17th Sunday of ordinary Time
Here we are at the last weekend of July and the summer holidays are now at the half way stage. I’m sure there are many parents out there wondering when will the long holidays end it will be no time until the beginning of the new school year.The readings for this Sunday are about the wisdom of God which is very different from the wisdom of the world. Biblical wisdom is about everyday life; it concerns practical matters and guides us in living a godly life. Anyone who is familiar with the bible will know the unique qualities of this wisdom. A person of wisdom may not be the most intellectually brilliant person in the room. When the bible speaks of a wise person, a wisdom figure like Solomon, or a prophet, it presents a person who is closely tuned into the things of God. The wise one and God have a strong and intimate relationship and the recipient of wisdom is characterized by very practical, everyday knowledge that enables him/her to live an ethically upright life.
The first reading recalls how Solomon requested the gift of understanding instead of material goods or power. The psalm reminds us that God’s commands are more precious than gold. The second reading tells us to work for God’s purpose and that is not always what we want for ourselves or those around us. In this Sundays Gospel we hear the story of the treasure hidden in the field . The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field or a pearl of great price. When its great value is recognized, one gladly does all that is necessary to obtain it. The kingdom of heaven is also like a net that collects all sorts of fish. Just as the useless fish are thrown away, at the end of the age the wicked will be rejected. To be members of the Kingdom means to share our knowledge of it with others. To truly believe in Christ means leading other people to the same knowledge by what we say and do; for secret faith is no faith at all. We should be happy to bring out of the house that is our life all kinds of treasures to share with our neighbors. But these treasures are not physical things but attitudes that are virtues like love and justice and truth and hope and so on. The things that we bring out from our treasure store of faith are the values of the Kingdom and the knowledge of God the father. God loves us just the way we are, but He refuses to leave us that way. He wants us to become his treasure for other people so that they can discover the faith which is the pearl of great price the treasure hidden in our hearts.
Fullerton T 