Deacon Stu Dobson’s Homily
June 18, 2021
Friday, June 18, 2021 – 11th Week in Ordinary Time
2 Cor 11:18, 21-30 Ps 34:2-7 Mt 6:19-23
If you have not noticed by now, St. Paul is quite a complex guy. All week long we have been hearing him preach to the Corinthians about all the misleading teachings they had been hearing. St. Paul does not want to boast about himself, but in order to convince them that he is speaking the truth, he is forced to talk about himself and his accomplishments. It had to be really hard for the Corinthians, as they were hearing from many preachers, each proclaiming to be one with Christ. Yet, those same preachers were only in it for monetary gain or an ego trip. So, St. Paul, in his elegant way, claims not only to be a fool, he claims he might even be insane! But he points out he has done many things for Christ where his actions show how much he is committed to Christ. That is not insanity that is humility and trust.
The two books of Corinthians are some of my favorites, besides the Acts of the Apostles, because it shows the real struggles the early Christians had, and how the apostles, and especially St. Paul, worked tirelessly to help them understand the truth. Spend some time in these two books and meditate on them. Read them slowly and you will begin to see the life of the early Christians. You will begin to see what they really needed to be focusing on, Jesus.
Jesus says it so clearly in the Gospel, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures in earth…but store up treasures in heaven.” He warns us to be careful about what we see, hear, and do. It is not just the physical stuff, it is also the things we watch on TV, in movies, and what we listen to on the radio. All those things fill our minds with enough junk to keep us away from thinking about God.
Do we really need the two-car garage, basement, and storage shed full of junk? Or do we need the things that fill our minds with the joy and glory of God? If it is not from God, and does not bring us closer to God, it does not mean anything! We need those things that fill our hearts with pure love, the love for Christ, and of Christ. Only then will we have a true treasure in heaven.
Saint James Catholic Church 