Today's Gospel

Don’t Invest in a Landfill

Hi, I'm Matthew Kelly, and welcome back to Radical and Relevant, where each day we take a few moments together to reflect on the gospel of the day. Today's reading is from Matthew 6:19-23. Do not lay up treasures for yourself on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. The eye is the lamp of the body. So if your eye is sound, your whole body will be full of light.

But if your eye is not sound, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness? So we're in chapter six of Matthew's Gospel, and it's a great chapter. Chapter 5 begins with the Beatitudes. And then chapter 6 and chapter 7 is just this whole string of wisdom sayings, wisdom teachings, and a lot of beautiful ideas, challenging ideas, practical ideas. But what jumped out at you today? Was there a word? Was there a phrase? Was there an idea? Jesus starts out, "Don't lay up for yourself treasures on earth." We're all doing that, right? Every single one of us. We're like, "We got stuff. We got so much stuff." And most of the stuff we've got is going to end up at St. Vincent de Paul or Goodwill or in landfill. Most of the stuff, 99% of the stuff. Got all this stuff. And what is Jesus saying? He's saying, "You want to lay up treasure?" He's not opposed to laying up treasure. God is in favor of laying up treasure, just the right kind. And he's saying lay up treasure that doesn't rot, that doesn't rust, that can't be stolen. He's saying, lay up treasure for yourself in heaven. Build character. Build virtue. Allow God to sculpt you into the person he created you to be.

Because nobody can take that from you. No one can steal that. That doesn't rot. That doesn't rust. Moths can't consume it. And so today, let's think about are we building character? Are we allowing God to sculpt us into the man or woman of virtue that he desires to sculpt us into? Have a great day. Remember, don't just be yourself. Be the-very-best-version-of-yourself, all that God created you to be.

I was at dinner many years ago; I was about to speak in a parish, and there were a bunch of people at the dinner, and I heard out of sort of just peripheral the priest say at the head of the table, "You can become a saint just by governing your speech." And it was just so convincing. It was so compelling. I have wanted to write this book for at least 20 years. And it's The Forgotten Way: The Saint James Master Plan. The Forgotten Way: The Saint James Master Plan. If you haven't got a copy, I encourage you to pick a copy up. I think it's probably–it might be the most challenging thing I've ever written.

The promise of this book is very simple. You can transform your life by changing the way you speak. The Forgotten Way: The Saint James Master Plan. Hope you pick up a copy today. God bless you and remember, Be Bold, Be Catholic.