Sale! Declutter! Storage to rent. Buy the latest!

Sale! Declutter! Storage to rent. Buy the latest! Such messages are fired at us in the press and on TV. It seems that we cannot have enough goods. We want the latest innovation. To be old-fashioned or out of date is reprehensible. Often garages attached to houses do not house cars, but unwanted possessions.
The bible says: ‘Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.’
Earthly treasures are attractive, but they do not satisfy us. We are never satisfied with what we possess. If we are not careful we will always want more: the big lottery win, the right this or that. There is nothing as fickle and temporary as human taste. We obtain something, and before long we have tired of it, lost all interest in it. If earthly treasure is our priority takes most of our attention, time and energy, then what about the type of treasure Jesus talks about.
How do we store up treasure in heaven? Jesus said: ‘For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ ‘Then the righteous will answer him, “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?” ‘The King will reply, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”’

John Cairns
Kings Lynn Roman Catholics

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