Daily Readings - Fri Jun 20 2025
2 Corinthians
18Since many are boasting in the way the world does, I too will boast.21To my shame I admit that we were too weak for that!22What anyone else dares to boast about--I am speaking as a fool--I also dare to boast about. Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they Abraham's descendants? So am I.23Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again.24Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one.25Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea,26I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers.27I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked.28Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches.29Who is weak, and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly burn?30If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.
Matthew
19"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, 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. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light.23But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that 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.