…store up treasures in heaven…

 

Scripture readings for this reflection can be found at Friday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time | USCCB

In our gospel for today our Lord is teaching us about the importance of remaining focused on heaven, our ultimate home. Material and earthly accumulations can be a distraction from what is important: happiness in heaven. By remaining faithful to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, we are storing up our treasures in heaven.

All the accumulations here on earth can possibly be lost or destroyed or stolen. Owning of a large amount of wealth and other material things, our focus will be on these belongings rather than focusing on something greater: love of God and love of neighbor. In the long run, gathering material goods and riches doesn’t really bring true happiness. It may bring short term pleasure, but there will always be a possibility of losing these things that we value here on earth. We are not to make objects or valuables more important than our relationship with God. By making our objects or valuables more important than God, we have made them out to be the false gods that goes against the commandments of God. As the Lord says in today’s gospel, “For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.”

Is your treasure looking at how much wealth you’ve accumulated? Or is your wealth in your relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ? It is our following Jesus Christ that we can truly find happiness in this world and happiness in the life hereafter.

The Lord goes on to tell us that “The lamp of the body is the eye.” If you’re focusing on things of the earth and your belongings, you will never be satisfied. True happiness comes from keeping our spiritual eyes on God and His Will for us. It is through the regular attendance at Mass, by the regular use of confession, and by regular reading of scripture and other spiritual materials that will lead us to focus on heavenly things. It is through this regular reading of scripture that will fill us with that spiritual light that the Lord is talking about in today’s gospel.

As we go through our days, once we move beyond our time at Mass or our spiritual readings, let us remain focused throughout the day that Jesus is always present with us in all our actions. By living out our lives as God-centered Christians, we can bring that light of Christ to all those we encounter as we go through our day. It is then that we will be storing up treasures in heaven.