St Benedict on the facade of the Sacred Heart Monastery Church, Yankton, SD, taken 2004

June 17, 2005

Treasures Mt 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."

My heart is where my treasure is. There is no greater treasure than love. Love of God and love of others. There is a time to give and a time to receive. I have found that to give without counting the cost has a great reward. The more good works that I do, the more I am able to clearly see what is around me.

When I get into a selfish mode and forget the path of God, my vision darkens and the clarity of the truth and the way at the time is difficult to see at all. It just flows out of good acts to have a clearer sight of the truth and the way to go next. The more I give, the richer I become and the sharper my vision and the larger and purer my heart. Holding on to ownership and selfish ways, only keeps me from true happiness and joy.

Letting go and giving open handed without hesitation has boundless rewards. I am just passing through this life a pilgrim on earth and all that I have has been a gift from God. I need to remember to give as genersously as I have been given to.