Where are our thoughts most? What preoccupies our thoughts - our longings. The "desires of our hearts" are our heart. St. Anthony came across a funeral in Padua, Italy @ 1230 AD. A man was laying in state, and the mourners were many. He was a very wealthy man and his treasure cases of gold and silver surrounded him. He must have made a request for this to be done. St. Anthony gave a strong admonition that this man should not be burried in holy ground of the church cemetery because he did not make it to heaven. Anthony said to open one of the treasure cases. When the family did so, they saw the deceased man's heart in the case. Also, they examined his body and found no heart there as well. St. Anthony showed all that "where your treasure is, there is your heart also." Riches are not evil. They are good; but to be consumed by riches, to live for them and not use them to eleviate the poor, that is evil. Look at Mother Teresa of Calcutta. She owned nothing. She did not even allow her or his sisters to have hot water. She wanted to identify with the "poorest of the poor". She devoted herself to the most important treasure on earth: the poor. She did this because her heart was totallly with Jesus, and Jesus was in every poor person she cared for. For her to love Jesus was to love Him in the poor! She is now Blessed. "Blessed are the poor in spirit, there's is the Kingdom of God."
Where is your treasure? There is where your heart is. For me it was my 6 children. I shared life and faith with them. They are all grown and have children of their own. My 16 grandchildren are now my treasures, too. I pray for and would like to have 4 more children if God would give them to me. Abraham had Isaac when he was 100 and then had 6 more sons when he was 123. Abraham's treasure was his children.
Jesus said to work for things that are not perishable. He advises us to not work for what moth consume and robbers steal. Our love for God; our love for each other - only all that love follow us into paradise.
St. Paul shows us that our trials here on earth lay up treasures in heaven. He said: "I fought the good fight; now, my reward is laid up for me in heaven." Let's look at his "fight". He said: "I was shipwrecked and spent a day and night on the open sea. I was stoned once and received 40 lashes less 1 and was imprisoned." So, his trials were actually deposits into his heavenly account. He did not despise his trials. He knew they were his glory. Even Jesus told us to rejoice when we are persecuted for His name. So, are you having it rough? Don't just suffer by yourself. Give your sufferings to God in union with Jesus' suffering on the cross. This is called "redemptive suffering." We can even offer our sufferings to God in union with Jesus as prayers for atheists, for those who are dying without hope, for young mothers to keep and love their child in their womb and give life. We can pray for these mothers to get all the emotional, financial and medical help they need to give birth and be happy, to trust in God who created the life in them. Then, Jesus will see you on the cross next to Him and will tell you: "This day you will be with me in paradise." Jesus will assure you that if you are suffering with Him, you will also rejoice with and in Him in heaven.'' Take courage. Hear the words of the Psalmist: "Delight in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart." Ps. 37:3-7. So, Jesus Himself will give you the desires of your heart if you delight in Him. He knows even more than you what you really desire. Let us not work so hard to buy happiness. Let us work to love Jesus with all our hearts; and He will work to give us happiness - happiness of heart. Jesus said: "Seek first the Kingdom of God; and all things will be given to you besides!" He cannot lie. He is Truth itself. If we seek Him, we will be happy here in this world and happy in the next! Amen. Love, Pio
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