THE WORD
2 Kgs 11,1-4.9-18.20 / Mt 6,19-23
Jesus advised: “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and decay destroy, and thieves break in and steal. But store up treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor decay destroys, nor thieves break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be. The lamp of the body is the eye. If your eye is sound, your whole body will be filled with light; but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be in darkness. And if the light in you is darkness, how great will the darkness be.”
IN OTHER WORDS
My sister once told me about her hardworking Chinese officemate who was obsessed with saving up money in the belief that it was the surest way for her to enjoy life after death. Jesus teaches us that we cannot bring with us to the next life any of our earthly material possessions.
In the Gospel reading, Jesus asks us to store up treasures in heaven. Such treasures – for example, acts of kindness, mercy, love and compassion – can never be destroyed nor taken away from us. When we selessly share with others what we have, we find the deeper meaning and purpose of our life. When we realize that every human being is a child of God and is, therefore, our brother or sister, we come to understand what truly matters in the eyes of God and what endures beyond our earthly life. The Chilean saint San Alberto Hurtado affirmed with conviction: “The poor is Christ.” San Alberto spent his life and all his energy to love and serve Christ whom he saw in every poor person he met. When we love, we overcome our fear of losing ourselves because we believe what Jesus has promised us: “Whoever loses his life for my sake will nd it.” Our treasure that will last for all eternity is the total giving of ourselves in love so that others can have a better life. Where is your heart right now? What kind of treasures are you storing up in your daily life?
- Fr. Edwin Fernandez, SVD | DWC, Laoag
The Word in other words 2016
An annual project of Logos Publications, The WORD in Other Words Bible Diary contains daily scripture readings and reflections written by priest, brothers, and sisters of the three congregations founded by St. Arnold Janssen (the SVD, SSpS, and SSpSAP). It hopes to serve as a daily companion to readers who continually seek the correlation of the Word of God and human experience.
