19 July 2010: Laying up treasures

“Lay not up to yourselves treasures on earth, where thieves break through and steal” (Mt 6:19), and which the great robber Death steals away in an instant, leaving nothing but regret, too often despair.

How can we in a short time lay up imperishable treasures of glory and happiness in heaven? The solution is easy, and consists of three things: ‘a state of grace, a pure intention, sanctification of crosses’.

If, then, during the brief time of life, we wish to lay up much treasure in heaven (and who doesn’t?), we must always be in a state of grace. Faith teaches us that all good works done in mortal sin, gain no merit for heaven. While every good action of the just, with the help of grace, will receive an eternal reward.

Of our numerous actions in a day, many are neither good nor evil before God, but indifferent eg, eating, drinking, sleeping, studying, manual labor, etc. They can be meritorious by a pure intention. “Whether you eat or drink, or whatsoever else you do, do all to the glory of God.” (1 Cor 10:31-2) Or, ‘Do what is pleasing to God and meritorious to yourself.’

It would be folly indeed not to turn this second means of increasing our spiritual riches to profit, because it is so easy. What is easier than offering to God in our morning prayers all our actions, that we perform them as well as possible, with the single motive of pleasing him, and doing his most holy will?

What is easier still than renewing this intention often during the day? Our actions will be more meritorious. We will have less reason to fear lest pride lessens the purity of our first intention or entirely corrupt it.

With what care and vigilance do we strive after a pure intention? Do we renew it during the day?

The great means of laying up treasures in heaven in a short time is, say the Doctors of the Church, to labor without ceasing for the glory of God and the good of souls; but especially to suffer much, and to bear it with patience and entire resignation to the Will of God in all the crosses which it pleases him to send us.

Let us dig into this rich mine of supernatural merit. Misery, suffering, and crosses are the heritage of humanity, and no one is exempt from them. We often complain of being overwhelmed by them.

But what good does that do us? Let us rather sanctify them, make them meritorious and of value for eternity, by accepting them as coming from God, and bearing them for love of the sufferings of Jesus Christ.

Ref: cf “Practical Meditations” by a Father of the Society of Jesus, 1964, pp453-5

On the Emmaus Road with Jesus

“With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him, but he vanished from their sight. Then they said to each other, ‘Were not our hearts burning inside us as he talked to us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us?’” [Lk 24:31-2]

We who belong to the present generation of those who confess Christ must seek to have the same experience as the two disciples on the road to Emmaus. Let us pray, ‘Lord Jesus, make us understand the Scriptures; let our hearts burn inside us as you talk to us’.

Let our hearts burn! Faith cannot be only cold, hard facts calculated and weighed by our intellect. No, faith must be quickened by love. It must come alive through the good works which reveal God’s trust in us.

So we, too, inherit from the apostles the witness they gave, even if we are not direct eyewitnesses of the resurrection. We become witnesses to Christ ourselves. Being a Christian must mean being a witness for Christ.

Ref: Pope John Paul II, “Breakfast with the Pope”, 1984, 4

In order to love, we need to understand

We ask Our Lord for a big heart full of understanding: to be able to suffer with those who suffer, and to rejoice with whoever rejoice. We must ask him to help us to prevent that suffering whenever we can, and to make us into people who live and spread happiness wherever we happen to be.

We should ask for the vision, too, to understand that the true and principal good of others consists in their union with God, which will lead them one day to total happiness in Heaven.

The Church is aware that the truth about the God who saves cannot be separated from the manifestation of his preference for the poor and needy. (cf John Paul II, “Redemptoris Mater”, 25 March 1987, 37)

“Works of mercy, as well as the relief they give to those in need, serve to improve our own souls and those of the people who accompany us in those activities.

“We have all experienced that contact with the sick, with the poor, with children and with adults who go hungry, always means for us a meeting with Christ in his weaker or unprotected members, and for that very reason such contact can mean a spiritual enrichment.

"The Lord enters with greater intensity into the soul of him who approaches his little brothers, moved not by a desire of mere altruism -- which is a noble desire but not one that is supernaturally effective -- but by the very sentiments of Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd and the Physician of souls.” (A del Portillo, “Letter”, 31 May 1987, 30)

Let us turn to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and to the heart of Mary, his Mother, and ask that we may never remain passive about the demands of charity. Thus, we will be able to confidently invoke Our Lady in the words of the liturgy:

“Recordare, Virgo Mater Dei ...” Remember, O Virgin Mother of God, as you stand in his presence, “ut loquaris pro nobis bona”, to speak good things on our behalf and ask for our needs. (“Roman Missal, Antiphon, Common Mass of Our Lady”)

Ref: cf F Fernandez, “In Conversation with God”, 3:532-4

Understanding is real charity -- “When you really achieve it, you will have a great heart which is open to all without discrimination. Even with those who have treated you badly you will put into living practice that advice of Jesus: ‘Come to me all you that ... are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.’” (cf St Josemaria Escrivá, “The Forge”, 867)

Our Lady of ‘Moyen-Pont’, near Peronne, France. The image was found by a shepherd near the ponds, where the meadows of Amele are at present; a church was built there, which was repaired in 1612. — Triple Couronne, n. 53. (“Catholic Gems or Treasures of the Church” Historical Calendar; http://www.bethlehemobserver.com); (www.marylinks.org/Mary-Calendar.htm)

‘Notre Dame de Moyen-Pont’ / Our Lady of ‘Moyen-Pont’. Near Peronne, France. (www.marylinks.org/Mary-Calendar.htm); (maryfest.htm / www.starharbor.com/santiago/m_feasts.html);(www.iskandar.com/ourlady/ourladyfeasts.html)