💖 HOMILY - JUNE 20 💖

First Reading - 2 Corinthians 11:18,21-30

Gospel - Matthew 6:19-23

Power, money, and pleasure—they have a strange way of capturing hearts and minds. They promise happiness, influence, and comfort, yet often leave us restless, anxious, and spiritually empty. The readings today remind us that the true measure of our lives is not found in what we possess, but in what we pursue. They challenge us to shift our focus from earthly wealth to eternal riches—spiritual treasures that endure beyond death.

In the Gospel, Jesus speaks with clarity and urgency. He doesn’t condemn possessions or wealth. Rather, He warns us about how we value and why we pursue them. Earthly treasures—be they gold, clothes, or comforts—are vulnerable. In the hot, sandy climate of Palestine, even clothes and precious metals could be destroyed by moth or rust. And what wasn’t destroyed by nature was always at risk of theft. Jesus points us instead to spiritual treasures—those graces and virtues that cannot be stolen or decayed. These are riches that follow us beyond the grave: a holy character, obedience to God's will, love for the poor, mercy to the sinner, faith that perseveres.

He makes another powerful point: “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” That’s the heart of today’s message. What we treasure most shapes our priorities, decisions, and desires. If our treasure is in earthly wealth, our heart will be anxious, possessive, and divided. But if our treasure is Christ, our heart will be peaceful, generous, and whole.

The analogy of the “sound eye” and the “diseased eye” may seem odd at first, but it reveals how our outlook—especially in regard to wealth—affects our entire being. A healthy eye sees clearly, with compassion and wisdom. A diseased eye clouds our vision with greed, envy, and selfishness. If what is meant to guide us becomes distorted, we are truly in darkness. Jesus calls us to clarity of vision—to see the world and our possessions through the lens of faith and love.

St. Paul, in the first reading, gives us a powerful testimony of what it means to treasure Christ above all else. For many, achievements, status, and possessions are the highest goals. But Paul counts all these as loss compared to the surpassing worth of knowing Christ. He is willing to endure anything, to lose everything, just to gain Christ and be found in Him. His life is Christ-centered, not self-centered. This is what it means to store up treasure in heaven: to live in such a way that our relationship with Jesus becomes our deepest joy and greatest possession.

Dear friends, we are all on a journey—a pilgrimage not just through this world, but toward heaven. Along the way, we must ask ourselves: What am I carrying with me? Are we burdened with possessions that weigh us down, or are we enriched with spiritual graces that lift us up? Let us be wise in what we treasure. Let us not hoard wealth that perishes, but invest in love, mercy, compassion, and generosity—these are treasures that last.

Jesus never says, “Don’t have wealth.” But He clearly says: Use your wealth to serve, to bless, to give. Generosity to the poor is one of the surest ways to store treasure in heaven. When we give from the heart, we are not losing wealth—we are transferring it to eternity.

Let us then make Jesus our greatest treasure. Let our hearts be fixed on Him, as Paul’s was. If Christ is our treasure, we will not be easily seduced by the illusions of this world. We will live with purpose, give with joy, and walk toward heaven with confidence.

May God give us the grace to store up the kind of treasure that leads to eternal life. Amen.