LIGHT THROUGH MY EYES

“The eye is the lamp of the body.” — Matthew 6:22

“The eyes are the windows of your soul,” they say. Psychologists note that even if we fake a smile, the eyes would give us away. They cannot lie. They become smaller when the person is sad or worried. They brighten up when one is cheerful.

In a study, some psychologists went further and zeroed in on the pupil and how it responds depending on a person’s reaction. The research details how they measure pupil dilation to correspond to certain thoughts or feelings.

Long before science discovered this, Jesus already said, “The eye is the lamp of the body.” Our eyes reveal our inner life. Does my life reflect His light or do I project darkness?

Today’s Gospel reading challenges us to look inside and turn up the light. Cristy Galang (cristy_cc@yahoo.com)

Reflect: What is it about you that doesn’t shed light? Does Jesus’ light radiate through your eyes?

Lord Jesus, remind me of the urgency to live my life in a way that radiates Your light to others. Help me see the areas in my life that I should work on to reflect You. Amen.

St. Thomas More, martyr, pray for us.

In the Scriptures we read stories about bloodthirsty men. Today’s reading tells us about Athalia who also killed for the sake of power. What is it that leads a person to kill, let alone assassinate one person after another? People must have turned away from God and forgotten the sanctity of life. Let us abide in God and keep His Word.

2 Kings 11:1-4, 9-18, 20

1 When Athaliah, the mother of Ahaziah, saw that her son was dead, she began to kill off the whole royal family. 2 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. 3 For six years he remained hidden in the temple of the Lord, while Athaliah ruled the land. 4 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. 9 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. 10 He gave the captains King David’s spears and shields, which were in the temple of the Lord. 11 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. 12 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!” 13 Athaliah heard the noise made by the people, and appeared before them in the temple of the Lord. 14 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!” 15 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. 16 She was led out forcibly to the horse gate of the royal palace, where she was put to death. 17 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. 18 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. 20 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.

There was this story of a man who loved his money and never for a moment wanted to part with any of it. Nearing death, he made his wife promise one thing: that she would place all his money in his coffin and bury it with him. He thought that it was best for him, as one successful self-made and wealthy man, to keep his hard-earned wealth close to his heart till the very end.

Now his wife was a loving and honest woman who would never even think of doing other than what his beloved husband asked her to do. Her husband’s will was her command, and there was simply no way she could ever refuse the dying wish of someone she loved, served, and obeyed all her life.

So she counted all her husband’s money to the last centavo and dutifully arranged for all that sum to go with him to the grave. So after getting the total, she carefully wrote a check in her husband’s favor, exactly equal to the amount she had carefully counted, and placed the check inside his coffin.

The man might have his treasure right next and very close to his heart, but his wife sure had her heart in the right place. He got the exact amount close to his heart, for where one’s treasure is, there is his heart, too.

The heart stood for the core of the person, the seat of the personality of the person. A person focused on his treasure is taken up heart and soul by his material treasure. All of him is closely connected with that treasure, and never would the core of the person want his heart to be misplaced or waylaid by any other extraneous concern.

He got what his heart hankered for more than anything else. His wife who had her heart in the right place gave what was due to him, but got much more than she ever gave. Fr. Chito Dimaranan, SDB

------- REFLECTION QUESTION -------

What do you insist on keeping close to your heart?

Dearest God, temper my desire for worldy wealth. Help me focus my eyes on the eternal. Amen.

Today, I pray for: ________________________________