“Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven” (Mt 6:20).
The Lord has given us many opportunities to lay up treasures in heaven. Everything we have done and suffered for love will be counted as merit in eternity. This means not only that we will be rewarded on a personal level, but also that the “surplus” of good works will be made available to the Church, as happens, for example, in the lives of the saints. In this sense, we often hear in liturgical prayers that we can do nothing by our own strength, but that through the merits of the saints we are granted blessings and graces.
All this indicates that the Heavenly Father takes us very seriously on our journey. Not only does He offer each person salvation in Christ, but He also invites them to cooperate in the work of salvation. What a joy to see in eternity that our path of following Christ has not only been fruitful for our own salvation, but also that other people have received graces through our cooperation! Sometimes the Lord even allows us to see the fruits during our earthly life. What a comfort!
There are thousands of ways to lay up imperishable treasures in heaven. If we ask the Holy Spirit to show us opportunities, He will not only point out a great number of treasures that we can still accumulate – treasures that are yet hidden from us or that we sometimes overlook; but He will also awaken in us the fervour not to let the opportunity pass without digging them up.
In this way, a holy fervour can arise in us; a trusting gaze towards our Father to whom we bring all these treasures; a greater naturalness in collaborating in His Kingdom of love. The Father is counting on us! Let us also think of the souls of the deceased. It is so easy to win them as friends when we pray for them and thus help them to attain the full vision of God. And let us also remember to pray for those whom no one remembers.