Daily Gospel Reflection
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June 17, 2022
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth,
where moth and decay destroy, and thieves break in and steal.
But store up treasures in heaven,
where neither moth nor decay destroys, nor thieves break in and steal.
For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.
“The lamp of the body is the eye.
If your eye is sound, your whole body will be filled with light;
but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be in darkness.
And if the light in you is darkness, how great will the darkness be.”
I have found myself saying, “This cannot possibly be our final resting place,” many times over the past few years. It is a realization that I keep repeating because of what it means for me as a follower of Christ.
In the gospel today, Jesus tells us that we must prepare for and look toward our time in the kingdom of heaven with God. Our time on this earth is essential, as this is the place where we carry out the gospel mission. However, we should not fixate on this world. We are destined for a much greater place after completing our time here.
We must put all of our efforts into obtaining God’s kingdom to live with the saints for all of eternity, and Jesus gives us the all-important blueprint for living out the rest of our earthly lives.
If we are promised heaven, where we will live in true peace and harmony with all, how can this world be our final resting place? Especially as we experience increasing civil unrest, a pandemic, and the consequent death of loved ones, we must heed Jesus’ words here and now to prepare all that we can to enter that final resting place where we are destined to be.
Prayer
O Jesus, treasure of our hearts, you are the light of the nations and illumine all darkness. Give us the grace to trust in your providential care that we may be filled with your light and live as children of light. We ask this through your most holy name. Amen.
Saint of the Day
St. Hervé was the son of a traveling bard, a member of the court of one of the Frankish kings. Hervé was born blind, in the early sixth century. Even though he lacked sight, Hervé lived with great joy. He took after his father and began to sing as a bard and troubadour. He lived near the French city of Plouvien as a hermit with his disciple and companion, Guiharan.
Hervé became famous for his power to cure animals—wild and tame—and he tamed a wolf that was prowling the surrounding countryside. Hervé is often shown with his wolf, as legend has it the beast accompanied him everywhere.
Once, Hervé's wolf devoured the ox that Hervé kept as a draft animal. The pious Hervé began to eloquently preach a sermon, begging the wolf to aid him in caring for the crops. From that day forward, the wolf took over for the ox in pulling the plow for Hervé. Hervé's community of disciples grew, and a peaceful community of poet-hermits tended their land outside Plouvien until Hervé died in 556 AD.
St. Hervé, who, even though blind, saw God's love in all creatures—pray for us!
Image Credit: Our featured image of St. Hervé is available for use under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. Last accessed March 6, 2025 on Wikimedia Commons.
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