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for XVII Sunday (July 24) Matthew 13: 44-52
Readings Anecdotes 1) “Star of David Sapphire.” The Atlanta Journal-Constitution published the story of the original “Star of David Sapphire” in its May 17, 1987 edition. A gemstone collector named Rob Cutshaw owned a little roadside shop outside Andrews, North Carolina. Like many in the trade, he hunted for precious stones, then sold them to collectors or jewelry-makers. Although he was not an expert, he knew enough about valuable rocks to decide which to pick up and sell. He usually left the appraising of his rocks to the experts. Although he enjoyed the work, it did not always pay the bills. Hence, occasionally he had to cut firewood and sell it to add to his income. Twenty years ago, while on a "dig," Rob found a shining blue rock he described as "purdy and big." He tried unsuccessfully to sell the specimen, and, according to the story in the journal, kept the rock under his bed or in his closet. At last he sold it for less than $500 to pay his power bill. Now known as "The Star of David Sapphire,” it weighs nearly a pound and is worth three million dollars. In today’s gospel, Jesus challenges us to recognize the real worth of the most valuable gemstone given to mankind, namely Jesus Christ who gives us our eternal salvation. 2) Pink Diamond of Tanzania: Dr. Williamson was a geologist doing some archeological excavation work in Tanzania. One day he found himself driving in a deserted area, slipping and sliding along a rain-soaked road. Suddenly his four-wheel drive vehicle sank up to its axles in the mud and got stuck. Pulling out his shovel, Dr. Williamson began the unpleasant task of digging the car out of a mud hole. He had been at it for a while when his shovel uncovered something strange. It was a pinkish stone of some sort. Being a geologist and naturally curious about rock formations, he picked it up and wiped away the mud. The more mud he removed, the more excited he became, and he could hardly believe what he saw. When the stone was finally clean, Dr. Williamson was beside himself with joy. He had discovered the diamond which became known as the famous Pink Diamond of Tanzania and is now set in the royal scepter of Great Britain. In today’s two parables, Jesus tells of two other men who unexpectedly discovered treasures. Introduction Jesus concludes a long series of parables about the reign of God in today’s gospel, by praising those wise men and women who have listened carefully, understood and responded to his message. This praise of the “wise” in today's gospel seems to justify the choice of today’s first reading: the story of Solomon's request for wisdom from God and for “an understanding heart” to distinguish right from wrong, so that he might govern the people properly. Yahweh was pleased and granted him a wise and discerning heart which enabled him to surpass everyone in wisdom. In the second reading, Paul teaches that the principal agent in Christian spirituality is God and that His grace is with us through the whole process of salvation. The wisdom to perceive God's grace is essential for those who want to follow him. This is why Paul assures Rome’s Christian community, “We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.” Such knowledge is an act of faith. In the gospel, Jesus teaches that God’s kingdom is something of extraordinary value and that it calls for total commitment. The kingdom of God is God’s reign in our hearts, in our lives, in our homes, in our society, and in our world. Only those who develop a searching mind and are willing to give up everything for the great treasure of God’s kingdom, will be rewarded. The first reading.(1 Kings 3:5, 7-12). In the Old Testament, dreams were the accepted means of divine communication, especially for rulers seeking God's guidance. In our first reading, God appears to young king Solomon with an undeserved, generous offer: "Ask something of me and I will give it to you.” The ancient Semitic belief was that people think with their hearts and feel with their kidneys. The latter were considered the source of our emotions and the former, the source of our thoughts and insights. Thus, when Solomon says, “Give your servant an understanding heart to judge your people and to distinguish right from wrong,” he’s simply requesting a mind capable of seeing what others overlook. He asks for an understanding heart so that he will be able to deal well with people, act compassionately and discern right from wrong. He selflessly asks for "a heart with skill to listen" - sensitivity in understanding his subjects' needs, skillful decision-making – in order to build a just society. Wisdom gives us insight into what is truly important in life, an awareness of the meaning and purpose of living, of what really matters. Wisdom is an understanding of where our real well-being and happiness lie. Wisdom is indeed the “pearl of great price," that Jesus speaks of. Solomon discerns and follows the right way, and so he is a model and a challenge for us. His request invites us to cultivate his prayer for a heart and mind attuned to God's word and docile to His desires. Prayer means asking for what God wants to give, what makes us better able to do his will of loving service to others. The second reading (Romans 8:28-30): In this lesson from the epistle to the Romans, there are two important statements: i) "All things work for good for those who love God," and ii) "and those he predestined he also called; and those he called he also justified; and those he justified he also glorified." The second statement simply means that God is calling people through the stages of spiritual growth needed for enjoying eternity with Him: we are predestined, called, justified and glorified. The first statement means that it is the “kingdom of heaven” when all things somehow work together for good for those who love God. It’s the “kingdom of God” when we know that there is absolutely nothing in this world or out of it that can separate us from the love of Christ. The Kingdom of God is a treasure worth selling all that we have in order to possess. This treasure is of such great value that anything else we may own pales in comparison. It would be easy to give up everything else in order to have the Kingdom of God, and, unlike the treasure hidden in the field, the love of Christ is a treasure everyone is invited to possess. Exegesis What is the “kingdom of heaven” like? Jesus continues his teaching on the “kingdom of heaven” using little stories based on the experiences of rural Galileans. Like Jesus’ mini-stories of the mustard seed and the leaven, those of the treasure and the pearl form a pair of His “kingdom parables.” The kingdom of God or kingdom of heaven is “a society on earth where God's will is as perfectly done as it is in heaven.” By “kingdom of heaven” Jesus is referring to a triple reality: a) a group of people sharing the divine life of sanctifying grace and friendship with God by doing His will, b) participation in God’s life through the Eucharistic celebration in the Church and c) eternal bliss in heaven. This triple reality is worth more than anything else in our lives. In today’s Gospel, Jesus compares the “kingdom of heaven” to a treasure hidden in a field, to a pearl of great value and to a net thrown in the sea collecting all types of fish. The "kingdom of heaven," synonymous in these parables with the "kingdom of God,” is hidden, but it is of surpassing value. The parable of the pearl (45-46) makes the point that the sacrifice of everything must be made for this one thing of immense value. Those who have not sacrificed everything for it will not have this treasure and will come to know how much they have lost. The parable of the treasure hunter: Frequent battles and foreign invasions encouraged the people of Palestine to bury their treasures like money and jewelry in their fields. For example, the great religious treasure – the “Dead Sea Scrolls,” discovered in the caves at Qumran in 1947 – was hidden there over 2,000 years ago. Sometimes unclaimed and forgotten, the hidden treasures awaited some lucky finder. Jesus tells the story of one such lucky treasure-finder who sold everything he had in order to get ownership of the field. According to the Palestinian laws of that time, the mere finding of buried treasure did not entitle the finder to possession unless he also owned the property in which it was found. In the parable of the treasure in the field and in the parable of the merchant who sought fine pearls, we see the image of one who recognizes the value of the kingdom of God and gives everything to possess it. Matthew, a tax-collector, might have experienced something like this when he discovered the eternal value of the kingdom preached by Jesus of Nazareth. The parable of the pearl hunter: A well-to-do merchant on the lookout for quality pearls finds a very precious pearl ("pearl of great price"), and immediately "sells everything" to buy it. In our day, pearls have lost much of their value. Firms have learned to culture them in vast pearl beds and even to make them artificially. However, in biblical times, the pearl was probably the costliest and most sought-after gem. Jesus wants us to know that the kingdom of God is worth all we have. He has come to offer us God's Kingdom, a unique pearl of the greatest price. The genuine disciples are those who respond to this opportunity with joy and selfless commitment, eagerly giving top priority to life in the Kingdom by doing God’s will, whatever it may be. This parable teaches us that, although we are baptized Christians, we still need to pursue the true and full meaning of the Gospel which can escape us for many years. We always need to understand more, to love more, and to serve more. The first and second parables also remind us that the most precious things in life are to know God and to live according to the Gospel. The parable of the fishing net: In Palestine there were two main ways of fishing. The first was with the casting-net, which required a keen eye and great skill in throwing the net at the correct moment. The second was with a drag-net or seine, as it is sometimes called. Galilean seine-nets were tied to two boats and drawn through the water. The catch was sorted only afterwards, with edible or kosher fish going to market and the unacceptable fish being thrown away. Just as a drag net collects good and bad fish indiscriminately, so the Church is a mixture of all kinds of people, good and bad, useless and useful. This parable encourages the church to adopt an open approach to evangelism. The parable also teaches that a time of separation will come when the good and the bad will be sent to their respective destinies. This parable pictures that separation as happening in the final judgment. This parable is thus a counterpart to the parable of the weeds and the wheat. The teaching: The three parables illustrate the opportunity as well as the challenge of discipleship. The first and the second parables speak of the total commitment and dedication which are the ideal of every follower of Christ. What the parables really teach us is that, when one discovers Jesus and his vision of life, everything else becomes secondary. That is what St. Paul meant when he said: "I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as refuse, in order that I may gain Christ" (Philippians 3:8), and again "For me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain" (Philippians 2:21). To have a personal experience of Christ and personal relationship with Him – in other words, to have made his view of life one's own – is the most precious thing in the world. The concluding simile. Jesus concludes his parables by advising the listeners to imitate wise scribes (Jewish scholars -- the experts in the Law and/or Scriptures). Hence, a scholar need not give up his scholarship when he becomes a Christian; rather he should use it for Christ. A businessman need not give up his business; rather he should run it as a Christian would. Christians are also expected to be like scholars who know how to value both the old and the new. In this paragraph, Jesus refers to those, who like Matthew himself, now serve as the scribe trained for the kingdom of heaven, who brings from his storeroom both the old and the new: stories and sayings that date back to the historical Jesus, combined with his own reflection and arrangement of this material to apply the Gospel to new situations faced by his community. Life messages 1) We should live every moment in view of our precious goal. Most of the time, we are chasing false treasures such as money, status or pleasure. Often we are locked into regrets over the past, or focused too much on the future. As a result, the enriching present passes us by, and the treasure is never discovered. Thus, the really valuable pearl of sharing in God’s life here on earth and later in heaven is never found. Let us always remember that heaven is within the reach of all who follow the ordinary vocations of life and partake of this world's joys and pleasures within the framework of God's commandments. Right now, it is for us to use the time given to us to go in search of the pearl of great price and to help others in their search. We are challenged to search and discern where the Lord is calling us so that we may know what path to take. Let us remember that whenever we fight against discrimination, whenever we trust completely in God, whenever our selflessness conquers selfishness, whenever our love overcomes sin and our faith overcomes suffering, whenever we render humble service to others, we are doing the will of God as it is done in heaven, and, hence, we are already living in the kingdom of heaven while we are still on earth. 2) A lesson in tolerance and compassionate understanding. The lesson of this parable is similar to that of the weeds growing up with the wheat, namely, that the kingdom is a mixed body of saints and sinners (good and rotten fish). There will be always a temptation for those who feel they are more "faithful" to separate themselves from the “weeds”/”bad fish.” But Jesus reminds us that the final judgment resulting in reward or punishment is God’s work. Thus, we must learn to be patient, compassionate and understanding with those who seem to fall far below the requirements of the Gospel and the Kingdom. Let us humbly admit the fact that there are only a very few of us who are not a mixture of good and evil. Let us admit as St. Paul did, “I am what I am with the grace of God.” Additional Anecdotes 1) The Cullinan diamond: This is a true story - no matter how much like a fairy tale it may sound. A totally unsuspecting man literally stumbled upon the world's largest diamond - all 3,106 carats of it. It happened in Premier Mine #2, near Pretoria, South Africa, in early 1905. This amazing stone was then sent in an ordinary cardboard box to England. One hundred and five stones were cut from this diamond, known as the Cullinan diamond. Two of the largest stones which it produced, the 530-carat Star of Africa and the 317-carat Cullinan II, are mounted on the Scepter with the Cross of the British King/Queen as royal crown jewels. Cullinan I is the second largest polished gem and Cullinan II is the fourth largest polished diamond in the world. [Isaac Asimov, Book of Facts, (New York: Wings Books, 1979), pp. 16-17.] In today’s gospel Jesus compares the kingdom of God with such a treasure. 2) There is a price for relationship. Rabindra Nath Tagore, the mystic poet of India, tells a memorable story from his own life which illustrates the truth of what Jesus teaches in today’s gospel, namely, that there is a price we have to pay in order to be in his kingdom, to keep a relationship with him. Tagor’s cook and housekeeper did not come to work on time one morning. Like so many professional men of his mind-set, Tagore was utterly helpless when it came to the routine details of the day, getting his clothes together, making his breakfast, tidying up his place. An hour went by, and Tagore was getting angrier by the minute. He thought of all kinds of punishment. Three hours later he no longer thought of punishment. He would discharge the man without any further consideration, get rid of him, turn him out. Finally the man showed up. It was mid-day. Without a word, the servant proceeded with his duties as though nothing had happened. He picked up Tagore’s clothes and set to making breakfast. Then he started cleaning. Tagore watched all of this with mounting rage. Finally he said, “Drop everything! Get out! I can’t stand the sight of you. You are dismissed…fired!” The man, however, continued sweeping, and after another, few minutes, with quiet dignity he said, “My little girl died last night.” 3) Hidden treasure of a bankrupt rancher: In west Texas, there is a famous oil field known as the Yates Pool. During the depression, this field was a sheep ranch owned by a man named Yates. Yates was not able to make enough money on his ranching operation to pay the principal and interest on his mortgage, so he was in danger of losing his ranch. With little money for clothes or food, his family, like many others, had to live on a government subsidy. Day after day, as he grazed his sheep over those rolling west Texas hills, he was no doubt greatly troubled about how he would be able to pay his bills. Then a crew from an oil company came into the area and told Mr. Yates that there might be oil on this land. They asked permission to drill a wildcat well, and he signed a lease. At a little more than a thousand feet, they struck a huge oil reserve, giving eighty thousand barrels a day. In fact, thirty years after the discovery, a government test of one of Mr. Yates' wells showed that it still could produce more than a hundred thousand barrels of oil a day. And Mr. Yates owned it all. The day he had purchased the land, he received the oil and mineral rights. And yet, he had been living on relief - a multimillionaire living in poverty. What had been the problem? He did not know the oil was there. He owned it, but he did not possess it. In today’s gospel Jesus compares the kingdom of God to a treasure hidden in a field. [James Hewett, How to Live Confidently in a Hostile World (Wheaton, IL: Word Publishing, 1989), p. 177.] 4) Drinkable water, please: Anthony De Mello tells a story about some people who were on a raft off the coast of Brazil. They were perishing from thirst, for as you know, ocean water is undrinkable. What they did not know, however, was that the water they were floating on was fresh water. A nearby river was coming out into the sea with such force that it went out for a couple of miles, so they had fresh water right there where they were. But they had no idea. "In the same way," says De Mello, "we're surrounded with joy, with happiness, with love of the kingdom of God in our midst. Most people," he concludes, "have no idea." [Anthony De Mello, Awareness (New York: Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, Inc., 1992), p. 26, Warner Press] 5)"No price too high." A story is told of a wealthy socialite who traveled to Europe with several friends. Her husband stayed home and played the stock market. While in Paris she found a fur coat that was the most beautiful she had ever seen. She sent a telegram to her husband that said, "Have found the perfect coat for only $50,000. What do you think?" He responded immediately with a telegram saying, "No, price too high." Imagine his surprise when she returned home with that $50,000 coat. The angry husband said, "Didn't you get my telegram?" "Yes," she said, "and here it is." The husband looked at that telegram which said, without punctuation, "NO PRICE TOO HIGH." He forgot to put a comma after NO. That's the way it is with life in the Kingdom. When through Jesus you catch a glimpse of how wonderful life is in the Kingdom, no price is too high to pay for it. 6) The Legendary "Beale Treasure”: In 1885, a man named J.B Ward began selling a pamphlet which claimed to contain information about a sizeable treasure trove buried in the present state of Virginia. This wealth allegedly had been amassed by one Thomas Jefferson Beale and his associates, who had traveled in the American West between 1817 and 1823. Beale, it was said, had discovered a vast deposit of gold and silver in a valley "some 250 or 300 miles North of Santa Fe." Beale and his associates, being concerned about theft of their wealth and in need of a secure hiding place, supposedly buried the gold at a site "near Buford’s Tavern" in Bedford county, Virginia. Foreseeing some type of accident, Beale left coded messages—without a decoding key, which was said to be held elsewhere by a man named Morriss. Beale then departed, never to return. By sheer chance one Mr. Ward came across the papers and attempted to decode them. He claimed to have found the key to one document, the cipher being based on the US Declaration of Independence. He worked on the remaining two for many years. Finding himself unable to accomplish the task, he decided to sell copies of the documents, in the hope that someone else might manage to decode the papers and discover the location of the treasure. Since the publication of the papers in 1885, many treasure hunters have attempted to decode the documents, but have had no success whatsoever. In today’s gospel Jesus challenges us to go in search of the most valuable treasure: namely, the eternal life in the kingdom of heaven. 7) Mitt Romney spent more than $42 million: It has been reported that, in his race for the Republican nomination for president of the United States, Mitt Romney spent more than 42 million of his own hard-earned dollars. That’s a lot of money. However, when he dropped out, he still had quite a bit of money left in his personal piggy bank. He hadn’t invested everything he owned in his failed attempt for the nomination. We wonder if he regrets spending so much or, perhaps, he regrets he didn’t spend more. How about you? Is there anything in this world for which you would sell everything you own? I can think of only one thing: the life of someone we love. If one of our children were sick and there was a cure that would cost everything we had, even including our own life, most of us would be willing to give it all up without a moment’s thought. We would give everything we own for the well-being of those we love, but that’s about it. Nothing else that I can think of has that big a hold on us. Yet Jesus said the kingdom of heaven is worth everything we have. Our money. Our time. Our energy. Everything. That’s quite a statement. Everything we own. So, what is this kingdom of heaven or kingdom of God? 8) The treasure of a sunken ship: Some time ago we had a man speak at one of our suppers who is a shareholder in Mel Fisher's enterprise. Mel Fisher is the man who discovered a Spanish ship which had gone down in a hurricane off the Florida Keys centuries ago. Fisher became fascinated with hunting for lost treasure. Through his research he was able to determine about where the ship had gone down. He thought it would take him at least twelve weeks to find it. Twelve weeks turned into twelve years, and still there was no treasure. Finally, after sixteen years he discovered the treasure. It is believed to be worth four hundred million dollars. How would you like to discover some real treasure like the kingdom of God? But the unfortunate thing as Oscar Wilde once wrote is that in modern society, “People know the price of everything, but the value of nothing.” 9) “You will be both glad and sorry." There is an ancient legend about some men who were on a long journey. They came across a great desert, and rode into a wilderness area. At sundown they came to a river. They got off their horses and knelt down by the river to drink water. Suddenly a voice spoke to them. The voice said, "Fill your pockets up with pebbles from along the river. And tomorrow you will be both glad and sorry." So they did what the voice commanded. They got on their horses and rode away. On through the night they rode. Finally the sun began to peek over the horizon. They stopped and reached into their pockets and there they found diamonds and rubies. They held a treasure in their hands, and they were both glad and sorry. They were glad they had it, but they were sorry because they had not taken more. [T. Cecil Myers, Faith for a Time of Storm (Abingdon Press: New York and Nashville, 1963), p. 91.] The good news for us is we can have all we want of the treasure of His kingdom, all we are willing to take. If you will take that treasure you will learn it is the discovery of a lifetime. 10) Which is more valuable, Harry or the deer? Some friends who went deer-hunting separated into pairs for the day. That night one hunter returned alone, staggering under an eight-point deer. "Where’s Harry?" asked another hunter. "Oh, he fainted a couple of miles up on the trail," Harry’s partner answered. "And you left him lying there all alone and carried the deer back?" "A tough call," said the hunter, "but I figure no one’s going to steal Harry." Our Scripture for this Sunday is about discerning and choosing the right path and course of action at the right time, so that we may fully receive and freely share the love of Christ and so inherit the kingdom of God, a treasure everyone is invited to possess and warned not to lose. Jokes 1) My treasure is apple pie. Little Mary listened intently in Sunday school while the teacher explained the parable of the “treasure” and “pearl” and gave a detailed description of eternal bliss in heaven. She concluded her class asking the question, “All those who are ready to go to heaven, raise your hands.” Every hand went up except one. “Why, don’t you want to go to heaven, Mary?” asked the teacher. “Well,” Mary replied, “Mom was baking apple pie when I left home!” 2) A poor Irish widow had a pearl of great value in her son. Because she was so poor the parish helped the widow with food and rent money. Her son had immigrated to New York and become very successful. One day the pastor asked Mrs. O’Leary if she ever heard from her son. Proudly the widow answered, "Bob writes me every week and always encloses a picture." Thinking he’d see some family photos, the pastor asked to see the pictures. Bringing in her Bible, she showed the pastor a Bible stuffed with pictures of Benjamin Franklin. Those are $100 bills, in case you missed it! Bob had been trying to help his mother for years and the old woman had failed to realize the treasure she was given every week. 3) Lost & found: "Life is unfair. I lost my car keys at a ball game and never found them. I lost my sunglasses at the beach and never found them. I lost my socks in the washing machine and never found them. I lost three pounds on a diet -- I found them and five more." Useful Links of the Week 1) The new Roman Missal: http://www.usccb.org/romanmissal/
Synopsis of O.T. XVII Sunday (July 24) Homily on Matthew 13: 44-52 Introduction Jesus concludes a long series of parables about the reign of God in today’s gospel, by praising those wise men and women who have listened carefully, understood and responded to his message. Scripture Lessons This praise of the “wise” in today's gospel seems to justify the choice of today’s first reading: the story of Solomon's request for wisdom from God and for “an understanding heart” to distinguish right from wrong, so that he might govern the people properly. Yahweh was pleased and granted him a wise and discerning heart which enabled him to surpass everyone in wisdom. In the second reading, Paul teaches that the principal agent in Christian spirituality is God and that His grace is with us through the whole process of salvation. The wisdom to perceive God's grace is essential for those who want to follow him. This is why Paul assures Rome’s Christian community, “We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.” Such knowledge is an act of faith. In the gospel, Jesus teaches that God’s kingdom is something of extraordinary value like a hidden treasure or valuable pearl and that its possession calls for total commitment. The kingdom of God is God’s reign in our hearts, in our lives, in our homes, in our society, and in our world. Only those who develop a searching mind and are willing to give up everything for the great treasure of God’s kingdom will be rewarded. Life Messages 1) We should live every moment in view of our precious goal. Most of the time, we are chasing false treasures such as money, status or pleasure. Thus, the really valuable pearl of sharing in God’s life here on earth and later in heaven is never found. Let us always remember that heaven is within the reach of all of us who try to do the will of God, following the ordinary vocations of life and enjoying this world's joys and pleasures within the framework of God's commandments. Let us remember that whenever we fight against discrimination, whenever we trust completely in God, whenever our selflessness conquers selfishness, whenever our love overcomes sin and our faith overcomes suffering, whenever we render humble service to others, we are doing the will of God as it is done in heaven and, hence, we are already living in the kingdom of heaven while we are still on earth. 2) A lesson in tolerance and compassionate understanding. There will be always a temptation for some who feel they are more "faithful" to separate themselves from the “weeds”/”bad fish.” But we must learn to be patient, compassionate and understanding with those who seem to fall far below the requirements of the Gospel and the Kingdom. Let us humbly admit the fact that there are only a very few of us who are not a mixture of good and evil. Let us admit as St. Paul did, “I am what I am with the grace of God.” [These notes are prepared by Fr. Antony Kadavil, USA (akadavil@mobis.com) and published in this website by Fr. George Plathottam, sdb (cbcimo@gmail.com) |
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