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Gospel: Matthew 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.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
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(Today is the second day of our week-long summer faith formation program).
Boys and girls, imagine getting into your parent’s car on a cold winter morning. It’s so cold that you can see your breath!
You ask mom or dad to start driving, but they tell you, “We must wait. The windows are covered in frost.”
Why is it a good idea to wait for that frost on the windows to melt?
Otherwise, you cannot see!
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In today’s Gospel, Jesus talks about the importance of sight – of seeing with clear eyes. Just as you must have clear windows in order to drive, so Christians must have clear eyes in order to see.
The alternative is to have “frosty” eyes. By “frost,” I mean things that make it difficult for us to see other people the way God wants us to see.
For example, if I am jealous of someone else, then it makes it harder for me to see what’s good in them. That jealousy is like “frost” in my eyes.
If I am angry at my brother or sister, then it makes it harder for me to be kind. That anger is like “frost” in my eyes.
What are other things that cause “frosty” eyes?
Judgment, gossip, being rude, mean, and so on.
As Jesus says in today’s Gospel, “If your eye is clear, then your body will be filled with light; but if your eye is bad, then your whole body will be in darkness.”
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Today we ask Jesus to melt away any “frost” in our eyes so that we can clearly see each other the way that God wants us to see: with kindness, respect, and love.
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Image credits: (1) Fratelli Tutti, Thinking Faith (2) Car Glass Canada (3) Summit Church, YouTube