Friday of the 11th Week in Ordinary Time
Liturgical Colour: Green | Year A(II)
First Reading
2 Kings 11:1-4,9-18,20
Saved from the massacre, the true king is anointed by the high priest
When Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah learned that her son was dead, she promptly did away with all those of royal stock.
But Jehosheba, daughter of King Jehoram and sister of Ahaziah, secretly took away Jehoash, her brother's son, from among the sons of the king who were being murdered, and put him with his nurse in the sleeping quarters. In this way she hid him from Athaliah, and he was not put to death.
He stayed with her for six years, hidden in the Temple of the Lord, while Athaliah governed the country.
In the seventh year, Jehoiada the priest gathered the commanders and made a covenant with them in the Temple of the Lord. He brought out the king's son, put the crown and armlets on him, and anointed him king.
The people clapped their hands and shouted:
"Long live the king!"
Jehoiada renewed the covenant between the Lord, the king, and the people, that they should be the people of the Lord.
The people destroyed the temple of Baal and all its idols.
All the country rejoiced, and the city was at peace.
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 131(132):11-14,17-18
Response
The Lord has chosen Zion for his dwelling.
The Lord swore an oath to David;
he will not go back on this word:
"A son, the fruit of your body,
will I set upon your throne."
The Lord has chosen Zion for his dwelling.
If they keep my covenant in truth
and my laws that I have taught them,
their sons also shall rule
on your throne from age to age.
The Lord has chosen Zion for his dwelling.
For the Lord has chosen Zion;
he has desired it for his dwelling:
"This is my resting-place for ever;
here have I chosen to live."
The Lord has chosen Zion for his dwelling.
There David's stock will flower;
I will prepare a lamp for my anointed.
I will cover his enemies with shame
but on him my crown shall shine.
The Lord has chosen Zion for his dwelling.
Gospel Acclamation
Alleluia, alleluia!
Happy the poor in spirit:
the kingdom of heaven is theirs!
Alleluia!
Gospel
Matthew 6:19-23
Store up treasure for yourselves in heaven
Jesus said to his disciples:
"Do not store up treasures for yourselves on earth, where moths and woodworms destroy them and thieves can break in and steal."
"But store up treasures for yourselves in heaven, where neither moths nor woodworms destroy them and thieves cannot break in and steal."
"For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."
"The lamp of the body is the eye. If your eye is sound, your whole body will be filled with light."
"But if your eye is diseased, your whole body will be all darkness."
"If then, the light inside you is darkness, what darkness that will be!"
Reflection
Today's readings ask us to examine not what we possess, but what possesses us.
The First Reading unfolds during one of the darkest periods in Judah's history. Athaliah sought to destroy the royal line, apparently bringing an end to God's promise to David. Yet hidden away in the Temple was the child Jehoash. Unknown to most, the Lord was preserving His covenant.
For six years, God's work remained unseen.
Then, at the appointed time, the rightful king was revealed, and the covenant between God and His people was renewed.
This passage reminds us that God's providence is often hidden. We may look at the world and see confusion, injustice, and uncertainty, but the Lord remains faithful. His promises are never defeated by human evil.
The Psalm celebrates that faithfulness.
"The Lord has chosen Zion for his dwelling."
God does not forget His people.
He does not abandon His covenant.
He remains faithful even when His work unfolds quietly.
In the Gospel, Jesus turns our attention to another hidden reality: the condition of the human heart.
"Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."
Our treasure reveals our priorities.
It is easy to spend our lives chasing things that do not last.
Money.
Recognition.
Success.
Comfort.
Possessions.
None of these are evil in themselves, but none can satisfy the deepest longing of the human soul.
The Catechism teaches that the Beatitude of poverty of spirit frees us from attachment to earthly riches and directs us toward the Kingdom of Heaven (CCC 2544).
Jesus is not asking His disciples to despise material things.
He is asking them not to make temporary things their ultimate goal.
The image of the eye as the lamp of the body speaks of spiritual vision.
If our gaze is fixed upon God, our lives become filled with light.
But if our hearts become consumed by greed, envy, pride, or worldly ambition, darkness gradually enters.
The saints understood this well.
They recognised that earthly things are gifts, but God alone is the treasure that endures.
Like Jehoash hidden in the Temple, the Kingdom of God often grows quietly.
Prayer.
Faithfulness.
Acts of charity.
Sacrifices unseen by others.
These are treasures stored in heaven.
At the end of our lives, what will matter most is not how much we accumulated, but whom we loved.
The question Christ places before us today is simple:
Where is your treasure?
Because wherever it is, your heart will surely follow.
One Line to Carry Today
Where our treasure rests, our hearts will follow.
Catechism References
CCC 1723 — True happiness is found in God.
CCC 2544-2547 — Poverty of spirit and detachment from riches.
CCC 2556 — Treasure in heaven and purity of heart.
CCC 1720 — The Beatitudes reveal the goal of human existence.
CCC 2013 — All Christians are called to holiness.
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