Daily Gospel Reflection
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June 23, 2023
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 collect memories like old coins. Some are shiny and golden, like when I received the “Welcome Home” email from Notre Dame, and all I could do was cry tears of joy. Others are not as pretty to look upon, such as the lonely nights spent in my dorm room my first year when I felt I would never find my place on campus. Memories are my treasure: the good, the bad, and the ugly.
And yet, memories fade. I’ve watched my beloved grandmother slowly forget more and more as her dementia progresses. All the coins she has collected over her long life have become increasingly hard for her to reach.
I rejoice, however, because her love endures. No moths or thieves can ever touch the bond that we have formed. She may not remember my name, but the bright smile and tight hug that greets me every time I see her reassure me that our love is stored safely in heaven.
In today’s gospel, Christ reassures us that our heart is preserved and protected. The things we do out of love are where God resides. No matter the toll the earthly world takes on us, our true treasure is the love we share and receive throughout our lives. Nothing can tarnish, decay, or steal that.
I still collect my memories. They remind me of the road I have taken to arrive where I am. More good times will come, as well as bad. Some memories may disappear. However, we can take solace that our true selves are preserved in heaven and reside with God forever.
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. Joseph Cafasso stood at the center of a network of religious people who shaped the Church with their work in the 1800s; he had a large influence on St. John Bosco’s vocation to work with boys.
He was born in 1811 in Italy. His health was good, but he was undersized, and his body was twisted because his spine was slightly deformed. He was an excellent student, and assisted his classmates in their studies. He was sent to seminary, where he was the best student in the school, and was ordained a priest in 1833. He pursued further studies in moral theology.
In spite of his small size and his stooped posture, Joseph commanded respect among those he met with his handsome features and deep, resonant voice. He was a compelling preacher, and became a very effective lecturer.
He was given leadership positions in the institutions where he taught, and formed many priests who studied there. A very young St. John Bosco met Joseph and was inspired by his example. He followed Joseph and studied at his school; it was Joseph who helped John discover his vocation to work with wayward boys.
Jansenism, a scrupulous strain of thought that considered any fault a grave sin, was a popular belief among many, and Joseph helped people find balance in their spiritual lives, especially though his ministry in Confession. “When we hear Confessions, our Lord wants us to be loving and compassionate, to be fatherly towards all who come to us, without reference to who they are or what they have done,” he wrote to fellow priests. “If we repel anybody, if any soul is lost through our fault, we shall be held to account—their blood will be upon our hands.”
He was famous for his ministry with prisoners, and is patron saint of those in jail and those who care for them. The prisons of his day herded the condemned together under horrible conditions, and he visited men, giving them dignity and inspiring hope. The most famous of his converts was a man who deserted the army and was leader of a notorious gang. Joseph accompanied more than 60 prisoners to their execution—he called these men his “hanged saints” and asked for their prayers.
A number of other priests and nuns who founded new religious communities found an effective ally in Joseph—at least ten emerging orders found his support and guidance indispensable.
In 1860, Joseph fell ill, and he died on this date of pneumonia. John Bosco preached at his funeral, which was attended by an enormous crowd. His image is used here with permission from Catholic.org.
St. Joseph Cafasso, you served prisoners and inspired a generation of priests and nuns—pray for us!