17th Sunday of Ordinary Time
This Sunday is the Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time and the World Day of Grandparents and the Elderly. We give thanks to God for our Parents and grandparents and all they mean to us today. Last Monday in Dublin as part of the Parable Tour Father Mike Schmitz spoke at the National Stadium with 1600 young people attending. Before the event A special was Mass organized by the Irish Bishops’ Conference’s Council for Evangelization, Catechetics and Pastoral Renewal and was celebrated by Bishop Fintan Gavin, Bishop of Cork and Ross. Many people attended the Mass and the next day when I watched Father Schmitz speak on YouTube there was something real and honest in his words, as he encouraged those who may be uncertain in their faith not to wait until they have all the answers before taking the next step. He said “To anyone standing on the edge of faith uncertain, hesitant, or searching the invitation is not to have all the answers before you begin. Throughout Scripture, we see that obedience often comes before understanding. “Mary is a fantastic example of this. The Archangel Gabriel appears to her and says, ‘You are going to be the mother of the Messiah.’ She then asks, ‘How can this be?’ He gives her a clarifying answer and she says, ‘Let it be done to me.’ “He does not give her understanding; He does not give her a plan; He does not give her a roadmap. He simply gives her enough information to take the next step. That is the invitation for every one of us. God always gives us enough light and enough information to take the next step, and we can trust Him with that next step.”
The readings for this the 17th Sunday help us see what is truly valuable. They remind us that wisdom, faith, and God’s kingdom are worth more than anything else we could ever own. These gifts bring life, joy, and strength when we seek them with open hearts. In the First Reading God tells Solomon to ask for anything he wants. Solomon asks for wisdom to rule well. God is pleased and gives him great wisdom, more than anyone before or after him. In the Second Reading we are told that God works for good in the lives of those who love Him. He calls people, makes them right with Him, and gives them glory. He shapes them to be like His Son.
In the Gospel reading Jesus tells us that The kingdom of heaven is like a hidden treasure or a rare pearl so valuable that people give up everything to have it. When its great value is recognized, one gladly does all that is necessary to obtain it. Being members of the Kingdom means sharing 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. We know life and service in the reign Jesus is proclaiming, will require sacrifice. But these parables encourage us to take the plunge, they tell us, “It is worth whatever you must change, or give up.” But these treasures are not physical things but spiritual attitudes and otherwise that are virtues like love and justice and truth and hope and so on. What we bring out from our treasure store are the values of the Kingdom, the attitudes of Jesus and the knowledge of the one true God. God loves us just the way we are, but He refuses to leave us that way. He wants us to become treasure for other people so that they can discover the faith which is the pearl of great price the treasure hidden in the fields of our hearts.
In the life and ministry of Jesus many people experienced the Kingdom through their encounter with him which brought dignity, love, forgiveness, release from illness, disability, guilt, shame and even death. Jesus made present the reign of God’s grace for people in all kinds of need. While we are sometimes overwhelmed by the experience of the presence of God within our hearts, more often we experience the reign of God’s grace through others. These people, like Jesus, somehow make present, make real the presence and action of God especially but not only in our moments of need but in every good or bad situation we might find ourselves in. God always gives us enough light and enough information to take the next step, and we can trust Him with that next step.” The big question for us today is are we prepared to make the next step on our journey in faith and trust?
Fullerton T 