Treasures of the Heart

Scripture: Luke 12:16-21, 32-38

Then He told them a parable. "There was a rich man whose land produced a bountiful harvest. He asked himself, 'What shall I do, for I do not have space to store my harvest?' And he said, 'This is what I shall do: I shall tear down my barns and build larger ones. There I shall store all my grain and other goods and I shall say to myself, "Now as for you, you have so many good things stored up for many years, rest, eat, drink, be merry!" But God said to him, 'You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you; and the things you have prepared, to whom will they belong?' Thus will it be for the one who stores up treasure for himself but is not rich for God."

“Do not be afraid any longer, little flock, for your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your belongings and give alms. Provide money bags for yourselves that do not wear out, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven that no thief can reach nor moth destroy. For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.”

"Gird your loins and light your lamps and be like servants who await their master's return from a wedding, ready to open immediately when he comes and knocks. Blessed are those servants whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival. Amen, I say to you, he will gird himself, have them recline at table, and proceed to wait on them. And should he come in the second or third watch and find them prepared in this way, blessed are those servants."

Reaction: The above passages were part of the assigned Gospel readings for yesterday and today. While meditating on yesterday’s readings, I repeated the phrase, “Do not store up treasure for yourself, but be rich for God.” This led me to think of all the ways my life could be rich for God: having a deep relationship with Him, a fruitful prayer life, a satisfying bond between family and friends, days and nights filled with hope, love, and a sense of well-being. A footnote in the reading showed another translation of the verse: to be "rich in what matters to God." My thoughts then turned to the things that matter most to God: my faith, trust, love, obedience, compassion, generosity, and humility to name a few. If I try to build upon these traits, I will have plentiful treasures indeed.

Today’s Gospel focused on being watchful, observant and mindful of what the Lord expects from us. This reflects another goal I have set for myself: to always be tuned in to the needs of others and aware of how I might serve them. I often feel that I have missed opportunities to serve, but lately I’ve been more responsive, and this makes me feel very blessed and rewarded, adding to my spiritual treasures.

In between the two day’s Gospels were several verses which dealt with God’s providence. The phrase that especially struck me was “where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.” But what occurred to me was that really, where my heart is, there is my treasure. As I continue to strive to become more Christ-like, to be more aware of God’s presence in my life, and more attentive to where He is trying to lead me, my heart and my life are being filled with the treasures that really matter.