THE CONSCIENCE AS THE EYE OF THE BODY/WHATEVER IS INVESTED IN GOD, CAN NOT BE DEVALUED ( HOMILY FOR FRIDAY OF THE 11WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME JUNE 2022

*THE CONSCIENCE AS THE EYE OF THE BODY

*WHATEVER  IS INVESTED IN GOD, CAN NOT BE DEVALUED

Matthew 6:19-23

Dearest brothers and sisters in Christ, the reading of today speaks to us on the need to have a healthy vision and the necessity of investing our treasure in a safe location. Addressing these, Jesus said to his disciples, “do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal” (Mt 6:19-20). “If the eye is sound, your whole body will be filled with light. But if your eye is diseased, your whole body will be darkness” (Mt6:22-23). Beloved in Christ, the expression of Jesus should not be viewed in the literary sense of it. This is because Jesus wasn't responding to those who merely have eye defects: short-sighted, long-sighted, colour blind or even one-eyed person etc. Jesus was addressing the human faculty responsible for the moral sense of enlightenment and judgment of right and wrong. This faculty is no other than the conscience. The conscience is the faculty responsible for the moral guide of one's behaviour.  It is the lamp of the body. if there is a malformation of the conscience, then the human person becomes defected towards making the right judgement. He, therefore, lacks the capacity for a healthy vision of the truth and is shrouded in darkness and obscurity. These defects of the conscience are a result of the vices the human person habitually accrues: selfishness, greed, jealousy, covetousness, wickedness, hatred, division, envy etc. These distort the healthy formation of the conscience and put the human person in a state of quagmire. 

Friends in Christ, the eye being the lamp of the body can also be seen from the perspective of the 'word of God' being the lamp for the human person. One who is separated from the word of God is in total spiritual darkness. The sense of enlightenment, truth and love is obliterated, making the human person separated from the path of grace and understanding. Jesus admonishes us all never to allow the faculties that enlighten the human person to be thwarted by the darkness of the evil one.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, still on the gospel, the human person by nature has a penchant for the acquisition of long-lasting properties. This is to guarantee that his long-term investment is highly secured and can overtime pay back the cost of investment while yielding considerable dividends. It is obvious that where one's treasure is there lies his heart as well. Therefore,  Jesus encourages us not to keep our treasures and focus on the things of this earth that are surely perishable but rather anchor our investment on the heavenly kingdom where we rest assured of its safety. This brings us back to the undeniable truth that only treasures invested in God can last forever, outside of God is perishability. Dearest friends in Christ, in your day-to-day living, have you been investing in the kingdom of God? The treasures of love, peace, kindness, charity, equity and fairness, compassion, mercy, unity, serenity etc. 

We pray this day that the Holy Spirit will continue to nurture our human faculties to be able to judge rightly the things of life in accordance with the will of God, and to be disposed to invest resiliently in the things of God. 

Have a joyous day!

Fr Remi osj