The first reading tells us that we hold our treasure in earthen vessels. Importantly it follows that up by saying, "that the surpassing power may be of God and not from us." This tells us that we are just flawed containers- God's love is the treasure inside us. I saw one commentary that summarized this reading this way, saying "we're the pots and God is the Power". He makes us, the ordinary vessels... extraordinary.

"Love God with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself, and you will live." This is a lesson that is within everyone's reach to live out. Even secularists, those that leave out the God part, know that a society works better if we treat each other like we like to be treated. We’ve seen signs in some neighborhoods that say, “Drive as if it’s your kids who live here.” The golden rule is still held to the standard to this day. The overall lesson in this gospel summarizes all gospels, the entire meaning of life, and it does so with such eloquent simplicity! That is: …A worthy life is a simple life. Just do the next right thing. What’s that expression – simplicity is complexity resolved? I think that applies here.

Jesus longs for us to move beyond the idea of sacrifice—what we feel obligated to give up to be perceived as religious. He wants us to get our hearts involved, tangled up with other people’s lives, so the word sacrifice drops out of our vocabulary, and that all we know is the passion to love others as he loves us.

The second reading today reminds us of the origins of our freedom. It is, as all things, a gift from God. Paul says, “You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free.” God wants us to live in freedom. Freedom is our calling. God does not want us to live a buttoned-down, constrained life. He wants us to live a full and abundant life.

But Catholic doctrine and the truths to which it holds don't in and of themselves inoculate us from straying from these words our savior gave us. Discernment is an every day challenge for each of us. We need to ask ourselves, are we closer to an "Our Father" prayer life or something closer to a "My Father" version? This type of discerning is something we need to learn, practice and apply, no matter what age or level of commitment to our faith at which we currently see ourselves.