Eleventh Week of Ordinary Time
21st June 2024 (Friday)
Psalter: Week 3
Reading of the Day
First Reading: 2 Kings 11:1-4, 9-18, 20
In those days: When Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the royal family. But Jehosheba, the daughter of King Joram, sister of Ahaziah, took Joash the son of Ahaziah and stole him away from among the king’s sons who were being put to death, and she put him and his nurse in a bedroom. Thus they hid him from Athaliah, so that he was not put to death. And he remained with her for six years, hidden in the house of the Lord, while Athaliah reigned over the land. But in the seventh year Jehoiada sent and brought the captains of the Carites and of the guards, and had them come to him in the house of the Lord. And he made a covenant with them and put them under oath in the house of the Lord, and he showed them the king’s son. The captains did according to all that Jehoiada the priest commanded, and they each brought his men who were to go off duty on the Sabbath, with those who were to come on duty on the Sabbath, and came to Jehoiada the priest. And the priest gave to the captains the spears and shields that had been King David’s, which were in the house of the Lord. And the guards stood, every man with his weapons in his hand, from the south side of the house to the north side of the house, round the altar and the house on behalf of the king. Then he brought out the king’s son and put the crown on him and gave him the testimony. And they proclaimed him king and anointed him, and they clapped their hands and said, “Long live the king!” When Athaliah heard the noise of the guard and of the people, she went into the house of the Lord to the people. And when she looked, there was the king standing by the pillar, according to the custom, and the captains and the trumpeters beside the king, and all the people of the land rejoicing and blowing trumpets. And Athaliah tore her clothes and cried, “Treason! Treason!” Then Jehoiada the priest commanded the captains who were set over the army, “Bring her out between the ranks, and put to death with the sword anyone who follows her.” For the priest said, “Let her not be put to death in the house of the Lord.” So they laid hands on her; and she went through the horses’ entrance to the king’s house, and there she was put to death. And Jehoiada made a covenant between the Lord and the king and people, that they should be the Lord’s people, and also between the king and the people. Then all the people of the land went to the house of Baal and tore it down; his altars and his images they broke in pieces, and they killed Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars. And the priest posted watchmen over the house of the Lord. So all the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was quiet after Athaliah had been put to death with the sword at the king’s house.
Psalm 132:11, 12, 13-14, 17-18 (R. 13)
R/. The Lord has chosen Sion; he has desired it for his dwelling.
Gospel Acclamation
V/. Alleluia
R/. Alleluia
V/. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
R/. Alleluia.
Gospel : Matthew 6:19-23
At that time: Jesus said to his disciples, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!
Daily Gospel Reflection
Friday – Eleventh Week of Ordinary Time
Guidelines: The spirit of accumulating, hoarding, and treasuring material things is very prevalent. But all this is vanity and folly because all on earth is corruptible and nothing of these lasts. Therefore, discern what is a true treasure that is lasting
1. Often, the heart of many is deviated and distorted and eventually destroyed. It is because it has become the hub of false or inadequate treasures. A treasure is something that one holds precious and intact. One remains clung to his treasure and never lets his treasure snatched away from him. Accordingly, a treasure demands one’s total attention. concentration and preoccupation. In the face of a treasure, all other things lose their importance.
2. Therefore, the quality and the nature of the treasure determine the quality of heart and also the quality of life. For example, if my treasure is only earthly and worldly, then my whole struggle and effort will be to acquire and accumulate as much money, possessions, power, and position as possible.
3. Consequently, my whole sight and vision will become so earth-bound and low. I will not be able to raise my eyes to heaven or the higher things of life. I will become disinterested and negligent toward the heavenly, the spiritual, and what is really lasting. I will become least bothered about the right ethics or relationships.
4. This is what happened in the case of Athaliah, the mother of Ahaziah in the first reading. Her treasure was the kingly throne and her heart coveted it so much. Her heart was fully possessed and corrupted by this wrong treasure. Consequently, her whole vision and pursuit of life become so evil. She kills all the royal family and enthrones herself.
5. On the other hand, Jehosheba, the sister of Ahaziah, protects his son Joash, brings him up, and eventually with the support of the priests and people, dethrones Athaliah and kills her, enthroning Joash. At the same time, they also destroy the false worship of Baal and re-enthrone their true God. This is because for these God-fearing people, God was their greatest treasure and their hearts were constantly seeking fidelity to Him.
6. In this context, how to extricate ourselves from this web of false treasures and deviated hearts? Purify the perspective, and rectify the inner vision. Jesus indicates this by the metaphor, the image of the “eye”. He says, “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness”.
7. Here, the eye stands for our perspective, our outlook, and our inner vision. Therefore, what is needed is to change our perspective, to brighten and heighten it. This happens when our perspective becomes wise. Wisdom is the light of our perspective that discerns between the earthly and the heavenly treasures and makes our hearts seek the real treasure.
8. St Aloysius Gonzaga whom we commemorate today was wise to discern what the true treasure was. Consequently, he practised outstanding purity and devoted himself fearlessly to the care of the plague-victims and died of the same.
Practice: What is my treasure in this life? Where is my heart set? What are the concerns and interests that consume most of my time and energies? How defective is my perspective, how deviated is my heart, and how shallow are my treasures?
