From the Gospel according to 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.”

“Where Your Treasure Is”

Where we place our heart and direct all our efforts to achieve and maintain it is where we value most. The world offers treasures that, once attained, turn to dust, and we must seek others. They are like neon lights, the shine of riches, the fleeting and empty joy that lasts only a few hours, the well-being that does not bring the peace to our heart looks for. And so, life becomes a directionless and aimless existence.

But You, Lord, show us where the only thing that fills our hearts is: Your heart.

The path to reach this treasure is in my marriage, the chest that You fill with pearls every time I renounce my own criteria and joyfully accept what my husband/wife says, even when it’s the opposite of what I think. Rubies with every sacrifice I make for my spouse. And in the end, I discover that the greatest treasure is being in Your Heart.

So, help us not to separate from Your Heart, that we may always be alert so we don’t lose this great treasure. We don’t want our hearts to be anywhere else but in You, and You in us.

Relating to Married Life:

Juan: Alicia, in prayer, the Lord has shown me the value of all these years of dedication and sacrifice that you’ve made with me. All these years suffering in silence and telling the Lord how hard it was to carry everything — the house, the kids, and worst of all, my absences due to work — but you gave it all up for Love of Him and me.

Alicia: Yes, those were hard years when I sometimes felt alone, carrying everything. But what has the Lord shown you in prayer?

Juan: Well, the Lord showed me a huge chest, filled with little jewels. When I looked at them, memories came to mind of times I saw you make all those sacrifices and how you always looked to the Lord. Then I saw how your heart, in the form of a precious jewel, joined with the Heart of Jesus, which was more beautiful than I’d ever seen. I was astonished and deeply in love with Him. I then understood that your heart is in His, because you’ve done it all for Love of Him and me. Thank you, my wife, for loving me in a way that only He could have taught you. Thank you, Lord, for placing this treasure by my side.

Alicia: Thanks be to the Lord for giving me all those opportunities to grow in His love and helping me discover His Heart through yours, my husband. Through that, I’ve fallen more in love with you, and by loving you more, I’ve fallen more in love with Him, discovering that treasure He had prepared for me, for us: His Heart.

Mother,

Do not let us stray from Your Son, protect us from the danger of temptations, and always lead us by Your hand toward Him. Thank you, Mother!