Liturgy Alive, Models of Celebrations

2 Kgs 11:1– 4, 9 –18, 20; Ps 132:11, 12, 13 –14, 17 –18; Mt 6:19 – 23

Daily Gospel

First Reading: 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.

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 132:11, 12, 13 –14, 17 –18

R./ The Lord has chosen Zion for his dwelling.

The LORD swore to David
a firm promise from which he will not withdraw:
“Your own offspring
I will set upon your throne.”
R./ The Lord has chosen Zion for his dwelling.

“If your sons keep my covenant
and the decrees which I shall teach them,
Their sons, too, forever
shall sit upon your throne.”
R./ The Lord has chosen Zion for his dwelling.

For the LORD has chosen Zion;
he prefers her for his dwelling.
“Zion is my resting place forever;
in her will I dwell, for I prefer her.”
R./ The Lord has chosen Zion for his dwelling.

“In her will I make a horn to sprout forth for David;
I will place a lamp for my anointed.
His enemies I will clothe with shame,
but upon him my crown shall shine.”
R./ The Lord has chosen Zion for his dwelling.

Gospel Reading Introduction
What are the things that preoccupy us, that are constantly on our minds? The answer to this question will indicate what our values are, "where our heart is." For many high-minded and dedicated Christians, these values will rarely be as crude as mere pleasure seeking and a hunger for material wealth and comfort, though these too are not always ruled out completely. But what about the ambition for power and promotion, the tendency to dominate others and to shape others in our own image and likeness rather than God's? What about making ourselves the center of the world? Where do we look for "the one thing necessary"?

Gospel Reading: 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.”

Commentary

Earthly riches and material possessions have quite a lure upon our hearts. We can easily become seduced by the desire for more and more things, thinking that our security will rest upon how many goods we are able to accumulate.
Jesus tells us that this is folly. Material possessions and money are relatively unim-portant. They can be used to do any number of good things, including putting bread on the family table, but in the end we will not be able to take any of the things of this world with us to the next.

Heavenly, not earthly treasures must be our goal.

General Intercessions

- For those who worry much about money, that they may learn to be concerned about those who lack the bare essentials, we pray:

- For those who have become the victims of greed and intolerance, that good people restore their faith in God and humankind, we pray:

- For all of us, that we may be grateful that God has given us faith in him and in his love and mercy, we pray:

Prayer over the Gifts

Lord our God,
you let us gather around the table
of your Son Jesus Christ.
The Eucharist is for us
a great and precious treasure.
Let us appreciate Jesus' presence
and let it always enrich us
with a deep sense of his nearness.
Let us learn from him
to be present to one another.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Prayer after Communion

Lord our God,
from the Words and the presence of Jesus
we learn that nothing is more precious
than your love for us
and the kingdom you want to build with us.
Be our joy and our treasure.
We thank you that you have found us.
Let us always keep finding you
in the different ways you manifest yourself
in the goodness of people
and in the treasures of our faith.
Thank you through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Blessing

Our prayer and our whole worship is service of God and neighbor, not service of oneself in the sense of showing off and boasting of what we do for God and neighbor. That is worship in spirit and truth. May God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.