Seventeenth Sunday Ordinary Time Cycle A
07/25/2017
July 26,2020
Let's start by looking at the second reading first.
St. Paul writes to his converts to Christianity in Rome. He could be speaking to all of us. He calls us to remember that we have been called, chosen.
Sometimes it is do easy to forget that our Baptism was our call by God. We are different from all others, believe it or not. We are to be the image of His Son in the world today. It is so easy not to recognize this call.
In the first reading, God appears to King Solomon, King David's son, in a dream. This happen around 970 BC.
"Ask for something, and I will give it to you," says God to Solomon.
What would he ask for?
Wealth, Good Health, Good Looks, No Problems.
For most of us, what we would ask for is not what Solomon asked for.
Solomon asked for the hidden treasure that we hear about in today's Gospel, and that was the gift of Wisdom and Discernment, so that he could rule the people justly.
What do we usually ask for???
Wealth, fame, good looks, new car or home, health, a cure, etc.
Or do we ask for ...
Wisdom
Discernment
Understanding
Ability to love the Enemy
Ability to forgive
In the Gospel we hear about a hidden treasure.
This is the buried treasure; this is the fine pearls that will lead us and others to eternal life.
We are not called to be first, often we are called to be last, to be rejected, to be treated badly, to be ignored.
It is this buried treasure; it is this set of fine pearls that will lead us and others to eternal life.
Answer this question truthfully and you will make many discoveries about yourself.
I certainly did and I must admit I am not always willing...
to be the least,
to be forgiving,
to be patient,
to love the enemy or the difficult person or situation.
.
But that is why God has called me and each of us.
He comes for the sick, for the sinner, and at moments, that is each of us.
He asks us...
"What can I do for you?
What do you want?"
Will we ask for wisdom, for discernment?
Or will we ask to have the difficult situation go away, and be solved, to have the pain and suffering ended.
Certainly Christ found the treasure, the fine pearls.
And that was the Cross.
It was also in his joys, but also in his suffering and death.
Where will you fine the buried treasure, the fine pearls this week in the events of your life?
Or...
Will we continue to seek the pleasures of this life and this world?
Maybe this week we can be alert and watch for a different kind of buried treasure.
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