July 26, 2020 Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
2020년 7월 26일 연중 제17주일
오늘의 복음 : http://info.catholic.or.kr/missa/default.asp
제1독서
열왕기 상. 3,5-6ㄱ.7-12
그 무렵 5 주님께서 한밤중 꿈에 솔로몬에게 나타나셨다.
하느님께서 “내가 너에게 무엇을 해 주기를 바라느냐?” 하고 물으셨다.
6 솔로몬이 대답하였다. 7 “주 저의 하느님,
당신께서는 당신 종을 제 아버지 다윗을 이어 임금으로 세우셨습니다만,
저는 어린아이에 지나지 않아서 백성을 이끄는 법을 알지 못합니다.
8 당신 종은 당신께서 뽑으신 백성,
그 수가 너무 많아 셀 수도 헤아릴 수도 없는 당신 백성 가운데에 있습니다.
9 그러니 당신 종에게 듣는 마음을 주시어
당신 백성을 통치하고 선과 악을 분별할 수 있게 해 주십시오.
어느 누가 이렇게 큰 당신 백성을 통치할 수 있겠습니까?”
10 솔로몬이 이렇게 청한 것이 주님 보시기에 좋았다.
11 그래서 하느님께서는 그에게 이렇게 말씀하셨다.
“네가 그것을 청하였으니, 곧 자신을 위해 장수를 청하지도 않고,
자신을 위해 부를 청하지도 않고, 네 원수들의 목숨을 청하지도 않고,
그 대신 이처럼 옳은 것을 가려내는 분별력을 청하였으니,
12 자, 내가 네 말대로 해 주겠다. 이제 너에게 지혜롭고 분별하는 마음을 준다.
너 같은 사람은 네 앞에도 없었고,
너 같은 사람은 네 뒤에도 다시 나오지 않을 것이다.”
제2독서
로마. 8,28-30
형제 여러분, 28 하느님을 사랑하는 이들,
그분의 계획에 따라 부르심을 받은 이들에게는
모든 것이 함께 작용하여 선을 이룬다는 것을 우리는 압니다.
29 하느님께서는 미리 뽑으신 이들을
당신의 아드님과 같은 모상이 되도록 미리 정하셨습니다.
그리하여 그 아드님께서 많은 형제 가운데 맏이가 되게 하셨습니다.
30 그렇게 미리 정하신 이들을 또한 부르셨고, 부르신 이들을 또한 의롭게 하셨으며,
의롭게 하신 이들을 또한 영광스럽게 해 주셨습니다.
복음
마태오. 13,44-52<또는 13,44-46>
그때에 예수님께서 군중에게 말씀하셨다.
44 “하늘 나라는 밭에 숨겨진 보물과 같다.
그 보물을 발견한 사람은 그것을 다시 숨겨 두고서는
기뻐하며 돌아가서 가진 것을 다 팔아 그 밭을 산다.
45 또 하늘 나라는 좋은 진주를 찾는 상인과 같다.
46 그는 값진 진주를 하나 발견하자, 가서 가진 것을 모두 처분하여 그것을 샀다.
47 또 하늘 나라는 바다에 던져 온갖 종류의 고기를 모아들인 그물과 같다.
48 그물이 가득 차자 사람들이 그것을 물가로 끌어 올려놓고 앉아서,
좋은 것들은 그릇에 담고 나쁜 것들은 밖으로 던져 버렸다.
49 세상 종말에도 그렇게 될 것이다.
천사들이 나가 의인들 가운데에서 악한 자들을 가려내어,
50 불구덩이에 던져 버릴 것이다.
그러면 그들은 거기에서 울며 이를 갈 것이다.
51 너희는 이것들을 다 깨달았느냐?”
제자들이 “예!” 하고 대답하자, 52 예수님께서 그들에게 이르셨다.
“그러므로 하늘 나라의 제자가 된 모든 율법 학자는
자기 곳간에서 새것도 꺼내고 옛것도 꺼내는 집주인과 같다.”
July 26, 2020
Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Daily Mass : http://www.catholictv.com/shows/daily-mass
Reading 1
1 Kgs 3:5, 7-12
The LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream at night.
God said, “Ask something of me and I will give it to you.”
Solomon answered:
“O LORD, my God, you have made me, your servant, king
to succeed my father David;
but I am a mere youth, not knowing at all how to act.
I serve you in the midst of the people whom you have chosen,
a people so vast that it cannot be numbered or counted.
Give your servant, therefore, an understanding heart
to judge your people and to distinguish right from wrong.
For who is able to govern this vast people of yours?”
The LORD was pleased that Solomon made this request.
So God said to him:
“Because you have asked for this—
not for a long life for yourself,
nor for riches,
nor for the life of your enemies,
but for understanding so that you may know what is right—
I do as you requested.
I give you a heart so wise and understanding
that there has never been anyone like you up to now,
and after you there will come no one to equal you.”
Responsorial Psalm
119:57, 72, 76-77, 127-128, 129-130
R. (97a) Lord, I love your commands.
I have said, O LORD, that my part
is to keep your words.
The law of your mouth is to me more precious
than thousands of gold and silver pieces.
R. Lord, I love your commands.
Let your kindness comfort me
according to your promise to your servants.
Let your compassion come to me that I may live,
for your law is my delight.
R. Lord, I love your commands.
For I love your command
more than gold, however fine.
For in all your precepts I go forward;
every false way I hate.
R. Lord, I love your commands.
Wonderful are your decrees;
therefore I observe them.
The revelation of your words sheds light,
giving understanding to the simple.
R. Lord, I love your commands.
Reading II
Brothers and sisters:
We know that all things work for good for those who love God,
who are called according to his purpose.
For those he foreknew he also predestined
to be conformed to the image of his Son,
so that he might be the firstborn
among many brothers and sisters.
And those he predestined he also called;
and those he called he also justified;
and those he justified he also glorified.
Gospel
Jesus said to his disciples:
“The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field,
which a person finds and hides again,
and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant
searching for fine pearls.
When he finds a pearl of great price,
he goes and sells all that he has and buys it.
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net thrown into the sea,
which collects fish of every kind.
When it is full they haul it ashore
and sit down to put what is good into buckets.
What is bad they throw away.
Thus it will be at the end of the age.
The angels will go out and separate the wicked from the righteous
and throw them into the fiery furnace,
where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.
“Do you understand all these things?”
They answered, “Yes.”
And he replied,
“Then every scribe who has been instructed in the kingdom of heaven
is like the head of a household
who brings from his storeroom both the new and the old.”
http://evangeli.net/gospel/tomorrow
http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
My nostalgia for the summers of my youth is at an all time high. Days spent riding my bike to the state park or to the library to stock up on more books. Eating sno-cones during the rest break at the swimming pool. Piling into the station wagon for the cross country trip to see my cousins. Whenever I would muse that I wish summer could last forever, my mother would remind me to be careful what I wish for. Her response puzzled me yet didn’t stop me from romanticizing summer as I conveniently forgot about oppressive heat, bug bites, tornados and lots of time spent with annoying younger siblings.
That pattern of nostalgia for the pre-pandemic days has become very present for me and for several people I encounter. Phrases like: “when things get back to normal” or “hopefully we can all get together in the spring” are common and leave me feeling a bit heartbroken. Today’s readings help me make sense of my heartbreak in some surprising ways.
In the first reading from Kings, Solomon humbly asks for “an understanding heart to judge your people and to distinguish right from wrong.” He did not pray for a specific outcome but put his trust in God to give him the wisdom he would need to be a servant leader. This challenges to go back to my mother reminding me to be careful what I wish for. How might the future look if I ask God to help me see ways I build an authentic connection with others rather than wishing for a specific social event to take place.
A calming mantra for these unsettling times is in Paul’s letter to the Romans: We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. Rather than be nostalgic for the days before the pandemic or consumed by worry about the health and livelihood of my friends, Paul invites me to explore what St. Ignatius calls disordered attachments…thoughts and responses that stand in the way of my choosing the best way to serve God. I trust if I can “loosen my grip” God will invite me to explore ways I can live my faith that I had never before imagined.
Jesus continues his teaching through parables in today’s gospel from Matthew. As I wonder why Jesus used three distinct images of a buried treasure, a valuable pearl and a net full of fish to describe the kingdom of heaven I think about how Jesus had disrupted so many long standing belief systems and ways of being. I appreciate his teaching style as we grapple to make meaning in these turbulent times and work to find a way forward. As we look to a future in the uncertainty created by the pandemic we are called to face the reality of a history of systemic racism. We cannot face these challenges without God’s steadfast love. And as God helps me accept the reality of pandemic life, I find energy to strive for social justice in my community.
The psalm reminds us to: Let your kindness comfort me according to your promise to your servants. Praying for an understanding heart to serve the kingdom is a prayer I never need to be careful to wish for.
http://www.presentationministries.com/obob/obob.asp
“THE VALLEY OF DECISION”
“The reign of God is like a buried treasure which a man found in a field.” —Matthew 13:44
Joel prophesied that life after death on Judgment Day and even life before death can be described as “the valley of decision” (Jl 4:14). Life is the opportunity to decide to be like the young Solomon and to choose wisdom (1 Kgs 3:9). Life in the new covenant is to decide to live for Jesus. The meaning of life is either to sell all of the little that we have to buy what appears to be a vacant lot or to sell all of our great wealth to buy the pearl of great price (Mt 13:46). In either case, life is to surrender our independence, that is, our kingdom, and to submit to Jesus as our only King.
You can’t accept Jesus as your King while you ignore His commandments. Have you decided to accept Jesus not on your terms but on His? Have you lost your life for Jesus? (Lk 9:24) “How long will you straddle the issue? If the Lord is God, follow Him” (1 Kgs 18:21). “Decide today whom you will serve...As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord” (Jos 24:15). We sing: “Have you decided to follow Jesus?” Once you decide, there is no turning back. What’s your decision forever?
Prayer: Jesus, I decide to love You forever with all my heart (Dt 6:5).
Promise: “We know that God makes all things work together for the good of those who have been called according to His decree.” —Rm 8:28
Praise: Praise Jesus, “Who died or rather was raised up, Who is at the right hand of God and Who intercedes for us” (see Rm 8:34).
http://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/readings/
What do you treasure the most and how do you keep it from being lost or stolen? In a peasant community the best safe was often the earth. The man in the parable (Matthew 13:44) "went in his joy" to sell everything. Why? Because he found a treasure worth possessing above all else he had. He did not, however, have enough to buy the treasure. Fortunately, he only needed enough to buy the field. In a similar fashion, God offers his kingdom of righteousness, peace, and joy (Romans 14:17) as incomparable treasure at a price we can afford! We can't pay the full price for the life which God gives us; but when we exchange our life for the life which God offers, we receive a treasure beyond compare.
Obtaining the greatest possible treasure
The pearl of great price also tells us a similar lesson. Pearls in the ancient world came to represent the supremely valuable. Jesus remarked that one should not cast pearls before swine (Matthew 7:6). Why would a merchant sell everything for a peerless pearl? No doubt because he was attracted to what he thought was the greatest treasure he could possess. Discovering God's kingdom is like stumbling across hidden treasure or finding the one pearl of great price.
When we discover the kingdom of God we receive the greatest possible treasure - the Lord himself. Selling all that we have to obtain this incomparable treasure could mean many things - our friends, job, our "style of life", what we do with our free time. Treasure has a special connection to the heart, the place of desire and longing, the place of will and focus. The thing we most set our heart on is our highest treasure. In this parable what does the treasure of the kingdom refer to? It certainly refers to the kingdom of God in all its aspects. But in a special way, the Lord himself is the treasure we seek for. If the Almighty is your gold and your precious silver, then you will delight yourself in the Almighty (Job 22:22- 23). Is the Lord the treasure and delight of your heart?
God draws us into his kingdom
What can a story of a dragnet and a great catch of fish tell us about God's kingdom? The two most common ways of fishing in Jesus' time was with a casting-net (or hand-net) which was thrown from the shore and the drag-net or trawl which was let down or cast into the waters from a boat. As the boat moved through the waters the drag-net was drawn into the shape of a great cone which indiscriminately took in all kinds of fish and flotsam and jetsam swept in its path. It usually took several men to haul such a net to shore.
What is Jesus' point here? Just as a drag-net catches every kind of fish in the sea, so the church acts as God's instrument for gathering in all who will come. Just as the drag-net does not or cannot discriminate, so the church does not discriminate between the good and the bad, the useless and the useful. God's kingdom is open to all who will accept and believe. But there will come a time of separation, at the close of the age, when the angels will send the good and the bad to their respective destinations. Our task is to gather in all who will come. God, in the end, will give the good (those who accept and follow Christ) and the bad (those who refuse Christ) the reward they deserve. God offers the treasure of his kingdom to all who believe in Christ. Do you hunger for God and for his kingdom of righteousness, peace, and joy?
Training for God's kingdom
When Jesus had finished speaking about his parables, he turned to his disciples and asked them, "Have you understood all this?" (Matthew 13:52). Jesus asks us the same question. If we want to understand the meaning and significance of the parables for our daily lives, then we must reflect and think through what the Lord is saying to us through his instruction. The Holy Spirit is our guide and teacher who helps us to grow in understanding of God's word in the Scriptures.
Importance of readying and studying God's word
What is the point of Jesus' parable about a "scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 13:52)? Scribes were specially devoted to the study and practice of God's word entrusted to Moses (the first five books of the Bible) and in instructing others in how to live according to it. In the Old Testament Ezra was called "the ready scribe of the law of the God of heaven" (Book of Ezra 7:6,21). He received this title because he "had prepared his heart to seek the law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments" (Ezra 7:10). Ezra's heart was set on the kingdom of heaven because he revered God's word and he taught others through example and instruction to love and obey God's word.
The old and new treasures of God's word
Why does Jesus compare a "trained scribe" with a "householder who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old" (Matthew 13:52)? Some people love to store up old prized possessions along with their newly acquired prizes. Others are eager to get rid of the old to make room for the new. So why does Jesus seem to emphasize keeping the old along with the new? Why not replace the old, especially if the new seems to be better or more useful? Wouldn't a person want to throw away an old pair of shoes and replace them with a new pair - especially if the old pair became well-worn or torn beyond repair? But, who in his right mind would throw away an old precious jewel or some old gold coins simply because they were ancient and maybe tarnished a bit? Precious gems and gold do not lose their value with age!
Like choice vintage wine they increase in value. Jesus' parable of the "old" and the "new" certainly points to the "older covenants" which God made with his covenanted people of the Old Testament, beginning with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and with Moses on Mount Sinai, and with King David the precursor of the Messiah (Psalm 89:3 and Psalm 110:1). Jesus' parable also points to the "new covenant" which he came to establish through the shedding of his blood on the cross and the anointing of his Holy Spirit who seals the new covenant on the day of Pentecost. Jesus did not come to abolish the Old Covenant but to fulfill it. The Lord calls us to treasure all of his word - all of his commandments, promises, precepts, and teaching (Psalm 119:14,72,127,162). Do you promise to keep all of God's commands? The Lord gives strength, blessing, and joy to those who treasure all of his word.
We would be impoverished today if we only possessed the treasures of the word of God in the "Old Testament" Scriptures or if we only knew the treasures of the "New Testament" Scriptures. Both the Old and New Testament Scriptures are given by the same eternal Father, inspired by the same eternal Holy Spirit, and fulfilled by the same eternal Word, the Lord Jesus Christ, who was with the Father from the beginning and who was sent from heaven to take on human flesh for our salvation (John 1:1-3,14).
Unity of the Old and New Testaments
There is a profound unity between the Old and New Testaments. Both are divinely inspired by one and the same Spirit (2 Timothy 3:16). The Old Testament prepares for the New and the New Testament fulfills the Old - the two shed light on each other. The Old Testament prepared the way for the coming of Jesus Christ as the redeemer of all who would be saved through his sacrifice on the cross. The New Testament lies hidden in the Old and the Old Testament is unveiled in the New. That is why Jesus interpreted the Old Testament Scriptures for his disciples and explained how he came to fulfill what was promised and foreshadowed in the Old (Luke 24:27). That is why we read the Old Testament in the light of Christ's saving death and resurrection. Do you revere the word of God in the Scriptures - both old and new - and see their fulfillment in the Lord Jesus Christ?
Lord Jesus, may your word take deep root in my heart and transform my way of thinking, discerning, and acting. May your Spirit open my ears to hear and understand the word of God in the Scriptures that I may revere and treasure both the Old and the New Testaments which God has prepared for all who desire to enter his kingdom of righteousness, peace, and joy. Help me to be a diligent student and faithful disciple of your word.
Psalm 119:57, 72, 76-77, 127-130
57 The LORD is my portion; I promise to keep your words.
72 The law of your mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver pieces.
76 Let your steadfast love be ready to comfort me according to your promise to your servant.
77 Let your mercy come to me, that I may live; for your law is my delight.
127 Therefore I love your commandments above gold, above fine gold.
128 Therefore I direct my steps by all your precepts; I hate every false way.
129 Your testimonies are wonderful; therefore my soul keeps them.
130 The unfolding of your words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple.
Daily Quote from the Early Church Fathers: The surpassing gift of love, by John Chrysostom (347-407 AD)
"Again, the kingdom of heaven is said to be like a merchant who is seeking fine pearls. He finds one really precious pearl, and, having found it, he sells everything he has in order to buy it. In the same way, he who has a clear knowledge of the sweetness of heavenly life gladly leaves behind all the things he loved on earth. Compared with that pearl, everything else fades in value. He forsakes those things that he has and scatters those things that he has gathered. His heart yearns for heavenly things, and nothing on earth pleases him. The allure of earthly things has now dissipated, for only the brilliance of that precious pearl dazzles his mind. Solomon justly says of such love, 'Love is strong as death' (Song of Solomon 8:6 ), because just as death destroys the body, so ardent desire for eternal life cuts off the love for material things. For love makes insensitive to extraneous earthly desires the person whom it has swept off his feet." (excerpt from FORTY GOSPEL HOMILIES 11.2.1)
Homily from Father James Gilhooley
17 Ordinary Time
Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time - A Cycle - Matthew 13:44-52 or 13:44-46
An old Irish woman was so poor that the parish had to bankroll her. Her son had gone to America and become rich. Her pastor asked, "Mrs O'Leary, do you hear from Bob?" She told the priest, "Bob writes weekly and encloses a picture." "Have you saved them?", asked the priest. "Certainly," said she, "they're in my Bible." The pastor found it stuffed with fifty pictures of Ben Franklin resting comfortably on US $100 bills. (Arthur Tonne)
The problem with treasures, heavenly and otherwise, is they stare us in the face so long before we pick them up. Sometimes unhappily we never do. How disappointed Jesus must be.
The concept of the Kingdom of God seems to be forever before Christ. Jesus refers to the Kingdom in the Gospels about 150 times. In today's brief passage, there are four references.
What does the Kingdom of God mean? What would it be for us right here and now? The Kingdom of God is the good life for all people in the present moment. (Joseph Donders)
In the Kingdom of God here, Christ wants life to be a sunny beach with no jelly fish in the ocean for us all.
How does Jesus feel that 1.2 billion people in the world exist on $1 a day? What does He say when He learns that the share of the US's income, earned by the very wealthiest, has doubled since 1980 while the share of the income earned by the bottom 90% has fallen?
Jesus is identified with life. He was obsessed with life. When He met a deaf fellow, He shouted, "Stop being deaf. You must listen to Mozart." When He met a blind person, He said, "Cease being blind. How will you enjoy Matisse?" When He found a paralyzed man, He said, "Be lame no more. I want you to travel to Argentina and learn the tango." When He met the mute man, He shouted, "Let your tongue be untied. There are too many funny stories to tell." When He met the dead boy from Nain, the dead girl in Jairus' home, His dead friend Lazarus, He said, "Don't remain dead. You haven't seen Paris yet."
The Teacher restored life, tuned it up, and polished it. He gave His people a money back guarantee on life.
Even Jesus could only take death three days. He found it dullsville. So, He broke out of the tomb like the Superman He is. He returned to life humming Beethoven's Ninth. He never allowed Himself to die again. He put the incident behind Him like a bad dream. He kept insisting, "I am life." He never said, I am death."
Christ came not to rob life but enrich it. Life for us and for those whom we touch should be treasure time from the strong coffee in the AM to the scrubbing of teeth in the PM.
In today's Gospel, the man who found treasure seized the moment for a fresh life when it came. He was willing to gamble with the new cards dealt to him. So must we. Once to every man and nation comes the moment to decide. (James Lowell)
A famous actress was chided for taking so long to find Christ. She replied, "It doesn't matter if you're a late bloomer as long as you don't miss the flower show." She reminded her friends that a catfish cannot become a swordfish, but we can leave our miserable selves behind, even when old, and become 24 karat.
God loves us just the way we are, but He refuses to leave us that way. He wants us to become just like Him. He wants us to become treasures. (Max Lucado)
What one sentence do you want chiseled on your tombstone to describe your character? Decide. Then go for that virtue.
Will we go for the gold or stay as unattractive as we are? We say mediocrity is only human. But do we Christians have to be only human? Jesus says no.
Here are some helpful hints how to establish the Kingdom of God around you. "Share everything. Play fair. Don't hit people. Put things back where you found them. Clean up your own mess. Don't take things that aren't yours. Say you are sorry when you hurt somebody."
Regarding sharing the Kingdom of God with yourself. "Wash your hands before you eat. Flush. Learn and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and work every day some. Be aware of wonder." (Robert Fulgrum)
The Kingdom of God on earth then is a verb more than a noun.
Be a spiritual and material treasure for others today, and don't YOU miss the flower show.
Homily from Father Joseph Pellegrino
Frjoeshomilies.net
17 Ordinary Time
Seventeenth Sunday: Wisdom and Bringing Out the Best of the Past
This Sunday’s readings begin with Solomon’s request for Wisdom and conclude with a summation of the Lord’s teaching on the parables.
At the conclusion of the Dissertation on the parables in the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus states: “Every scribe of the Kingdom is like the head of the household who brings out from his storeroom both the new and the old.” Jesus spoke to the Jewish people, well versed in Hebrew scripture. The Gospel of Matthew was pointed towards Jewish Christians. Jesus is not replacing what we call the Old Testament with the New Testament. He is combining the best of the Hebrew Scriptures with the New Way, the Kingdom of God. The wise one, the scribe of the Kingdom, therefore, knows how to use what is old and what is new.
It takes wisdom to understand how to deal with the past and the present. There are many people who idealize the past and want to return to life as it was, for example, in the fifties. There are many others who want to reject the past and concentrate only on the advancements of modern life. So, in the area of family life, the first group wants to re-create the Cleaver Family from one of the first sit-coms, Leave it to Beaver, and the second group sees a value in a sit-com like Modern Family. In the area of faith, the first group wants to return to the pre-Vatican Church and the second group wants a Church without a visible structure.
How do we best deal with the past and the present? I believe that it was the Russian poet/philosopher, Yevgeny Aleksandrovich Yevtushenko, who had this insight: He said that the trick to handling the past is to know what should be brought with us and what should be left behind. That is wisdom. For example, within the Church, we should bring with us from the past devotion to the sacraments, to the Mother of God, the importance of the Catholic Family, firm standards of morality, a determination to practice the faith. What should be left behind would include the subordination of the laity, the repression of the roles of women in the faith, the glorification of the clergy, and the diminishing of the study of Sacred Scripture.
We should also apply this to our lives. All of us can look back on our lives and note numerous positive and multiple negative aspects of our lives. We have got to stop persecuting ourselves by dwelling on the negatives of our past. When we do this, we are bringing the past into the present. Leave it in the past. At the same time, it is not pride to recognize the gifts we have shown and to be sure that we utilize our potential, or make our talents real in the present.
So, for example, a person went through a period of life when he or she behaved immorally. Then, perhaps due to a religious experience most likely occasioned by love, that person changed his or her lifestyle and became the person he or she is now. He or she said, “I am getting married now. I am having a child now. I need to be a person of integrity.” And that person grew up spiritually determined to live a new, dedicated Christian lifestyle.
It would be so wrong for that person or any of us to dwell on the mistakes of the past. If sin was involved, well, remember the sacrament of reconciliation is given to us to leave the past in the past and to concentrate on the present. On the positive side, a person can look at his or her past and remember how volunteer work for the poor or sick was so important during high school or college. Perhaps, he or she might remember how others could not deal with a dying person, but how he or she was able to sit down, chat with the sick person, and see that person, not the person’s sickness. Reflecting on this, the person says, “Hey, I can do this. And it is important for me to use this gift God gave me. I’m going to volunteer as an AIDS buddy or as a hospice companion.” This is looking at the past and bringing the best with us to the present.
You married folks really should do this when considering your relationship. If you are human beings, then you have made mistakes. Leave them in the past. You have also been supportive and caring. Bring this into your present. Sometimes, a couple will see me that is having a crisis in their marriage. Often, I’ll mention that the present situation needs to be dealt with, but don’t let this situation cause you to overlook all the good you have done for each other and the growth you have achieved as a loving couple. Some people are too quick to give up on marriage and end up realizing what they have lost only after it is too late.
Solomon prayed for wisdom. Not a bad idea. It takes wisdom to combat the challenges of life. It takes wisdom to be a good parent, a good husband, a good wife, a good priest, a good person. It takes wisdom to discern what needs to be brought into the present and what needs to be left in the past.
Where do we get this wisdom? The same place that Solomon received his.
Homily from Father Phil Bloom
Stmaryvalleybloom.org
* Available in Spanish - see Spanish Homilies
17 Ordinary Time
Evil is Like the Coronavirus
Bottom line: Evil does not have an independent existence. Like a parasite or like the coronavirus, evil sucks out life, bringing sickness and death. Only Jesus brings goodness that lasts - he is the buried treasure, the pearl of great price.
The last couple weeks Jesus has given some difficult images: the final judgement which will involve a great separation - good fish from scrap fish, weeds from wheat. The wheat will be gathered for a glorious harvest while the weeds will be thrown into furnace to be burned.
To understand this image we need to know what evil is. Evil does not have an independent existence. Evil depends on the good in order to exist. Evil is something like the coronavirus. It just hangs in the air, but if it enters a human body with sufficient number it takes over the good cells, causing sickness even death.
In the same way sin takes over something good and causes destruction, even death. Consider the sin of lust. Like the coronavirus lust is parasitical. It takes over something good. Sexuality is very good: it binds two people together and bring about new life. Lust, on the other hand, seeks only pleasure. Instead of bringing union, it brings separation. Think of the girl waiting for the call that never comes.
Evil, whether lust, greed or gluttony, is always parasitical. It destroys something good and in the end, destroys even pleasure itself.
So, what do we do? It's usually not a good idea to confront evil directly. Venerable Bishop Sheen says we have to crowd out evil. Fill your life with things positive. Ultimately we have to do what Jesus says today: find the treasure buried in a field. Go after that pearl of great price.
And what is the pearl of great price? It is nothing more and nothing less that a relationship with Jesus. Jesus himself is the kingdom of God. He contains all good: forgiveness, healing and strength. In him we find pleasure that lasts.
That's why Jesus speaks to us about heaven and hell. Heaven is a relationship with him that begins now and continues into eternal life. Hell is simply the absence of that relationship. What happens to those who never receive a clear call to come to Jesus I will leave to others to speculate. For you and me the issue is clear: Are we ready to sell all to obtain the buried treasure, the pearl of great price?
Next Sunday we will hear about Jesus taking loaves, blessing, breaking and giving them to feed people in a desert place. It will be a great opportunity to reflect on how Jesus gives himself to us in the Eucharist.
For today remember that evil does not have an independent existence. Like a parasite or like the coronavirus, evil sucks out life, bringing sickness and death. Only Jesus brings goodness that lasts - he is the buried treasure, the pearl of great price.
Homily from Saint Vincent Archabbey, Latrobe, Pa
Saint Vincent Archabbey
17 Ordinary Time
Homily from Father Alex McAllister SDS
Alexmcallister.co.uk
17 Ordinary Time
Last Sunday we had the parable of the Sower, this Sunday we have the parable of the Man Sowing Good Seed, next Sunday Jesus compares the Kingdom of Heaven to a treasure hidden in a field.
These agricultural images are obviously very appropriate to his listeners who were much closer to the land than most of us are. Jesus uses many other easily understandable images in his parables; for example, today we also have the mustard seed and the yeast in the flour. But there are many, many more very vivid images recorded in the Gospels.
This is a completely different approach from the scribes and the Pharisees who tended to work from the Law. Religion being for them a matter of following sets of laid down instructions: “keep these rules and God will be happy with you!” is what they seem to be saying. And: “if you don’t understand them just ask us—the experts!”
Instead Jesus takes a more figurative approach because it means that all his listeners, from the most sophisticated to the very simplest, can understand them. But that does not mean that Jesus is making things easier for the people. By making things understandable for them means that the moral choices they have to make in life become much clearer, much starker.
This particular parable about the good seed and the darnel certainly presents a very stark comparison between those who do good and those who do evil. Jesus seems to be suggesting that you are either a) virtuous and will shine like the sun or b) are evil and will be thrown into the blazing furnace. He presents no middle way.
That sounds rather unfortunate to us. If you are anything like me you have a bit of good and a bit of bad in you. Not completely bad! But then not completely good either! This puts us all in a bit of a quandary. We want to be good but we find ourselves badmouthing our neighbours; we want to be holy but we don’t say our prayers very often; we want to be trustworthy but, well, if nobody’s looking…!
This is the very human dilemma most of us are in. We want to get to heaven but we are a little nervous of that big book and what St Peter has been writing about us over all these years. We might not like what we find when we get to those pearly gates. Will we gain admission or not? It could be a bit of a moot point! There might be a lot of humming and hawing!
What Jesus is doing is highlighting the fundamental choice all of us must make in our life. Naturally he wants us to choose the good, to follow the way he outlines for us. But, of course, it must be our absolutely free choice and that leaves open the possibility that we might make a fundamental choice for evil, a choice not to go the way he sets before us.
Jesus does not do this to be difficult. He does it so that we see clearly the way we are going in life. He does it to help us make the right choices without ever restricting our freedom. This is, in fact, the most loving and caring thing he can do for us.
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July 30, 2017 Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
