buying eternal treasure

St Cyril of Jerusalem talks to us very frankly about money today in A Year with the Church Fathers. He says there is absolutely nothing wrong with money, as long as we use it for good.

He encourages us to "buy eternal treasure" with our money, and even demonstrates a few ways that Jesus said to do it. That sounds strange, doesn't it? What's the exchange rate between dollars and heavenly treasure? Well, Jesus said it pretty clearly, Cyril points out. He said, "sell what you have and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven."

Does that mean God wants you to sell everything and go about penniless, begging for food? Well, I'm not going to say He isn't. Because that seems to be exactly what He called St Francis to do. Francis and his friends, including St Clare, did exactly that. They gave away EVERYTHING and begged for their food. Francis usually ate moldy bread, even if good bread was available, as a form of penance. So that's the extreme standard.

You are called somewhere along that spectrum. God wants you to give away some of your wealth, and give money to the poor. Take care of those who need help. Feed the hungry. Clothe the naked. Love those who need love. That's our calling, and Jesus made it clear that how well we do that will determine a great deal about our lives after death.

Let's invest wisely.

God, thanks for showing us the divine exchange rate. Please help us invest in heavenly treasure.