I boast in Christ

2 Cor. 11:18.21-30, Mt. 6:19-23. In today's first reading, Paul boasts of the experiences that most people would consider misfortunes, only to be mentioned in hushed tones. He speaks of beatings, imprisonments, floggings, stoning, shipwreck and much more as his apostolic endeavour to bring the message to everyone. If he “boasts” of all these negative experiences it is because they came to him in the service of Christ. It was because of the preaching of the Gospel that all this suffering and misfortune came his way. They demonstrate where his true treasure lay. Paul valued Jesus Christ above everything else in life. As he says to the Philippians: “I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.” This can be linked with what Jesus says when He invites us in today's Gospel to store up for ourselves true treasures in Heaven. Here, He is calling on us to take Him as our one and only Saviour. In the language of the parables, Jesus is the pearl of great price. The Eucharist gives us an opportunity to treasure His priceless presence in our lives.

Our Lord Jesus Christ encourages us to avoid the things that moth can destroy – warning us against pleasures that wear out like old suites. When He asks us to keep away from the things that rust can destroy, He is warning us against pleasures that erode away like rusted iron. The implication is obvious: 'Do not get attached to the temporal and perishable things.' These days tendencies to excel in life concentrate excessive energy on the best buildings, most modern vehicles and latest fashions are efforts in futility. We all know that these items are important, but they are meant to serve rather than become objects to be ‘worshipped.’ They provide security but their security is completely temporal. We need and deserve eternal security and our savings should be built upon our charitable works, merciful acts, kind gestures, forgiving spirit and letting-go approaches to live experiences. All these are storable treasures in the Heavenly account. These virtues constitute the Heavenly treasure that keeps us on track with Jesus. 'He went about doing good’ – teaching eternal values, healing the sick, feeding the impoverished, forgiving the aggressors and restoring victims of violence to new life. All these He accomplished freely and out of love and invites us to do the same.

May the Lord give us the confidence and faith to approach God with faith so that we may continue to put our treasure in Heaven! Amen!! Good morning and have a glorious day!!!