The word "treasure" jumped out at me today in the Gospel and got me thinking . . . what do we define as treasure here on earth? In the Merriam-Webster dictionary, "treasure" is defined as:
(1) wealth (such as money, jewels, or precious metals) stored up or hoarded buried treasure; (2) something of great worth or value; (3) a collection of precious things.
If I asked 100 people "what do you treasure?" I would most likely receive 100 different answers. Think about your answer for a minute. Even write it down. The more I contemplate my own answer, the longer my list grows. I treasure my faith in God, my husband, my daughters, my sons-in-law, my four grandbabies, my soul-sister mother-in-law, all our sisters and their families, my friends. That's just the beginning! There are so many little things I treasure, too. Like a hot shower in the morning, a roof over my head and a good cup of coffee! This thought crosses my mind: how am I storing up treasures for heaven? By loving unconditionally, spreading the Gospel messages to the best of my ability, serving others . . . but do I do this (and more) on a daily basis? Well, I try my hardest to allow the good to overcome the not-so-good. I am a work in progress and so thankful for the guidance Jesus gave to those in His time, which apply at all times!
Today's Gospel (Matthew 13:44-46) is a great reminder of how we should view our lives:
Jesus said to his disciples: "The Kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field, which a person finds and hides again, and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the Kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls. When he finds a pearl of great price, he goes and sells all that he has and buys it."
In Volume Five, Jesus says it loud and clear . . . heavenly treasures, not earthly:
"Brothers and sisters in the world, please allow Me to fill your heart with heavenly gifts. There is no reason for you to live apart from My Kingdom. If you wish it, you can live your life on earth joined to us in heaven. You must practice living in faith, it is true, but like anything else, faith becomes a habit when you practice it, so much so that soon you do not even know you are exerting yourself. That is what I wish for you now and I am going to assist you by rewarding your tiniest acts of faith with supernatural gifts of faith. In this way, you will only need a small bit to begin your union with heaven. What benefits can be gained by union with heaven? You will no longer have as many gaps in your peace. You will view all of your life as transient and valuable. Whether you suffer pain or experience joy, it will all be the same to you, as long as you are united to Me and to heaven. You will have no great preference, dearest soul, because you will detach to that degree. Can you imagine? It is possible if you trust Me and begin this practice. Souls in heaven look down upon their earthly brothers and sisters and sigh for them, because they understand what it is like to be in exile, without the divine vision and the divine knowledge. They remember that to live without certainty was a difficult thing, made more difficult when you lived in dark and difficult times. There have been many such times because mankind is drawn to sin through selfishness. These dark times, such as the one you are living in, create the most beautiful opportunities for holiness and sainthood. You look around and all seems hopeless. How challenging it is then to continue to hope and to allow My joy an avenue through which to flow into the darkness of your world. That, all by itself, is an opportunity for the holiest of acts, the most heroic deed of selflessness. If you are My friend, you have probably suffered. Do not see this as a bad thing. View this as having treasures that await you in heaven because truly, this is the case. Your suffering, done in union with Me, moves the Kingdom toward God the Father. Your suffering, done in union with Me, purifies your soul as it detaches it from the earth, aligning it with the next world. Your suffering, done in union with Me, has saved many souls, despite the fact that you cannot see this yet. There is much you cannot see yet and if I were to show you everything, the merit from your suffering would be diminished profoundly. You do not want that because just as this suffering is accomplishing all of these things for others, it is increasing your reward in heaven. You perhaps cannot picture your reward. It is a difficult thing for a child in exile to imagine what his family will be preparing for him upon his arrival home. You must believe that this child will not be disappointed. The heavenly existence is so far beyond the earthly existence in terms of joy and security that you cannot understand it. I will shed a small bit of light on it for you."
Lay apostles, are we storing up earthly treasures which will be left behind once we leave this earth? Or, are we working toward an eternity with Our Lord in paradise? No one knows their expiration date . . . let's try to live as if it is tonight at midnight!
Thank you, Lord, for the reminder in today's Gospel that heaven is the ultimate goal!
God bless,
Bonnie
No comments:
Post a Comment