Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Texts:
1Kgs. 3:5, 7-12
Rom. 8:28-30
Mt. 13:44-52

The Readings:

In the first reading, the author presented Solomon as the king of Israel who asked for wisdom that would help him in leading the people. God gave Solomon the wisdom and understanding heart to guide him in his leadership and to use his gifts for the good of the community. The reading challenges us to embrace an understanding heart in our leadership and in our relationship with each other in the community.

In the second reading, Paul presented the stages of salvation in the life of the believers, which involved the grace of being chosen, being predestined, being called, being justified, and finally, being glorified. In times of sufferings, Christians are being conformed into the likeness of Christ. The reading challenges us to live in love in order to allow the glory of God and His purpose to become real in our lives.

In the gospel, Matthew presented the parables of the hidden treasure, the fine pearl, and the net. The parables of the treasure and the pearl speak about the activities of the farmer. It was in the buying of the treasure and the pearl that Jesus wanted His disciples to learn the lesson of the parable. In the context of the proclamation of the kingdom, the disciples must embrace the many possibilities of the spread of the kingdom and its fulfillment in the lives of the believers. The treasure and the pearl are symbols of new possibilities of life and the beginning of a new community. The parable of the net could be applied to the members of the church or the people in the world where the good ones and the bad ones lived together. Matthew viewed the parables in the context of the coming of the kingdom. He stressed that the Lord would come to judge all people. He admonished the community to live radically the kingdom in their lives.

The Reflection:

The proclamation of the kingdom of God, the possibility of social transformation and the hope of a renewal of the church are Christian challenges today. Being Christians, we are called to discover the “treasure and pearl” of life. These treasures and pearls must be facilitative towards personal growth, interior renewal, community development, social change and the complete existence of the kingdom of God on earth. Christians must really be able to integrate the glory of God that they discovered in their daily life and activity. This is a challenge for us today. What are the treasures and the pearls in your life that made you more life-giving with others? How do you work for the development of the kingdom of God on earth?

The Testimony:

When I was young, I dreamt of becoming a scientist or a psychiatrist or a psychologist. My favorite subjects in high school are social sciences. I wanted to take the courses on sciences or psychiatry or psychology after high school. I was fascinated by how sciences are able to facilitate for new inventions in the world. For me, that would be awesome to reveal the mystery of the creation of God in concrete ways. If that would not become possible, I wished to become a psychiatrist because I was so curious how the human brain affects our body mechanism, our feelings, and actions. Besides, I also experienced some people, especially among my peers who have mental disorder or headaches and traumas. If I could not make it, then, I hoped to become a psychologist someday because I wanted to reach out to other people and to learn more about human behavior and interaction in the community and in the society. When I was a little boy, I kept on wondering why my siblings have different personalities, likes and dislikes and unique ways of relating to our parents and even among ourselves. Whatever might come, I dreamt of becoming somebody who would be productive and become part of the new discoveries in this world. Unfortunately, my dream was just a blur, nothing happened at all. The circumstances of my life, the experiences of difficulties and the limited resources of our family hindered me to attain my ambition. The desire to become a priest, which I felt when I was still in my elementary grade had prevailed. That is why I entered the college seminary after high school as a working student and with the assistance of some generous people. The call of God to become a priest had changed my perspective on life. My being a religious priest becomes a new possibility where I can find the new treasure or pearl in life. For me, the gift of intimacy and relationship of God in my priestly vocation is the new treasure or pearl in my life. In the midst of trials, God has found me. I, in turn, had discovered the treasure of life. I left everything because of this personal experience with God. I truly believed that the grace of divine intimacy is the precious treasure, the fine pearl and the net of the kingdom of God in my life. The grace to be able to integrate the blessings of my past life, the grace in the present life and the glory of the life to come is really the fruit of the intimacy of God with me. This is how I understood about the gifts of wisdom and understanding heart that were integrated into the leadership of Solomon. This is also how understood about love when St. Paul said that “all things will work together for those who love God and called to his purpose” (Rom.8:28). I believed that the treasure of the love of God in me is not meant only for my own glory, but also for the development of the church and for the good of our society. And so, I am resolved to be possessed by the Word of God and by the Eucharist so that I may become a true witness of the presence of the kingdom of God in this world.

The Eucharist:

The Eucharist is a celebration of the kingdom of God on earth. The Eucharist facilitates us to discover the divine treasure in life as we do our missions in this world. Thus, to celebrate the Eucharist is to live fully the treasures of hope, faith, and love that God has given to us in Jesus Christ. To receive Jesus in the Eucharist is to become instruments of the renewal in the church and agents of change in the society. To eat the body of Christ is to become bearers of opportunities and possibilities of new life and development of every person in this world. Therefore, in this Eucharist, we pray that the Father in heaven may fill us with His divine wisdom and understanding heart so that we may be able to integrate the lessons in life in our works and in our relationships. Yes, we pray that our Eucharistic celebration may become a declaration of the divine treasure and precious pearl that we discovered in the kingdom of God in this world.

May God bless us.