Memorial of Saint Aloysius Gonzaga, Religious
Lectionary: 369
Reading 1
2 Kings 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.
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 132:11, 12, 13-14, 17-18
R. (13) The Lord has chosen Zion for his dwelling.
The LORD swore to David
a firm promise from which he will not withdraw:
"Your own offspring
I will set upon your throne."
R. The Lord has chosen Zion for his dwelling.
"If your sons keep my covenant
and the decrees which I shall teach them,
Their sons, too, forever
shall sit upon your throne."
R. The Lord has chosen Zion for his dwelling.
For the LORD has chosen Zion;
he prefers her for his dwelling.
"Zion is my resting place forever;
in her will I dwell, for I prefer her."
R. The Lord has chosen Zion for his dwelling.
"In her will I make a horn to sprout forth for David;
I will place a lamp for my anointed.
His enemies I will clothe with shame,
but upon him my crown shall shine."
R. The Lord has chosen Zion for his dwelling.
Alleluia
Matthew 5:3
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are the poor in spirit;
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
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."
Reflection 1
Catholic Daily Reflections
Your Intentions in Life
“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.” Matthew 6:22–23
Every Scripture passage, in a spiritual sense, can teach us many lessons. Saint Thomas Aquinas, in his commentary on Matthew’s Gospel, offers one interpretation to the passage quoted above by saying that the “eye” in this passage refers to your intention and “your whole body” refers to all of your actions that follow from your intention. Therefore, when your intentions are in line with God’s will, the actions that follow will be also. This is a very practical and useful lesson for your journey toward holiness.
With this insight from Saint Thomas, we must look at our intentions in an honest and complete way. What are your intentions in life? It’s easy for us to form various intentions that may seem good as well as some that are contrary to the will of God without even realizing it. We may intend to get a good night’s sleep on one occasion. Or intend to have fun with family and friends on a certain day. Or we may intend to cook a good meal, clean the house, do well at work, etc. There are many momentary intentions that are good and are a normal part of daily living. However, the most important intention to consider is that which is the deepest of them all. What is the most central, foundational, and fundamental intention by which your life is directed?
The primary intention that you should work to acquire is to give God the greatest glory possible in all that you do. Giving glory to God is accomplished when you choose Him and His holy will above everything else in life. When this is the deepest and most fundamental intention of your life, everything else will flow from it. All secondary intentions and actions will align with this central focus and work toward its accomplishment. But when there are other “first intentions” that you have on the most fundamental level, then all the rest of your intentions and actions will be misguided and directed in a disordered way.
Reflect, today, upon the most fundamental intention you have in life. Doing so will require a considerable amount of interior reflection and honesty. It will require that you sort through the many things that motivate you and the decisions you make each and every day. Reflect upon the primary purpose of your life, which must be to give God the greatest glory possible by choosing and living His perfect will. Do all of your daily actions align with this ultimate goal? Commit yourself to the holy work of examining all of your actions in this light so that you will more fully achieve the purpose for which you were created.
Reflection 2
One Bread, One Body
HIDDEN TREASURES
“For six years he remained hidden in the temple of the Lord.”—2 Kings 11:3
The child-king of Judah, baby Joash, was “hidden” in safety in the Temple, “concealed” from the murderous queen Athaliah (2 Kgs 11:2-3). This child-king foreshadows Jesus, another Child-King, Who was hidden in Egypt from the murderous King Herod (Mt 2:13ff). Ultimately, Jesus lived for thirty years hidden from the public eye. Jesus is still “hidden,” in the Tabernacle inside a Catholic Church near you. He is hidden in plain sight, available to anyone who seeks Him with open eyes and an open heart.
Jesus speaks of another hidden treasure, buried in a field (Mt 13:44). Heavenly treasures are hidden from view, but revealed to those who search for them. So it is with the heavenly treasures which Jesus urges us to “store up” (Mt 6:20). With them we are rich, but to those in the world, who cannot see spiritual treasures (see 1 Cor 2:14), it seems we have nothing (see 2 Cor 6:10).
The most important Treasure is Jesus Himself. Jesus, our King and our Treasure, is often hidden. However, Jesus is not hidden from us; He is hidden for us. He wants us to seek Him and find Him. The price to find Jesus is expensive; He costs our “all” (Mt 13:44). However, everyone has an “all,” so everyone can afford to make Jesus their Treasure.
When we truly make Jesus our Treasure, that is where our heart is firmly set (Mt 6:21). No one can see our heavenly Treasure, but also no one can separate us from this Treasure (see Rm 8:35-39).
Prayer: Father, thank You for not hiding Jesus from me. Give me the grace to turn “ten times the more to seek Him” (Bar 4:28).
Promise: “Remember, where your Treasure is, there your heart is also.” —Mt 6:21
Praise: St. Aloysius wrote: God “invites me to the infinite bliss I have sought so languidly, and promises me this reward for the tears I have so seldom shed.
Reflection 3
Shared from God's Word
God has given us beautiful things in this world to enjoy and to take delight in. But when we make them as our ‘treasure’, they become a constant source of worry. In addition, every treasure we hold here on Earth is subject to deterioration and destruction. Jesus wants us to invest in treasures that will last unto eternity. When we utilize the gifts, talents and resources God has blessed us with to make the world a better place, we lay up treasures in Heaven. Our true treasure lies in good works and an upright life which will be eternally rewarded by God in Heaven. Do you invest sufficiently in your life on Earth as treasures which will guarantee you eternal life? What is the treasure you cherish most in life?
Prayers
God of all glory, You and You alone are worthy of all my praise. Your will and Your will alone must become the foundation of all that I choose in life. Give me the spiritual insight I need to look deeply at all that motivates me and all of my most interior intentions in life. May all of my intentions and all of my actions have as their goal Your eternal glory. Jesus, I trust in You.
Father in heaven, you have given me a mind to know you, a will to serve you, and a heart to love you. Give me today the grace and strength to embrace your holy will and fill my heart with your love that all my intentions and actions may be pleasing to you. Give me the grace to be charitable in thought, kind in deed, and loving in speech towards all.
Daily Reflections on Divine Mercy
Reflection 172: Patient Submission
Are you patient? Both patience and impatience are born from a struggle within your will. There are many times in life when your will is drawn by something other than God, wanting something that God is not leading you to. Patience is a virtue that enables you to step back, take a deep breath and redirect your will to that which God alone has chosen for you. Patience is the gift of strength within you to deny your own immediate tendencies in deference to that which the Lord gently speaks to your heart. When you have patience, you are not controlled by the confusion caused through your disordered emotions or untamed feelings and desires. Patience brings order, focus and purpose. And the gift of patience, when it enables you to submit your will to the Divine Will, gives God immeasurable glory (See Diary #904).
How patient of a person are you? What controls your actions and influences your decisions the most? Are you more controlled by your disordered desires, or by God? Reflect upon this question today and make an act of submission of your will to the Will of God. Making this choice will immediately strengthen you and bring forth the virtue of patience in your soul.
Lord, I am so very impatient at times. I allow many feelings, emotions and passions to control me and to dictate my actions. I surrender my will to You this day. May Your Divine Will be done in all things rather than my own. Jesus, I trust in You.
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