Daily Readings - Fri Jun 20 2025
2 Corinthians
18Since many boast according to the flesh, I too will boast.21To my shame, I must say, we were too weak for that!But whatever anyone else dares to boast of--I am speaking as a fool--I also dare to boast of that.22Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they offspring of Abraham? So am I.23Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one--I am talking like a madman--with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death.24Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one.25Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea;26on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers;27in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.28And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches.29Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant?30If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.
Matthew
19"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal,20but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.22"The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light,23but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the nature of true wealth and the cost of discipleship. In the first reading from 2 Corinthians, St. Paul lists the many trials and sufferings he endured for the sake of the Gospel. He speaks of imprisonments, beatings, shipwrecks, and countless other hardships, all of which he bore patiently for the sake of the churches under his care. This passage is not a boast but a testament to Paul’s unwavering commitment to Christ and his mission. He emphasizes that true strength lies not in worldly power or comfort but in enduring suffering for the sake of the Kingdom.
In the Gospel, Jesus teaches us about the fleeting nature of earthly treasures. He warns against storing up riches on earth, where they can be corrupted or stolen, and instead encourages us to accumulate treasures in heaven. Jesus then connects this teaching to the state of our hearts, using the metaphor of the eye as the lamp of the body. If our vision is clear and pure, our entire being will be filled with light; but if our vision is corrupted by selfishness or greed, our whole life will be shrouded in darkness. This teaching challenges us to examine where our hearts are truly invested.
Both readings call us to reevaluate our priorities and detach ourselves from the allure of worldly wealth and status. Paul’s suffering reminds us that following Christ often requires sacrifice and perseverance, while Jesus’ teaching on treasures in heaven urges us to focus on what truly lasts. In our daily lives, we are invited to ask ourselves: Where is my heart? Am I chasing after things that will fade, or am I building up treasures that will endure forever? Let us strive to live with integrity, generosity, and a gaze fixed on eternal truths, so that our lives may shine with the light of Christ.