FROM THE PULPIT

SEVENTEENTH SUNDAY ORDINARY TIME YEAR A

SCRIPTURE: 1 Kings 3:5, 7-12; Romans 8: 28-30; Matthew 13: 44-52.

Reflections: Your Treasure and Pearl.

Fr. Benoit Mukamba, CSSp.

The word of God in today’s readings, calls us to introspection, self-examination of what treasure or pearl each one of us has so far found in life. King Solomon desired and searched for Wisdom as his treasure. He found that wisdom would be fundamental to success in his leadership and personal life. God granted it to him because he had asked for an unselfish thing. Wisdom didn’t only give Solomon the ability to conduct his royal duties but provided him joy and balance in his life.

Apostle Paul found Jesus and his Gospel as the most treasurable realities in his life. With joy he abandoned his privileges as Pharisee and well trained disciple of Gamaliel (Acts 22:3) and went to proclaim Christ and more disciples for Jesus. He testifies to us that “all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28). Paul speaks here according to his own experience.

The reaction of the one who finds a treasure or pearl is joy. Joy is followed by a conversion, a radical change of the orientation of one’s own life. The Gospel tells us that when a person finds a treasure, he hides it safely and out of joy goes and sells all he has and buys that field. What does that mean to us?

Finding the treasure implies searching for something not obvious, not in the open. A treasure is something or reality that possesses great value.

The Hidden-Treasure in the field means something/reality of great value that necessitates digging/tedious work that is manual or intellectual or spiritual. ‘Selling all that one has’ signifies detaching oneself of all that used to have value and investing oneself totally in the new.

Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, will you ask yourself whether you found your treasure in life today? And what have you done with it? Today is your day to distinguish what you could die for,from what you would let go. For the moment of judgement is certain. Which side will you find yourself?