Cycle A - Year I:  

30 July 2023: Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time 

(Liturgical Color: Green)

Readings:

First Reading:        1 Kings  3:5, 7-12

Second Reading:   Romans 8:28-30

Gospel:  Please Read  Matthew 13:44-52 (or 13:44-46) 

We are God's treasures!

Why do we search for treasures?  The obvious reason is the promise of quick wealth, and so easy life after and even fame. 

In the Gospel proclamation this Sunday, Jesus tells His disciples more parables that deal with search for treasures. Let us reflect on these parables.

Our Lord Jesus uses different images in His parables to describe what God's kingdom is like -- the hidden treasure, a pearl of great value, the dragnet thrown into the sea which brings in all kinds of fish. These images were everyday life situations in Jesus' time, and our Lord uses them to tell something about the nature of God's kingdom and how people need to respond to it.

Let us be clear about this. We do not mean to speak of spiritual things in mercantile terms because they cannot really be the same. Obviously, the kingdom of heaven cannot be purchased or even earned, because it is a free gift to those who believe. The point here is that by these parables Jesus calls our attention to the cost of discipleship. How much is the kingdom of heaven worth to you? How much are you willing to give up in order to have that intimate and eternal relationship with God, which the kingdom of heaven is really all about?

How do we understand the meaning of these parables in our lives today?

In the first two parables we are told how to recognize salvation and the kingdom of heaven as a pearl of great price, and to fully commit ourselves to search for it.  The central message of comparing the kingdom of God with a hidden treasure or a pearl of value is that God's kingdom is so valuable  that everything else  must be sacrificed for it. The meaning of "kingdom" here is not a place or a physical location; rather, the "kingdom" is a direct and close relationship of ourselves with God. So that to accept God's kingdom we are challenged to give up something important to us, like certain personal ambition perhaps, or to abandon certain bad habits or ways of life, to take on a discipline and self-denial that are not always easy. Because there is no other way to true peace of mind and heart in this life, and to glory in the life to come.  In the end, it is worth any sacrifice to possess God's kingdom and to live in friendship and communion with our Lord Jesus Christ.

The last parable specifically describes the kingdom of God as a great net that catches various kinds of fish, some worth keeping and some not. It speaks of God's "investment" in us, His children. In this last parable, the seeker of treasure is not us but the Lord, who uses His angels to sweep us all inside His nets. He will not miss a single treasure, Jesus promises us.  What is good will be kept, while what is evil will be cast aside. All of that effort will be expanded to ensure that no one good soul will be left buried in a field. The point of this last parable is to remind us that there will be judgment day to separate the good and bad catch. The "fish" worth keeping are those who have realized and accepted the supreme importance of the kingdom of God in their lives, and who tried with all their strength to conduct themselves according to God's way of life. In other words, the Lord gives to every person the time and opportunity to become more and more transformed into the image and likeness of our Lord Jesus Christ.

But we must also remember that the time given to us for transformation is not meant to be forever. Our lives on earth will come to an end someday. Therefore, Jesus reminds us today in the last parable that we must put God's kingdom first in our list of priorities. And when we do this, we will be counted among the "fish" that are worth saving.

In the first reading, we hear about King Solomon who seeks wisdom from the Lord rather than any material wealth. God's wisdom will help us seek heavenly treasures over worldly treasures. And in the second reading, St. Paul tells  us that all things work for good for those who love God and who are called to His purpose.

Finally, this is the greatest news of all: we are the Lord's treasures, His children, whom He calls home to share in His inheritance. And like any good father, He will go on to the ends of the earth to bring His treasure home.

A blessed Sunday to us all. And thank you for a moment with God.

Ad Jesum per Mariam!