Friday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time
In our first reading today, St. Paul continues the defense of his ministry to the Corinthians by reminding them of his qualifications over those of the “superapostles.” He declares that he is also a Hebrew, a descendant of Abraham. He carefully enumerates the many trials and hardships he has endured in bringing them the Gospel of Christ (lashes, stoning, shipwrecks, dangerous journeys, toil, sleepless nights, fasting, cold and exposure). The false apostles have made a proud boast of their authority; therefore Paul responds: “If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness” (2 Cor 11:30 ). Paul can only make such a claim because his life is firmly rooted in Christ. The opening words of Psalm 34 are an appropriate response: “I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall be ever in my mouth. Let my soul glory [boast] in the Lord.” And later in the same psalm, we read words reminiscent of today’s entrance antiphon (Psalm 27:7, 9): “I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my foes” (Ps 34:4).
The gospel of St. Matthew reminds us that, like St. Paul, our lives must be oriented toward the kingdom of heaven, not toward the passing things of earth. “Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor decay destroys…For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be” (Mt 6:20,21). The words of the communion are an apt reminder of where our hearts must be focused: There is one thing I ask of the Lord, only this do I seek: to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life (Ps 27:4). In the midst of a world that is constantly undergoing change, one treasure alone is of lasting value—the light of Christ, which conquers all darkness and illuminates the soul.
For today: Where is your treasure? Where is your heart? What do you value most?
Reflection by Br. Michael Marcotte, OSB
Posted in Articles for Ordinary Time, Daily Reflections