Homily (Reflection) for the Memorial
of Saint Aloysius Gonzaga, Rel. (21st June, 2019) on the Gospel and the
Memorial
(Friday of the Eleventh Week)
2Cor 11:18.21-30;
Ps 33:2-7. (R. cf. v. 18);
Matt 6:19-23.
Saint Aloysius Gonzaga (March 9, 1568 – June 21, 1591)
was an Italian aristocrat who became a member of the Society of Jesus after a
four-year contest with his father who wanted him to be a military hero. While caring
for the victims of an epidemic that struck Rome in 1591, he caught the disease
and died a student. He was beatified on October 19, 1605, by Pope Paul V and
canonized on December 31, 1726 by Pope Benedict XIII, all in Rome. He is the
patron Saint of young students, Christian youth, Jesuit scholastics, the blind,
AIDS patients, and AIDS care-givers.
Topic: Safest way ever.
How and where something is kept say a lot about how that
thing is valued. In good olden days, our forefathers buried treasures to
protect them from thieves. But sometimes they were either forgotten especially in
the case of death or eaten up my moths or rotten away if left for a very long
time. With the introduction of modern banking, people rarely bury their
treasures because they are safer in the banks. However, for our past and
present political leaders, banking abroad is better.
Burying treasures, keeping them in the houses or anywhere
else in this world have lots of risks involved. Every now and then, people are
defrauded of the money they kept in the bank even with the connivance of
bankers. It is no longer news that a lot of our politicians left huge sums of
money they stole and stored abroad and died.
To truly benefit from treasures and avoid every risk, Jesus introduced
the safest way ever,
Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth
and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; but store up for
yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where
thieves do not break in and steal.
And very importantly without cards and/or codes, treasures
stored in this way follow those who kept them wherever they go even after
death, cf. Rev 14:13. Did I hear you
asking how one can do this? Very simple, by giving to the poor among other good
works, cf. Matt 19:21; Mk 10:21; Lk
18:22. Whoever does not store up treasures in heaven must be pitied, cf. Lk 12:21. 33; 1Cor 15:19. Saint Aloysius
Gonzaga preferred to store his in heaven. What about you?
Bible Reading: Jas 5:1-6; Lk 12:13-21.
Thought for today: Saving for eternity.
Let us pray: May God help us store our treasures
in the heavenly bank – Amen.
Saint Aloysius Gonzaga – Pray for us.
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