11th Week, Friday, June 21

 11th Week, Friday, June 21

2 Kings 11:1-4, 9-18, 20 / Matthew 6:19-23

Athaliah plots evil; God's providence frustrates her plot.

 Athaliah was the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel. Like her pagan mother, she was a follower of pagan gods. When her son, King Ahaziah, was assassinated, she seized the throne. Then she cold-bloodedly plotted the deaths of the rest of the royal family in order to maintain her power. 

Athaliah's plot was frustrated, however, when Ahaziah's infant son, Joash, was spirited off by his nurse. The nurse gave him to the high priest, who hid him in the Temple. When Joash was seven years old, he was presented to the people and anointed as the legitimate successor in the line of David. Athaliah was arrested and executed.

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How strongly do we believe that God's providence is at work in our world, even though things seem so bad at times? "God's foolishness is wiser than human wisdom." 1 Corinthians 1:25

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The reading from Kings narrates the punishment that comes to the family of Ahab and how the royal house of David is restored and with it the religion of the God of Israel.

 What are the things that preoccupy us, that are constantly on our minds? The answer to this question will indicate what our values are, “where our heart is.” For many high-minded and dedicated Christians, these values will rarely be as crude as mere pleasure seeking and a hunger for material wealth and comfort, though these too, are not always ruled out completely. But what about the ambition for power and promotion, the tendency to dominate others and to shape others in our own image and likeness rather than God’s? What about making ourselves the center of the world? Where do we look for “the one thing necessary”?

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As much as history can be interesting to read, yet there are many names and characters that were involved in the events that can make history rather tedious to read. And most of these characters are not that famous and they just appeared at a point in time. Yet they also made their mark in history.

 In the 1st reading we heard of Althaliah, the mother of king Ahaziah who was killed in battle. Althaliah was the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel (we heard about them, earlier this week in 1st readings, and their wicked deeds). Althaliah continued the wicked trend of her parents by immediately killing all those of royal stock and usurping the throne and ruled for six years. But in the end, she also met her tragic end, and all that she schemed and plotted to gain came to nothing. Her tragic story only reiterated what Jesus taught in the gospel about storing treasures on earth only to be destroyed and stolen. 

Indeed, the lives of the people that has gone into the pages of history are like a light for our lives. May we open our eyes to look at the light and also look beyond to the eternal light. May we also go down in history as persons whose hearts are fixed on the eternal heavenly treasures.

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Heart That Eyes

Jesus uses the images of treasure, heart, and eyes in one go. How are they connected? Well, Jesus clearly states that where our treasure is, there will our heart be. But how do we know where our heart is? Follow the eyes! The eyes are intimately connected to the heart: Don’t we say that the eyes are the windows to our soul? A mother cannot take her eyes off her baby, because her baby is the treasure that her heart cherishes. A mystic cannot take eyes off God because God is what her heart treasures. Wherever the mystic turns her eyes to, God is what she sees. If you find your heart wandering after things that are less worthy of who you are, gently force your eyes to what truly matters: the heart will follow suit.

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Opening Prayer

Lord our God, you are the origin and purpose of all, the meaning of our existence and the goal of all we do. We pray you today: draw us out of our little self-created worlds and open us to you and your kingdom. Be yourself the precious pearl of our lives and let each person around us be the oyster shell in which we find that pearl. We ask this through Christ, our Lord. Amen

Intercessions

– For those who worry much about money, that they may learn to be concerned about those who lack the bare essentials, we pray:

– For those who have become the victims of greed and intolerance, that good people may restore their faith in God and humankind, we pray:

– For all of us, that we may be grateful that God has given us faith in him and in his love and mercy, we pray:

 Prayer over the Gifts

Lord our God, you let us gather around the table of your Son, Jesus Christ. The Eucharist is for us a great and precious treasure. Let us appreciate Jesus’ presence and let it always enrich us with a deep sense of his nearness. Let us learn from him to be present to one another. We ask this through Christ, our Lord.

 Prayer after Communion

Lord our God, from the words and the presence of Jesus, we learn that nothing is more precious than your love for us and the kingdom you want to build with us. Be our joy and our treasure. We thank you that you have found us. Let us always keep finding you in the different ways you manifest yourself, in the goodness of people and in the treasures of our faith. Thank you through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Blessing

Our prayer and our whole worship is a service of God and neighbor, not service of oneself in the sense of showing off and boasting of what we do for God and neighbor. That is worship in spirit and truth. May God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

 Commentary

21 June 2024; Matthew 6:19-23

Treasure Hunt

Many of the problems we see today stem from misplaced values. If we prioritise building our treasure with God, it will remain untouched by destructive forces and will never lose its value. In God's kingdom, there is no room for evil. It is not treasures or human accomplishments that count in the life of a Christian, but rather the spiritual treasures that are stored in heaven. These are the goods that will endure because there is no earthly force that will destroy them. And of this wealth, it can be said, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Many people we know in life never gain prominence and are never seen in a newspaper headline. yet their hearts are full of kindness. They willingly lend a helping hand whenever they see someone in need. They dedicate themselves to spreading positivity and never expect anything in return. When they eventually leave us, their impact may not make the headlines, but they've truly lived lives filled with boundless goodness. The grace of God in them has not been fruitless, and now a treasure in heaven awaits them.

Jesus prompts us: “Invest in heaven!” Your spiritual investments are love, kindness, and faith. They are secure and yield eternal dividends. Our heart acts as a compass, guiding us toward our desires. If our desires are materialistic, our heart leads us to the pursuit of possessions. However, if our desires are spiritual, our heart urges us to seek God. Therefore, recalibrate your priorities and focus on heavenly pursuits.

Strive for joy instead of material possessions. Let's become bearers of light. Embrace the invigorating joy that comes from living a fulfilling life of faith.