Treasures in Heaven
28th Sunday in Ordinary Time
“Fill us with your love, O Lord, and we will sing for joy!”Ps. 90
It is the only thing that will remain from everything you do, fight for, and tire yourself over-the treasures you have stored in heaven. It is the only thing you can consider as truly yours, and through which you can gain eternal life. Everything else is not yours, nor does it grant you eternal life; they are things that do not belong to you, things you merely manage while you breathe in this world, but they neither are nor will ever be yours.
“Do not store up treasures for yourselves on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. Store up treasures for yourselves in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”Matthew 6:19-21
What you gain in this world is like having your savings in a bank that you know will go bankrupt, and everything accumulated will be lost. You don’t know when, but it will happen soon; everything will lose its value, and you won’t be able to retrieve anything you invested. But you have the possibility to save in another bank that you know for certain won’t fail, as it is backed and guaranteed by divine governance, which ensures extraordinary returns, because to those who have, more will be given.
Make sure you understand this well, because:
“To the one who has, more will be given; but from the one who does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken away.”Luke 8:18
But the one who does not store up treasures in this heavenly bank will lose everything, even what he thought he had, because he placed it in the bank that was destined for total failure. Everything that is achieved in this world for this earthly life can be stolen, corroded, or ultimately destroyed by time and death.
How to Store Treasures in Heaven? It is to “seek first the Kingdom of God” (Matthew 6:33) by practicing charity and keeping the commandments. This is what makes us precious in the eyes of God—“That person is my friend, my sister, and my mother; we will come to him and make our home with him… the one who keeps my word.” Through faith and trust in Him, we have passed from death to life, and we no longer need to fear physical death, for Jesus assures us of eternal life.
The corporal and spiritual works of mercy are precious in God’s eyes, and they help us accumulate treasures in heaven. Doing good, helping others in their needs—it is Jesus Himself we are aiding when we help our neighbor (Matthew 25:35). This is why Jesus urges us to use money to make friends in heaven, by doing good and helping others charitably (Luke 16:9).
“And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth, so that when it fails, they may receive you into eternal dwellings.”Matthew 19:21
Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” We will be saved by the richness in heaven not the earth’s.
Weekly Readings
Sunday: Wis 7:7-11/Ps 90:12-13, 14-15, 16-17 (14)/Heb 4:12-13/Mk 10:17-30 or 10:17-27
Monday: Gal 4:22-24, 26-27, 31—5:1/Ps 113:1b-2, 3-4, 5a and 6-7/Lk 11:29-32
Tuesday: Gal 5:1-6/Ps 119:41, 43, 44, 45, 47, 48/Lk 11:37-41
Wednesday: Gal 5:18-25/Ps 1:1-2, 3 and 6/Lk 11:42-46
Thursday: Eph 1:1-10/Ps 98:1, 2-3ab, 3cd-4, 5-6/Lk 11:47-54
Friday: 2 Tm 4:10-17b/Ps 145:10-11, 12-13, 17-18/Lk 10:1-9
Saturday: Eph 1:15-23/Ps 8:2-3ab, 4-5, 6-7/Lk 12:8-12
Next Sunday: Is 53:10-11/Ps 33:4-5, 18-19, 20, 22 (22)/Heb 4:14-16/Mk 10:35-45 or 10:42-45
Observances for the Week
Sunday: 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Monday: St. Callistus I, Pope and Martyr; Columbus Day
Tuesday: St. Teresa of Jesus, Virgin and Doctor of the Church
Wednesday: St. Hedwig, Religious; St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, Virgin
Thursday: St. Ignatius of Antioch, Bishop and Martyr
Friday: St. Luke, Evangelist
Saturday: Sts. John de Brébeuf and Isaac Jogues, Priests, and Companions, Martyrs; St. Peter of Alcantara
Next Sunday: 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time; World Mission Sunday
