some who find fault and say, that these two Testaments agree not with one another.…Let us hear the Lord Himself, the Chief and Master of the Apostles: “Consider,” saith He, “the fowls of the air; they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns, and your heavenly Father feedeth them.”” — editor's note: Matt. vi. 26.
Read the whole comment“Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.”” — editor's note: Matt. vi. 25–34
Read the whole comment“For it is not only said, that “they sow not, neither reap;” but there is added, “nor gather in apothecas.”” — editor's note: Matt. vi. 26
Read the whole comment“…by for the morrow, is possibly not against the Gospel where it is said, “Behold the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into stores;” then is it possibly not against the Gospel nor against similitude of the birds of the air, to maintain this life of the flesh by labor of corporal working.” — editor's note: Matt. vi. 26
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John Chrysostom
“From what we have already, then, He urges us in this way: and from examples of other things, by saying, “Behold the fowls of the air.”” — editor's note: Matt. vi. 26.
Read the whole comment“He saith not unto them, “Ye have heard that I have told you before, ‘Behold the fowls of the air;’”(for they were not yet able to realisethis commandment in their actions); but He added what came far short of this, saying, “For the workman is worthy of his…” — editor's note: Matt. vi. 26.
Read the whole comment“Then showing that His injunctions are easy, He saith, “Behold the fowls of the air.”” — editor's note: Matt. vi. 26.
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Jerome
“Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them.”” — editor's note: Matt. vi. 25, 26.
Read the whole comment“If you are careful for raiment the gospel bids you “consider the lilies;” and, if for food, to go back to the fowls which “sow not neither do they reap; yet your heavenly father feedeth them.”” — editor's note: Matt. vi. 26, 28.
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Tertullian
“What if a man allege “indigence,” so as to profess that his flesh is openly prostituted, and given in marriage for the sake of maintenance; forgetting that there is to be no careful thought about food and clothing?” — editor's note: See Matt. vi. 25–34.
Read the whole comment“…God, and (His) care and providence, who clothes with such grace the lilies of the field; who, without any labour on their part, feeds the fowls of the heaven; who prohibits care to be taken about to-morrow’s food and clothing, promising that He knows what is needful for each of His servants—not indeed ponderous…” — editor's note: Matt. vi. 26.
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Hilary of Poitiers
“Father feedeth them, and, Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing?” — editor's note: St. Matt. vi. 26.
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Gregory of Nazianzus
“…necessaries, his only luxury being to prove himself not luxurious, and not, in consequence, to have greater needs: but he looked to the lilies and the birds, whose beauty is artless, and their food casual, according to the important advice of my Christ, who made Himself poor in the flesh for our sakes, that we might…” — editor's note: S. Matt. vi. 26.
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Catena Aurea on Luke
- Theophylact of OhridCatena Aurea on Luke
“Hence in Matthew our Lord refers to the birds of the air, (Matt. 6:26.) but here more particularly to the ravens, as being more greedy and ravenous than others.” — the author cites it
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Cyprian of Carthage
“Are not ye of more value than they?”” — editor's note: Matt. vi. 26.
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Catena Aurea on Matthew
- Pseudo-ChrysostomCatena Aurea on Matthew
Having confirmed our hope by this arguing from the greater to the less, He next confirms it by an argument from less to greater, “Behold the fowls of the air, they sow not, neither do they reap.”
Read the whole comment - Augustine of HippoCatena Aurea on Matthew
Some argue that they ought not to labour, because the fowls of the air neither sow nor reap. Why then do they not attend to that which follows, “neither gather into barns? Why do they seek to have their hands idle,…
Read the whole comment - Augustine of HippoCatena Aurea on Matthew
Ye are of more value, because a rational animal, such as man is, is higher in the scale of nature than an irrational, such as are the birds of the air.
Read the whole comment - Augustine of HippoCatena Aurea on Matthew
Indeed a higher price is often given for a horse than a slave, for a jewel than for a waiting maid, but this not from reasonable valuation, but from the need of the person requiring, or rather from his pleasure…
Read the whole comment - Pseudo-ChrysostomCatena Aurea on Matthew
For God created all animals for man, but man for himself; therefore by how much the more precious is the creation of man, so much the greater is God’s care for him. If then the birds without toiling find food, shall…
Read the whole comment - JeromeCatena Aurea on Matthew
There be some who, seeking to go beyond the limits of their fathers, and to soar into the air, sink into the deep and are drowned. These will have the birds of the air to mean the Angels, and the other powers in the…
Read the whole comment - Hilary of PoitiersCatena Aurea on Matthew
It may be said, that under the name of birds, He exhorts us by the example of the unclean spirits, to whom, without any trouble of their own in seeking and collecting it, provision of life is given by the power of…
Read the whole comment - Glossa OrdinariaCatena Aurea on Matthew
He teaches us not only by the instance of the birds, but adds a further proof, that to our being and life our own care is not enough, but Divine Providence therein works; saying, “Which of you by taking thought can…
Read the whole comment - Pseudo-ChrysostomCatena Aurea on Matthew
For it is God who day by day works the growth of your body, yourself not feeling it. If then the Providence of God works thus daily in your very body, how shall that same Providence withhold from working in…
Read the whole comment - Augustine of HippoCatena Aurea on Matthew
Or it may be connected with what follows it; as though He should say, It was not by our care that our body was brought to its present stature; so that we may know that if we desired to add one cubit to it, we should…
Read the whole comment - Hilary of PoitiersCatena Aurea on Matthew
Otherwise; As by the example of the spirits He had fixed our faith in the supply of food for our lives, so now by a decision of common understanding He cuts off all anxiety about supply of clothing. Seeing that He it…
Read the whole comment - Augustine of HippoCatena Aurea on Matthew
But if Christ rose again with the same stature with which He died, it is impious to say that when the time of the resurrection of all shall come, there shall be added to His body a bigness that it had not at His own…
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Cross-references · 21
Cited together in Concerning Widows Chapter 1.
Cited together in Concerning Widows Chapter 1.
Cited together in Catechism §2547.
Cited together in Theophylact of Ohrid on Luke 12:24–26 (Catena Aurea).
Cited together in Theophylact of Ohrid on Luke 12:24–26 (Catena Aurea).
Cited together in Theophylact of Ohrid on Luke 12:24–26 (Catena Aurea).
Cited together in Of the Work of Monks Chapter 27.
Cited together in Augustine of Hippo on Matthew 6:26–27 (Catena Aurea) and 1 other place.
Cited together in Of the Work of Monks Chapter 27.
Cited together in Concerning Widows Chapter 1.
Cited together in Concerning Widows Chapter 1.
Cited together in Concerning Widows Chapter 1.
Cited together in Concerning Widows Chapter 1.
Cited together in Against Celsus VII.24.
Cited together in Concerning Widows Chapter 1.
Cited together in Against Celsus VII.24.
Cited together in Against Celsus VII.24.
Cited together in Against Celsus VII.24.
Cited together in Catechism §2416.
Cited together in Catechism §2416.
Cited together in Catechism §2416.