(you can also listen to the reflection here if you have subscribed to FORMED)

Jesus says, "For where your treasure is, there also your heart will be." What this really boils down to is asking, "What are your priorities? What is most important in your life?" This is a very difficult challenge for people in our modern culture today because there are so many distractions and temptations that can easily take us away from what is most important. This creates difficulties in our relationships, especially with God, with family, and with those who are in need. Many people may say that they love God, but is that where their heart is, or is their heart filled and divided with many things that distract them from God and even take them away from God? Are our families where our treasure lies, or are we easily distracted by cell phones, the Internet, TV, hobbies, and so on? This Gospel reading provides us the opportunity to take stock of our priorities and to discern whether we treasure what is truly important and lasting in life-especially what lasts for eternity, the state of our soul and our relationship with God. This week's readings also call us to almsgiving, to share our treasure, most specifically our financial treasures with those who are in need. The blessings that God gives us are not to be kept for ourselves, but are to be given to the poor and those in need. When we give alms, the book of Proverbs says it is like we are giving a loan to God, to use the blessings he has bestowed on us to help others ["He who has compassion on the poor lends to the LORD, and he will repay him for his good deed." Proverbs 19:17]. The beautiful thing is that God promises to pay us back one hundredfold for our generosity and faith. The question that Jesus poses to us this week is whether we have the faith to give of our treasures and trust God in his love and generosity. 

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