Friday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time
Where Is Our Treasure?
Liturgical Cycle: A | Lectionary Cycle: II
Introduction
Year II. The reading from Kings narrates the punishment that befalls the family of Ahab and how the royal house of David is restored, along with the religion of the God of Israel.
Gospel: What are the things that preoccupy us, that are constantly on our minds? The answer to this question will indicate what our values are, “where our heart is.” For many high-minded and dedicated Christians, these values will rarely be as crude as mere pleasure seeking and a hunger for material wealth and comfort, though these too are not always ruled out completely. But what about the ambition for power and promotion, the tendency to dominate others and to shape others in our own image and likeness rather than God’s? What about making ourselves the centre of the world? Where do we look for “the one thing necessary”?
Opening Prayer
Lord our God,
you are the origin and purpose of all,
the meaning of our existence
and the goal of all we do.
We pray you today:
draw us out of our little self-created worlds
and open us to you and your kingdom.
Be yourself the precious pearl of our lives
and let each person around us be
the oyster shell in which we find that pearl.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
First Reading
Reign and Death of Athaliah
When Athaliah, the mother of Ahaziah, saw that her son had died, she was determined to wipe out all the descendants of the king.
And Joash remained hidden in the house of the Lord for six years while Athaliah reigned over the land.
In the seventh year, Jehoiada, the chief priest, summoned the officers of the royal guard and the Carians to the house of the Lord. After concluding a pact with them under oath, he showed them the king’s son.
The guards’ commanders did what Jehoiada, the priest, had told them to do, and they showed up with all their men, those who were to go off duty on the Sabbath and those who were to come on duty on that day.
Jehoiada entrusted to the officers the spears and shields of King David, which were in the house of the Lord.
And then the guards stood from the southern corner of the house to the north, surrounding the altar and the house of the Lord.
Then Jehoiada, the priest, brought out the king’s son, crowned him and put the bracelets on him, then proclaimed and consecrated him king. All clapped their hands, shouting and crying out: “Long live the king!”
When Athaliah heard the noise of the people, she approached the crowd surrounding the house of the Lord.
According to the custom, the king was standing by the pillar, and the officers and the trumpeters were with him. The people were filled with joy, and they were blowing trumpets. Upon seeing this, Athaliah tore her clothes and cried: “Treason, treason!”
Jehoiada, the priest, commanded the officers: “Surround her and bring her out to the courtyard, and kill anyone who tries to defend her.” He gave this order because he thought: “She should not die in the house of the Lord.”
They brought her out, and when they reached the palace of the king, by the horses’ entrance, they killed her.
Jehoiada made a Covenant between the Lord and the king and the people so they would be the people of the Lord.
All the citizens went to the temple of Baal and destroyed it. They broke the altars and the images into pieces and killed Mattan, the priest of Baal, before his altar. Then Jehoiada, the priest, posted guards over the house of the Lord.
All the citizens were happy, and the city was at peace. Now, regarding Athaliah, she died by the sword in the king’s 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 Verse
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are the poor in spirit;
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
The True Treasure
Do not store up treasures for yourself on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves can steal.
Store up treasures for yourself with God, where no moth or rust can destroy them, nor thief comes and steals them.
For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.
Light and Darkness
The lamp of the body is the eye; if your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be filled with light.
If your eyes are sick, your whole body is full of darkness. Then, if the light in you is darkness, how great that darkness is!
Prayers of the Faithful
– For those who worry much about money, that they may learn to be concerned about those who lack the bare essentials, we pray:
– For those who have become the victims of greed and intolerance, that good people restore their faith in God and humankind, we pray:
– For all of us, that we may be grateful that God has given us faith in him and in his love and mercy, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
Lord our God,
you let us gather around the table
of your Son Jesus Christ.
The eucharist is for us
a great and precious treasure.
Let us appreciate Jesus’ presence
and let it always enrich us
with a deep sense of his nearness.
Let us learn from him
to be present to one another.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Prayer after Communion
Lord our God,
from the words and the presence of Jesus
We learn that nothing is more precious
than your love for us
and the kingdom you want to build with us.
Be our joy and our treasure.
We thank you for finding us.
Let us always keep finding you
in the different ways you manifest yourself
in the goodness of people
and in the treasures of our faith.
Thank you through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Blessing
Our prayer and our whole worship is service of God and neighbour, not service of oneself in the sense of showing off and boasting of what we do for God and neighbour. That is worship in spirit and truth. May God bless you, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
REFLECTIONS
Matthew 6: 19-23
Buy Eternity, Not Illusions
Jesus speaks to us today with clarity and tenderness: “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth… but store up treasures in heaven” (Mt 6:19–20). These words invite us to a deep reflection: Where is your treasure? Where is your heart?
So often we are caught in a whirlwind of worries — bills, loans, deadlines, and the endless pursuit of “more.” We live calculating and spending, working not to live, but merely to pay. But Jesus reminds us: you were made for more. You were not created to chase after things, but to live in freedom and joy.
Let us pause and ask: Where is my heart? Is it chained to what I own? Or is it open to what truly matters — to love, mercy, forgiveness, beauty, faith? You see, the heart follows the treasure. And if your treasure is God, your heart will be full of light.
Jesus also speaks about the eye. “If your eye is sound, your whole body will be full of light” (v. 22). How do you look at life? Is your gaze clean, open, generous? Or is it clouded by envy, comparison, anxiety? The eye is the lamp of the body — it is the window through which light or darkness enters. If you see clearly — with humility, with truth — then your life will shine.
Let us not waste time chasing what rusts and fades. Let us “buy eternity” by investing in what lasts: compassion, faith, service, kindness, and love. Time cannot be bought back. But love builds what lasts forever.
Today, ask yourself: Where is my treasure? Where is my heart? And ask the Lord for the grace to see clearly — to walk in light, not illusion.