“… 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.” (Mt 6: 20-21)
My heart follows the treasure. It is mportant what the treasure is and where it is located. Our Lord told us that whatever we can store up in heaven is good enough for my heart. If I can’t store it in heaven, my heart operates below its dignity.
“Blessed are the poor in spirit; for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.” (Gospel Antiphon)
“This is how you are to pray: Our Father who art in heaven…” (Mt 6:9)
The most unique prayer ever: the personal prayer of Our Lord to His Father now has become our prayer. When we call Him “Our,” at the same moment we are united with Jesus and the Holy Spirit – They first called Him “Father.”
“You have received a spirit of adoption as sons through which we cry: Abba! Father”! (Gospel Acclamation)
“And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.” (Mt 6: 4)
Our Father’s eyes are always turned to me. There is no hidden or secret place where we will be in danger because of being alone. There is no darkness, no depression, no loneliness, no sickness, no hopelessness and no sin where there is no cure. He sees because He cares. He sees because He loves.
“O Lord, hear my voice, for I have called to you; by my help. Do not abandon or forsake me, O God, my Savior!” (Entrance Antiphon)
“So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Mt 5: 48)
When we think about being perfect we turn to the areas where we are quite good or almost perfect, and our concern is what to do to be better, really perfect. Jesus asks us not to think about ourselves and good things we can do better, but to think about Our Father and how to imitate Him. God’s perfection is not in being wiser, bigger, stronger, etc., but in loving. His love is focused on one simple thing: what He can do for me to make me really happy?
“I give you a new commandment: love one another as I have loved you” (Gospel Acclamation)
“You have heard that it was said . . . But I say to you . . .” (Mt 5: 38-39)
For several days the Gospel have had the same structure: “you have heard that it was said” and Our Lord’s comment: “but I say to you”. This is the famous Sermon on the Mountain. As the Ten Commandments were given on the mountain, and Moses was the law-giver, now Jesus is a new Moses and as a new law-giver brings new interpretation of the Mosaic law.
When we “have heard that it was said,” we should ask ourselves: what Jesus will say to me about it?
“A lamp to my feet is your word, a light to my path” (Gospel Acclamation)
“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with all of you.” (2 Cor 13, 13)
The Holy Trinity is focused on me: my Lord comes with His grace, My Father gives me His love and the Holy Spirit invites me to His companion. Three different gifts from three different Persons, but from the same God – the Perfect Unity.
Our lives should be similar. When we are united with others, we help each other (with respect and gentleness), we love each other (as a gift of self) and we love to be together (we protect time for us) – the perfect unity.
“Glory to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; to God who is, who was, and who is to come.” (Gospel Acclamation)
“Let your ‘Yes’ mean ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No’ mean ‘No.’” (Mt 5:37)
This world devalues words. Our Lord, who IS the Word of God, protects them, recalling the most basic rule: “yes means yes,” “no means no.” When I am a husband, when I am a wife, all my life, all my actions should express who am I.
“The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer; my God is my saving strengths.” (Communion Antiphon)
“‘Go outside and stand on the mountain before the LORD;
the LORD will be passing by.’ …But the LORD was not in the wind…not in the earthquake…. was not in the fire.
After the fire there was a tiny whispering sound. When he heard this, Elijah hid his face in his cloak and went and stood at the entrance of the cave.” (1 Kings 19, 11-13)
The Most Powerful God, before Whom all the creation trembles, is not in the wind, not in the earthquake, not in the fire but in “a tiny whispering sound. ” Elijah was His prophet and He knew Him. He reacted neither when he heard the wind nor the earthquake, nor fire. He prepared himself to meet with God after a tiny whispering sound. This is the best way to communicate with others – like Our God does.
“Shine like lights on the world, as you hold on to the word of life.” (Gospel Acclamation)
“You have heard that it was said to your ancestors, You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment. But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment, and whoever says to his brother…” (Mt 5:21-22)
Being angry with your brother (husband, wife, sister, daughter, son…) is like killing him. How often we are angry because we have different expectations towards the other person, as he or she “should do” or “shouldn’t do” something, and so on.
Somebody said that marriage is not 50:50. Divorce is 50:50. Marriage is 100%. My role in marriage is to be a gift of self – 100%; not a demander.
“I give you a new commandment: love one another as I have loved you” (Alleluia versus)
