Where is your Heart?

Today’s Gospel Text: "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

22 "The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is sound, your whole body will be full of light; 23 but if your eye is not sound, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! Matt 6:19-23

Reflection: Oh! The human heart! In the physical sense, who can move it except through surgery or by accident and yet, all things are possible with the human heart.

The heart can move with compassion

The heart could be moved with pity

The heart could be gripped by fear

The heart could be become hardened and stony

The heart could skip a beat in moments of shock, surprises or excitement

The heart loves and can ache

The heart can be in great pain over the loss of a loved one

O the power of the human heart, which is the seat of every emotion; it is able to move and work not just physically but also emotionally.

One of the qualities of the human heart that can be detrimental for our salvation is that of possessing things and even accumulating or hoarding.

We do that because we feel that we will be able to make much out of life or do it for the sake of security which we feel when we hoard things.

It is these very thing that Jesus is warning us against, concerning hoarding of treasures: “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” (vs. 21)

Our hearts sometimes can be so set on treasures that we may even forget every aspect of human relationships. 

The worse is when that treasure has been earned by us through hard work, then we feel that we have every right to it, even forgetting God who has given us the ability to earn.  (cfr. Dt. 8:18)

On the other hand, a man can have the abundance of wealth and riches without having his heart set on them, though it is rare. But God can make what is impossible with man possible with his help (cfr. Mt. 19:26, Mk.10:27, Lk. 18:27)   

Prayer:  “Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who greatly delights in his commandments!  Wealth and riches are in his house; and his righteousness endures forever. Ps 112: 1, 3

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Hardened Heart

Today’s Gospel Text:  Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, to Beth-sa'ida, while he dismissed the crowd. 46 And after he had taken leave of them, he went up on the mountain to pray. 47 And when evening came, the boat was out on the sea, and he was alone on the land. 48 And he saw that they were making headway painfully, for the wind was against them. And about the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. He meant to pass by them, 49 but when they saw him walking on the sea they thought it was a ghost, and cried out; 50 for they all saw him, and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them and said, "Take heart, it is I; have no fear." 51 And he got into the boat with them and the wind ceased. And they were utterly astounded, 52 for they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened. Mark 6:45-52

Reflection: What’s so big about this problem of a hardened heart and is it in relationship to only understanding the way of God, as in the case of the disciples?

“For they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were HARDENED.” (vs. 52)

Suppose a situation when there is major crime committed and all the new paper come out with headlines flashing and likewise on T.V. and other media sources flashing it all along with no respite.  They keep appealing to the consciences of people about such a crime besides seeking to find solution.

In such a situation you have many becoming wise so as to come out with solutions to match the situation but what happens after some days have passed, things are back to normal.

In their hardness everyone has forgotten the situation and life goes on as usual till a next major crime occurs in public or unless the same media rakes it up. 

What I am referring here is one of the worst forms of hardening, the consciences are alive for a moment because the media has made it sensational and has raked up emotions.  Otherwise there may be plenty of other crimes which may be much more serious in nature but where the media may be least bothered.

Hardening of the heart is a serious issue which all must reflect on and check if they have such a heart which is not in keeping with what God will.  The worst part of this hardening is that, for a while, we get so involved in the process  and then after a while forget the whole issue.

When scripture refers to hardened heart it means a heart that is not attuned to God and his ways and thus is not able to be God's instrument of true love.

It is not possible to change this heart on our own but if we acknowledge our problem then we can turn to God for help to transform it and in keeping with his new covenantal promise he will do it: 

“A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you; and I will take out of your flesh the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.  And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to observe my ordinances.”  Ezek 36:26-27

Prayer: Lord I surrender my hardened heart to you so that I may have a new one.

DD = Dedicated Discipleship:  Come grow in the Lord with us