Sell your belongings and give alms. Provide money bags for yourselves that do not wear out, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven that no thief can reach nor moth destroy.” – Luke 12:33

Just before Christmas my little sister had a baby girl—the first in our family. Thanks to the kindness of my superiors (and sister), I was able to spend a week at her house, packed as it was with new baby gear, to take care of the baby girl.

It was amazing.

And the most amazing thing about it was watching my little sister become a mother before my eyes. Like millions of mothers since the dawn of time, she found herself, in the midst of the thousand details motherhood requires, overcome by love for this new life in all her tears and smiles and dirty diapers.

Certainly my sister was putting all of the new onesies and BOB strollers and hippopotamus mobiles to good use, but it quickly became evident that all these things were just tools she could use to love her daughter better.

Watching her as she gave herself physically, mentally and emotionally to her daughter, it felt like each action, each look was another deposit into that heavenly vault, another step into utter dependence upon this tiny person who is utterly dependent upon her.