NHA CHUA CHA
- Jun 23
- 6 min read

FRIDAY OF THE ELEVENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME - Mt 6:19-23 - THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and decay destroy, and thieves break in and steal." (Mt 6:19)

READING OF THE DAY

A reading from the Second Book of Kings

2 Kgs 11:1-4, 9-18, 20

When Athaliah, the mother of Ahaziah,

saw that her son was dead,

she began to kill off the whole royal family.

But Jehosheba, daughter of King Jehoram and sister of Ahaziah,

took Joash, his son, and spirited him away, along with his nurse,

from the bedroom where the princes were about to be slain.

She concealed him from Athaliah, and so he did not die.

For six years he remained hidden in the temple of the LORD,

while Athaliah ruled the land.

But in the seventh year,

Jehoiada summoned the captains of the Carians

and of the guards.

He had them come to him in the temple of the LORD,

exacted from them a sworn commitment,

and then showed them the king's son.

The captains did just as Jehoiada the priest commanded.

Each one with his men, both those going on duty for the sabbath

and those going off duty that week,

came to Jehoiada the priest.

He gave the captains King David's spears and shields,

which were in the temple of the LORD.

And the guards, with drawn weapons,

lined up from the southern to the northern limit of the enclosure,

surrounding the altar and the temple on the king's behalf.

Then Jehoiada led out the king's son

and put the crown and the insignia upon him.

They proclaimed him king and anointed him,

clapping their hands and shouting, "Long live the king!"

Athaliah heard the noise made by the people,

and appeared before them in the temple of the LORD.

When she saw the king standing by the pillar, as was the custom,

and the captains and trumpeters near him,

with all the people of the land rejoicing and blowing trumpets,

she tore her garments and cried out, "Treason, treason!"

Then Jehoiada the priest instructed the captains

in command of the force:

"Bring her outside through the ranks.

If anyone follows her," he added, "let him die by the sword."

He had given orders that she

should not be slain in the temple of the LORD.

She was led out forcibly to the horse gate of the royal palace,

where she was put to death.

Then Jehoiada made a covenant between the LORD as one party

and the king and the people as the other,

by which they would be the LORD's people;

and another covenant, between the king and the people.

Thereupon all the people of the land went to the temple of Baal

and demolished it.

They shattered its altars and images completely,

and slew Mattan, the priest of Baal, before the altars.

Jehoiada appointed a detachment for the temple of the LORD.

All the people of the land rejoiced and the city was quiet,

now that Athaliah had been slain with the sword

at the royal palace.

GOSPEL OF THE DAY

From the Gospel according to Matthew

Mt 6:19-23

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."

FRIDAY OF THE ELEVENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME - Mt 6:19-23

THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE

Dear People of God,

The Word of God today teaches people how to accumulate wealth in the Kingdom of Heaven in the future. He said: Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroy, and where thieves do not steal. So how do we get the treasures of the Kingdom of Heaven?

In the human world, there are two types of wealth:

- First, spiritual wealth is love and charity

- Second, earthly wealth is money, position and fame.

Jesus teaches people that spiritual wealth is the wealth of the Kingdom of Heaven. Because when people have love, charity, and share with others selflessly and without calculation, thieves cannot steal. As for worldly possessions, which are things that quickly pass away, such as money, position, and fame, Satan will come and take them away. When that time comes, the person who accumulates that wealth will be empty-handed. Therefore, God wants to teach the children of man a wise thing: what wealth should they store up? And what wealth should not be hoarded?

Jesus loves people. He warns and teaches people what is good, what is bad, what should be done, and what should not be done. Whoever is wise and wants to have eternal life should listen to God's teachings. Work hard to accumulate wealth for the Kingdom of Heaven in the future, which means work hard to save souls. To save souls is to accumulate wealth for God. Souls are sacred treasures that Satan cannot take away from God. And if anyone worries about getting rich and accumulating wealth for themselves on earth, a thief will come and take it away, meaning Satan will come and steal it. Therefore, God's Word today tells everyone: "For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be." Only the treasure of love, charity, sacrifice, forgiveness only then can it exist in the soul of each person.

Besides, God also teaches everyone to have a pure soul, clean eyes, and a heart filled with compassion and altruism towards others. In addition, everyone must have their hearts turned to God to thank Him, for His love for everyone. Finally, everyone must know how to thank God in every situation. When people know how to accumulate a lot of spiritual wealth for God, they will be rewarded by Him in the Kingdom of Heaven in the future.

Thanks be to God. Amen.