Daily Retreat 06/20/08

2008 Jun 20 Fri: Ordinary Weekday 2 Kgs 11: 1-4. 9-18. 20/ Ps 131(132): 11. 12. 13-14. 17-18/ Mt 6: 19-23   From today's readings: "He brought out the king's son, put the crown on him, and gave him the covenant....  The Lord has chosen Zion for His dwelling....    Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.... "   The Treasure of the Heart   Towards the middle of his life, while still very focused on the beauty and wisdom of Cicero and other pagan literature, St. Jerome was struck with a fever, and in his delirium, he imagined himself brought before the throne of Christ for judgment.  When asked who he was, he affirmed that he was a Christian, but the reply thundered, "No, that's not true, for in reality, you're a Ciceronian, for where your treasure is, there also is your heart!"    The sobering experience helped Jerome realize that, up to that point,  he truly had not been  recognizing and treating God as the treasure and center of his life, and so, to fix that, he set out on  making the necessary life-changing decisions to completely enthrone Christ in his heart.   What is the treasure of your life?  What do you spend most of your time, energy, and resources in pursuit of, or what brings you the greatest delights?  Jerome's vision warns us that it's quite easy for anyone to find a few feebly-throbbing pulses that point to some Christian vein in one's life, but much more than that is needed  to give evidence of a Christ-centered heart! Fr. Rory Pitstick Our Lady of the Valley Parish 2511 N. Elmway Okanogan WA 98840 USA (509) 422-5049 "Illum oportet crescere, me autem minui." John 3:30