Daily Gospel Reflection
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June 18, 2021
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.”
An ambulance pulled up to the high school where I worked. Benjamin, a beloved maintenance worker who was battling cancer, had asked if he could be driven past the school on his way to hospice care. A crowd of students and faculty gathered outside the building to greet him, stopping traffic.
When Benjamin passed away, people of different ages spoke of how he impacted their lives through his quiet, daily acts of kindness. They recalled how he always took the time to offer an encouraging word and share his faith. It became apparent that Benjamin was able to influence so many people because he reminded us how to live a meaningful life.
In today’s gospel, we hear Jesus asking where we find true wealth. He challenges us to examine what is really important. We are asked to ponder: to what am I giving my life? Benjamin showed me the beauty of answering these questions with a life that revolves around loving God and neighbor.
We can easily get caught up in chasing after material wealth. Jesus points out that material possessions can be destroyed. He is not calling them evil, but reminds us that they are finite and warns us not to be defined or consumed by them. He reminds us that we are called to live for something greater.
We are called to a relationship with Jesus that leads to acts of charity. These are the things that live on even after our earthly life has ended. They bring us closer to Jesus, our true treasure. As Benjamin so clearly taught me, acts of love allow us to find true wealth and meaning.
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. Gregory Barbarigo had all the skills for a successful life in politics, but instead dedicated himself to serving the Church.
He was born in 1625, the son of a senator from Venice, Italy. He was a brilliant student, well-educated, and took on the life of a diplomat with his well-connected family. He accompanied the Venetian ambassador to several important negotiations and traveled extensively.
After five years with the ambassador, he returned to Italy to continue his studies and to enter the world of politics. He soon became disillusioned by the political world, however, and sought advice from a cardinal he had met in his travels. Gregory was thinking of becoming a hermit, but the cardinal advised him to pursue his doctorate in law, then become a priest.
Ten years later, Gregory had earned a doctorate in both civil and canon law and was ordained a priest. His skills were valuable to the Church and he soon was named a bishop, and then cardinal.
He was given responsibility for the diocese in Padua, Italy, and he led the Church there with wisdom. He reorganized and enlarged seminaries in his region, adding a library and a printing press, and worked hard to carry out the reforms that the Church was encouraging at the time.
St. Gregory died on this date in 1697. His relics rest in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica.
St. Gregory Barbarigo, you were a strong leader who gave up your life in politics to serve the Church—pray for us!
Image Credit: Our featured image of St. Gregory Barbarigo is in the public domain. Last accessed March 18, 2025 on Wikimedia Commons.
