Daily Journey Through the Great Fast With the Early ChurchSample

Our spiritual life is like a bank – we get paid money from work and we deposit that money into the bank. When we choose to participate in good deeds, we build up for ourselves a treasure in heaven where “neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.” [Matthew 6:20]. When we choose to participate in evil deeds (sin), we build up for ourselves an appearance of a treasure, but it's not the same…it’s more like not having money in our bank account, then overdrafting and the overdraft fees won’t be waived. Where we deposit our money, our minds and hearts will constantly be thinking about it.

If we fill ourselves with spiritual things, then we will grow in spirit, but if we fill ourselves with wicked desires and sins, then we will become a twisted version of what we were created to be. Our eyes, Jesus says, are the lamp of the body (Matthew 6:22) - fill our eyes with good, then our bodies will be full of light and the opposite holds equally true...fill our eyes with sin, then our bodies will be full of darkness! When we fill our eyes and minds with evil things, then our eyes and minds become dark and we cannot see the light of God, nor His kingdom. God is trying to open our hearts and minds to see all the wonderful things that He has in store for us, we only need to seek His kingdom first above all things and in all things.

“This must be understood not of money only, but of all our possessions. The god of a glutton is his belly; of a lover his lust; and so every man serves that to which he is in bondage; and has his heart there where his treasure is.” [St. Jerome, 4th century theologian and historian]

“The kingdom and righteousness of God is the bread that we are seeking and the intention of all our deeds. But, since we serve in this world as recruiters who are eager for the kingdom of heaven, we need the essential necessities for our life. Therefore, the Lord said: all these things shall be added to you.” [St. Augustine of Hippo, 4th century theologian]