20250620 WHAT IS THE TREASURE OF YOUR LIFE?
20 June 2025, Friday, 11th Week in Ordinary Time
First reading |
2 Corinthians 11:18,21-30 |
If I am to boast, let me boast of my own feebleness
So many others have been boasting of their worldly achievements, that I will boast myself. But if anyone wants some brazen speaking – I am still talking as a fool – then I can be as brazen as any of them, and about the same things. Hebrews, are they? So am I. Israelites? So am I. Descendants of Abraham? So am I. The servants of Christ? I must be mad to say this, but so am I, and more than they: more, because I have worked harder, I have been sent to prison more often, and whipped many times more, often almost to death. Five times I had the thirty-nine lashes from the Jews; three times I have been beaten with sticks; once I was stoned; three times I have been shipwrecked and once adrift in the open sea for a night and a day. Constantly travelling, I have been in danger from rivers and in danger from brigands, in danger from my own people and in danger from pagans; in danger in the towns, in danger in the open country, danger at sea and danger from so-called brothers. I have worked and laboured, often without sleep; I have been hungry and thirsty and often starving; I have been in the cold without clothes. And, to leave out much more, there is my daily preoccupation: my anxiety for all the churches. When any man has had scruples, I have had scruples with him; when any man is made to fall, I am tortured.
If I am to boast, then let me boast of my own feebleness.
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 33(34):2-7 |
The Lord rescues the just in all their distress.
I will bless the Lord at all times,
his praise always on my lips;
in the Lord my soul shall make its boast.
The humble shall hear and be glad.
The Lord rescues the just in all their distress.
Glorify the Lord with me.
Together let us praise his name.
I sought the Lord and he answered me;
from all my terrors he set me free.
The Lord rescues the just in all their distress.
Look towards him and be radiant;
let your faces not be abashed.
This poor man called, the Lord heard him
and rescued him from all his distress.
The Lord rescues the just in all their distress.
Gospel Acclamation | Jn8:12 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
I am the light of the world, says the Lord;
anyone who follows me will have the light of life.
Alleluia!
Or: | Mt5:3 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
How happy are the poor in spirit:
theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Alleluia!
Gospel | Matthew 6:19-23 |
Store up treasure for yourselves in heaven
Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Do not store up treasures for yourselves on earth, where moths and woodworms destroy them and thieves can break in and steal. But store up treasures for yourselves in heaven, where neither moth nor woodworms destroy them and thieves cannot break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
‘The lamp of the body is the eye. It follows that if your eye is sound, your whole body will be filled with light. But if your eye is diseased, your whole body will be all darkness. If then, the light inside you is darkness, what darkness that will be!’
WHAT IS THE TREASURE OF YOUR LIFE?
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [2 COR 11:18. 21-30; MT 6:19-23]
“For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” The heart is what holds our attention. In truth, what we mean is the intellect, because the heart is not a faculty. But the reality is that when the intellect offers the will something good to strive for, we call it the heart. So where is the heart? It is what we see as good and therefore desire to have. It is true that we all have many kinds of desires, but which one holds our entire being more than the rest? When something fully captures our attention, we are able to give our whole heart, soul, and strength to it.
In the Gospel, Jesus not only spoke about the heart, He also mentioned the eye: “The lamp of the body is the eye.” It is significant that Jesus spoke of an eye, not both eyes. The emphasis on the single eye underscores the analogy with the heart — it refers to having a primary focus. When we want to see something clearly or concentrate on an object, we often cover one eye to better focus. So, when Jesus said the eye is the lamp of the body, He was referring to what gives the body its direction and focus. What we see becomes what the body either desires or rejects.
What, then, is the most important thing in your life? What drives you? For many of us, it is money, wealth, power, fame, and popularity. Yet, as the Lord warns us: “Do not store up treasures for yourselves on earth, where moths and woodworms destroy them and thieves can break in and steal.” The truth is that such things cannot last. Money will be spent, and even if it is not, it will be taken by someone else after our death. We cannot carry a single cent with us. If we are interested in power, that too will not last. As we age, others will take over our positions. Fame also fades, for when we are no longer useful to the world, we are often abandoned and forgotten.
So the reality is that wealth, power, and fame cannot bring us security. In fact, the more we have, the more insecure we become. Those of us who are wealthy worry about how to grow and safeguard our money. We fear that others might take our wealth away — if not by theft or fraud, then by market collapse. Those in power live under constant threat from competitors. They need round-the-clock security and have no freedom or peace of mind. Those who are popular are always trying to please others and maintain their public image. As a result, they have little time for themselves or their families and are constantly anxious about how they are perceived.
Above all, the ultimate truth is that we do not live on this earth forever. One day, we will have to leave this world. Then, where will we be? If you are a humanist or atheist, you may believe you’ll vanish into thin air. But do we really believe that when we die, we simply disappear? If so, why do we honour and remember the dead? Why do we keep the memories of our deceased loved ones alive? Deep in our hearts, we know that we will meet again — that life does not end with death. That is why the Lord said: “Store up treasures for yourselves in heaven, where neither moth nor woodworms destroy them and thieves cannot break in and steal.” To the rich fool who felt secure in his riches, thinking, “You have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry,” the Lord replied: “You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared–whose will they be?” (Luke 12:20ff). So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God.
This is the heart of today’s scripture readings. The warning is clear: many of us are short-sighted. We choose the things of the world that do not last. We are ignorant and deceived by the world. The devil always presents things that look attractive but are, in truth, vanities. The Lord said, “If your eye is sound, your whole body will be filled with light. But if your eye is diseased, your whole body will be full of darkness. If, then, the light inside you is darkness, how great is that darkness!” Indeed, the world is short-sighted. It thinks only of the present — of enjoying life, protecting itself, and accumulating wealth and power.
What, then, is the truth about life? Jesus gives us the two greatest commandments. When one of the scribes asked Him, “Which commandment is the first of all?” Jesus answered: “The first is, ‘Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:28-31) In the final analysis, only the love of God and our neighbour will give us ultimate fulfilment — both in this life and the next. This is what it means to store up treasures in heaven. Love of God, and especially love of the poor, is what brings true happiness, joy, and meaning to life. This is how we become rich in the sight of God. These treasures of love, compassion, and kindness will follow us even in death, when we enter the bosom of our heavenly Father.
Once we realize this, we will not abuse the gifts that God has blessed us with. He gives us these blessings not only for our personal enjoyment, but so that we may share them and build others up. In helping others, we grow in Christlikeness and in Christian character. Whatever we possess — whether talents, wealth, power, or influence — has been entrusted to us so we can develop our potential by helping others develop theirs. Wealth is meant to provide for our loved ones and support the less fortunate. Talents are given not to make us feel great about ourselves, but to be used well for the good of others. Power is for humble service, not self-glory or to control the lives of others. Health is not for vanity, but so we may continue to serve humanity.
True happiness in life comes from having the right focus, being driven by the right intentions, and being motivated by love for God and neighbor. St. Paul was completely focused on his mission. Because his eyes were fixed on the Lord and on saving people from a futile way of life, he suffered gladly for the Gospel. He wrote: “The servants of Christ? I must be mad to say this, but so am I, and more than they: more, because I have worked harder, I have been sent to prison more often, and whipped so many times more, often almost to death. Five times I had thirty-nine lashes from the Jews; three times I have been beaten with sticks; once I was stoned; three times I have been shipwrecked and once adrift in the open sea for a night and a day.”
Once we are clear about what is ultimately good for us, we will be willing to take risks, like St Paul: “Constantly travelling, I have been in danger from rivers and in danger from brigands, in danger from my own people and in danger from pagans; in danger in the towns, in danger in the open country, danger at sea and danger from so-called brothers.” When we love, we take risks for our loved ones. When we are convinced that something is worth giving our life, time and effort, we will take the risk.
Clarity of our mission in life gives us the strength to endure suffering and the capacity to make necessary sacrifices. St Paul put the mission before his own comfort. “I have worked and laboured, often without sleep; I have been hungry and thirsty and often starving; I have been in the cold without clothes.” When we love, we willingly sacrifice our own comfort and possessions for our loved ones.
He also constantly thought of the churches and his brothers and sisters. “And, to leave out much more, there is my daily preoccupation: my anxiety for all the churches.” His heart was with Christ and His people. This is because he was identified with every person. When we love we are one with the joys and sufferings of those whom we love. “When any man has had scruples, I have had scruples with him; when any man is made to fall, I am tortured. If I am to boast, then let me boast of my own feebleness.” Let us then be inspired by St Paul’s life and mission. Like him, we too must be servants of Christ and the gospel so that we can store up real treasures in heaven.
Best Practices for Using the Daily Scripture Reflections
- Encounter God through the spirit of prayer and the scripture by reflecting and praying the Word of God daily. The purpose is to bring you to prayer and to a deeper union with the Lord on the level of the heart.
- Daily reflections when archived will lead many to accumulate all the reflections of the week and pray in one sitting. This will compromise your capacity to enter deeply into the Word of God, as the tendency is to read for knowledge rather than a prayerful reading of the Word for the purpose of developing a personal and affective relationship with the Lord.
- It is more important to pray deeply, not read widely. The current reflections of the day would be more than sufficient for anyone who wants to pray deeply and be led into an intimacy with the Lord.
Note: You may share this reflection with someone. However, please note that reflections are not archived online nor will they be available via email request.
Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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