We’ve surely come a long way since first-century Christians like Paul. He was beaten, imprisoned, stoned, and was constantly suffering for the Church. So when he said he had “daily pressure” and “anxiety,” it must have been serious! 

In contrast, we have all the luxury for self-care. Just the other day, I took a stroll in Tagaytay on a cool, sunny weekday morning. I was there for a retreat, which was a break in itself. 

You probably also have regular self-care routines that keep you sane. Experts would advise eating well, sleeping at least seven hours a day, and doing some kind of movement. These help ease our stress and make us more productive. 

But note that self-care is not the goal of life. It is for us to be like Saint Paul who, despite the numerous tortures and beatings of life, continued his mission. 

What was his self-care? Although it was never mentioned in the Bible, we can guess that he had the best self-care there is: the love of Christ! 

And that sustained him to martyrdom and holiness. 

Migs Ramirez (emiguelframirez@gmail.com)

reflect

Go back to the best self-care: How have you been loved by Christ today?

Father, thank You for Your embrace, especially in the most difficult moments of my life. You are my best self-care, and I love You. Amen.  

Saint Florentina, pray for us.

Paul outlines his pedigree when his authority is being challenged. Let us humbly speak with the authority appropriate to our standing in the Church. Humility will give greater range and power to our witness. We should also be careful not to overstate our authority or pretend to be authorities on issues that we know little or nothing about.

¹⁸ Brothers and sisters: Since many boast according to the flesh, I too will boast. ²¹ To my shame I say that we were too weak! But what anyone dares to boast of (I am speaking in foolishness) I also dare. ²² Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they children of Israel? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I. ²³ Are they ministers of Christ? (I am talking like an insane person.) I am still more, with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, far worse beatings, and numerous brushes with death. ²⁴ Five times at the hands of the Jews I received forty lashes minus one. ²⁵ Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I passed a night and a day on the deep; ²⁶ on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my own race, dangers from Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers at sea, dangers among false brothers; ²⁷ in toil and hardship, through many sleepless nights, through hunger and thirst, through frequent fasting, through cold and exposure. ²⁸ And apart from these things, there is the daily pressure upon me of my anxiety for all the churches. ²⁹ Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is led to sin, and I am not indignant? ³⁰ If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. 

Responsorial Psalm | Psalm 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7

R: From all their distress God rescues the just.

² I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall be ever in my mouth. ³ Let my soul glory in the Lord; the lowly will hear me and be glad. (R) ⁴ Glorify the Lord with me, let us together extol his name. ⁵ I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears. (R) ⁶ Look to him that you may be radiant with joy, and your faces may not blush with shame. ⁷ When the poor one called out, the Lord heard, and from all his distress he saved him. (R)

 Gospel | Matthew 6:19-23

Jesus reminds us that all the wealth in the world means nothing compared with eternal life. We can spend time and effort to get rich in this life, but it will not bring us fulfillment. We may have ease of life and pleasure, but these are not relevant when it comes to eternal life. 

Gospel Acclamation

Blessed are the poor in spirit; for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.

¹⁹ 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. ²⁰ But store up treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor decay destroys, nor thieves break in and steal. ²¹ For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be. ²² The lamp of the body is the eye. If your eye is sound, your whole body will be filled with light; ²³ 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.”

Read the Bible in one year! Read 2 KINGS 23 - 25 today.

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 the 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. 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 questions

What do you insist on keeping close to your heart?

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

Today, I pray for: ______________________________________