A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew 6:19-23
Jesus said to his disciples: "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and decay destroy, and thieves break in and steal. But store up treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor decay destroys, nor thieves break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be. "The lamp of the body is the eye. If your eye is sound, your whole body will be filled with light; but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be in darkness. And if the light in you is darkness, how great will the darkness be."
REFLECTION: For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.
What do you seek out the most? Where do you spend most of your time? Where do you spend most of your money? What brings you the big smile and the most joy? There are two kinds of treasures --material and spiritual. Which do you want to possess when the time comes to meet God? Which can you take with you after death?
Venerable Matt Talbot (commemorated June 19, 2019) was a man who spent most of his life struggling with alcoholism. He was considered a hopeless alcoholic by the age of 13. He worked for the alcohol, spending all his money on alcohol. He pawned his belongings and stole to keep up with the expense of his addiction. For fifteen years he lived like this, owning nothing and spending all til he was penniless and out of credit. However, he prayed the rosary when sober.
One day his friends no longer loan him money nor bought him drinks and he was totally alone.
That day he received the needed graces and vowed to never drink. “Do whatever he tells you” was most likely Mother Mary telling him when he decided to stop. And from that day forward, he never drank, made reparations for his behavior and attended many daily masses and read many religious books. In fact, having stolen a fiddle, he made every effort to pay back the stolen fiddle but when he could not find the man, he had masses said for him.
It can be said that Venerable Matt Talbot had alcohol as his treasure for 15 years. Then God became his treasure. He lived a life of prayer, fasting, reparation and service. He died when he was 69. The Holy Spirit transformed him into a loving generous soul.
God answers prayers, He seeks out the sinner and will rescue you. Lay your heart on the word of God and that is a treasure that you can take with you. May we all share the treasure of God with all we meet. Pray that our priests will bring us to the treasure we have in the Holy Tabernacle with praise and thanksgiving.
