Your Heart is Where Your Treasure is – Jun 23 – Homily – Fr John Lawrence

 

Fr John Lawrence gives the homily at Bloomington, IN, on Jun 23, 2023, on how we should focus on the treasures of heaven rather than earth because our hearts will be where our treasure is, and we need to put our hearts in heaven to get there.

Today, St. Paul is confronted by supposed 'super-apostles' who claim greater qualifications than him. St. Paul declares that the key credential for a prophet or apostle is to be chosen by God, as he and the twelve apostles were, and as bishops, priests, and deacons are through the Church. However, those spreading a different gospel, like the so-called super-apostles, were not sent by God. St. Paul's struggles show his focus on heavenly treasures, while many people prioritize earthly riches. Yet, earthly treasures are unstable - they can be lost in the stock market crash, theft, or disaster. Therefore, we should strive to store our treasures in heaven by using our resources for good, following the words of Jesus: "For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be."

St. Anthony of Padua's incident during the funeral of a rich miser serves as a testament to this teaching. The saint, through divine inspiration, claimed that the miser's heart was not in his body, but in his wealth. The heart was indeed found in the miser's chest, emphasizing Christ's words: "For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be."

Jesus uses the eye as a metaphor for our intentions. The 'simple eye' represents pure intention - serving God as life's ultimate aim. In this light, everything we do should serve God, and thus serve our neighbor. By centering on God, our actions are illuminated, allowing us to see the value of everything in relation to God. However, if our intention is misplaced, we see everything incorrectly and misuse them, resulting in darkness instead of enlightenment. So, to live in the light, we must love God above all and focus our treasures in heaven, as modeled by Our Lady and the Saints.

The biblical references within this homily and their corresponding links are as follows:

"St. Paul defends himself against the so-called super-apostles" - [2 Corinthians 11: 5 - I consider that I am not in the least inferior to these super-apostles - https://bible.usccb.org/bible/2corinthians/11?5].

"Christ personally sent the twelve apostles and St. Paul. Through the Church, he sends bishops, priests, and deacons" - [Matthew 10: 1 - He called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness - https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/10?1].

"St. Paul's struggles show his focus on heavenly treasures, while many people prioritize earthly riches" - [Matthew 6: 19-21 - Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth...But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven - https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/6?19-21].

"The 'simple eye' represents pure intention - serving God as life's ultimate aim" - [Matthew 6: 22-23 - The eye is the lamp of the body...if your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light - https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/6?22-23].

00:00 – St. Paul's Defense and the Role of Apostles
00:57 – The Futility of Earthly Treasures
02:07 – The Story of St. Anthony of Padua
03:16 – The Parable of the Eye and the Significance of Intention
05:42 – The Importance of Putting God First and the Value of Heavenly Treasures

Ave Maria!

Mass: Friday 11th Week of Ordinary Time - Wkdy
Readings:  - http://usccb.org/bible/readings/062323.cfm
1st: 2co 11:18, 21-30
Resp: psa 34:2-7
Gsp: mat 6:19-23

More on the Readings: https://airmaria.com/r?m=1423

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