Reading 1
2 Kgs 11:1-4, 9-18, 20
When Athaliah, the mother of Ahaziah,
saw that her son was dead,
she began to kill off the whole royal family.
But Jehosheba, daughter of King Jehoram and sister of Ahaziah,
took Joash, his son, and spirited him away, along with his nurse,
from the bedroom where the princes were about to be slain.
She concealed him from Athaliah, and so he did not die.
For six years he remained hidden in the temple of the LORD,
while Athaliah ruled the land.
But in the seventh year,
Jehoiada summoned the captains of the Carians
and of the guards.
He had them come to him in the temple of the LORD,
exacted from them a sworn commitment,
and then showed them the king’s son.
The captains did just as Jehoiada the priest commanded.
Each one with his men, both those going on duty for the sabbath
and those going off duty that week,
came to Jehoiada the priest.
He gave the captains King David’s spears and shields,
which were in the temple of the LORD.
And the guards, with drawn weapons,
lined up from the southern to the northern limit of the enclosure,
surrounding the altar and the temple on the king’s behalf.
Then Jehoiada led out the king’s son
and put the crown and the insignia upon him.
They proclaimed him king and anointed him,
clapping their hands and shouting, “Long live the king!”
Athaliah heard the noise made by the people,
and appeared before them in the temple of the LORD.
When she saw the king standing by the pillar, as was the custom,
and the captains and trumpeters near him,
with all the people of the land rejoicing and blowing trumpets,
she tore her garments and cried out, “Treason, treason!”
Then Jehoiada the priest instructed the captains
in command of the force:
“Bring her outside through the ranks.
If anyone follows her,” he added, “let him die by the sword.”
He had given orders that she
should not be slain in the temple of the LORD.
She was led out forcibly to the horse gate of the royal palace,
where she was put to death.
Then Jehoiada made a covenant between the LORD as one party
and the king and the people as the other,
by which they would be the LORD’s people;
and another covenant, between the king and the people.
Thereupon all the people of the land went to the temple of Baal
and demolished it.
They shattered its altars and images completely,
and slew Mattan, the priest of Baal, before the altars.
Jehoiada appointed a detachment for the temple of the LORD.
All the people of the land rejoiced and the city was quiet,
now that Athaliah had been slain with the sword
at the royal palace.
Gospel
Mt 6:19-23
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth,
where moth and decay destroy, and thieves break in and steal.
But store up treasures in heaven,
where neither moth nor decay destroys, nor thieves break in and steal.
For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.
“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 bad, your whole body will be in darkness.
And if the light in you is darkness, how great will the darkness be.”
Meditation: Matthew 6:19-23
If your eye is sound, your whole body will be filled with light. (Matthew 6:22)
Most of us know the difference between seeing well and seeing poorly, especially if we recall wearing glasses or contact lenses for the first time. Before we used them, things were blurry and out of focus. When we put them on, the world was instantly transformed. We had to squint because everything was so bright. Colors jumped out at us, and we could pick out details we hadn’t noticed before. We might have even wondered how we could have gotten along without them!
That’s the sort of contrast Jesus is talking about here. But he’s referring to spiritual vision, not physical vision. It doesn’t matter so much that we have eyes—it’s how we use them that’s important. If our eyes are “bad,” that is, if we put all our attention on this world, things get darker. We are consumed by short-term wants and desires rather than the long-term goals Jesus has for us—to build his kingdom and to be deeply united with him.
When we make Jesus our priority, it’s as if he gives us a new pair of eyes. We find the dark areas of sin getting smaller. We start to appreciate this world more—not for itself alone but as a reflection of God’s glory. Our power to resist temptation increases, and we’re able to pray more and to love more. We have a serenity we didn’t have before. Like Simeon, we can say, “Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace … for my eyes have seen your salvation” (Luke 2:29-30).
However, this “vision correction” doesn’t take place only once but throughout our lives. Even now, the Lord may be drawing your attention to something you hadn’t noticed before. It could be something you’re supposed to get rid of, such as a habit or thought pattern that’s dragging you down. Or it could be something you’re supposed to respond to, such as a new opportunity for evangelization or friendship. So keep your heart open to God’s grace so that your conversion will go deeper still. Remember your goal: to see Jesus more and more clearly until you behold him face-to-face in heaven!
“Lord, I want to see you! Reveal yourself to me, and help me to grow more into your image each day.”
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