Sunday, July 27th
"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."
Gospel Mt. 13:44-52 ....
17th SUNDAY (A). Jesus
gives us today different images of the kingdom of heaven. Each of these images tells us something
different about that kingdom of heaven.
Each of them helps to build up for us some faint idea of that wonderful
truth that the scriptures tell us is beyond
our wildest dreams: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, nor has it entered
into the heart of man to conceive what God has prepared for those who love him.”
Jesus compares the kingdom of heaven to a great hidden
treasure; then to a precious pearl; But
in these images Jesus is underlining for us something more than just the
greatness of the treasure discovered; something that we could easily overlook,
yet something, I believe, that is very real in the life of most of us in our
discovery of the kingdom of heaven.
The first image, the finding of the treasure that had
been hidden in a field is the story of an accidental stroke of good luck. The finder had no idea it was there; he
wasn’t searching for it; he just chanced to find it. How many of us can think of moments of grace
like that in our lives, moments that touched us deeply and gave a new quality
to our faith. It may have been a moment
of great joy, like the birth of a child for instance; or it may even have been
a moment of great sadness like the death of a loved, but whatever it was it
jolted and deepened our faith. It was a
treasure we found by accident, as it were.
The second image is the merchant searching for fine
pearls. Some people search for the truth
in many ways and in many places and for many years, like the great St Augustine
for instance. His search was ultimately
rewarded, and it was rewarded in a way that not only brought him his own
personal fulfilment but enriched the whole church ever since. The story of his search for God is one of the
treasures of Christian literature.
As far as our own discovery of grace is concerned we
have no control over the good luck we may have; that lies in the hands of
Providence, but we are all bound to go hunting for that treasure. And how to do we hunt for it? We hunt for it by our prayers and desires; by
our partaking of the sacraments; by our reading of good books, and especially
by our reading of scripture.
17th SUNDAY (A). Jesus
gives us today different images of the kingdom of heaven. Each of these images tells us something
different about that kingdom of heaven.
Each of them helps to build up for us some faint idea of that wonderful
truth that the scriptures tell us is beyond
our wildest dreams: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, nor has it entered
into the heart of man to conceive what God has prepared for those who love him.”
Jesus compares the kingdom of heaven to a great hidden
treasure; then to a precious pearl; But
in these images Jesus is underlining for us something more than just the
greatness of the treasure discovered; something that we could easily overlook,
yet something, I believe, that is very real in the life of most of us in our
discovery of the kingdom of heaven.
The first image, the finding of the treasure that had
been hidden in a field is the story of an accidental stroke of good luck. The finder had no idea it was there; he
wasn’t searching for it; he just chanced to find it. How many of us can think of moments of grace
like that in our lives, moments that touched us deeply and gave a new quality
to our faith. It may have been a moment
of great joy, like the birth of a child for instance; or it may even have been
a moment of great sadness like the death of a loved, but whatever it was it
jolted and deepened our faith. It was a
treasure we found by accident, as it were.
The second image is the merchant searching for fine
pearls. Some people search for the truth
in many ways and in many places and for many years, like the great St Augustine
for instance. His search was ultimately
rewarded, and it was rewarded in a way that not only brought him his own
personal fulfilment but enriched the whole church ever since. The story of his search for God is one of the
treasures of Christian literature.
As far as our own discovery of grace is concerned we
have no control over the good luck we may have; that lies in the hands of
Providence, but we are all bound to go hunting for that treasure. And how to do we hunt for it? We hunt for it by our prayers and desires; by
our partaking of the sacraments; by our reading of good books, and especially
by our reading of scripture.
DOCUMENTS
Pope's Angelus Address, Sunday July 27th
"Everything makes sense when you find this treasure, which Jesus called "the Kingdom of God," that is, God reigning in your life, in our lives."
VATICAN CITY, July 27, 2014 (Zenit.org) - At 12pm today, Pope Francis appeared at the window of the study in the Apostolic Palace to pray the Angelus with faithful and pilgrims gathered in St. Peter's Square.
Here below is an English translation of his words introducing the Marian prayer, and his address that followed:
***
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
The brief similarities put forward in today's liturgy conclude the chapter of Matthew’s Gospel dedicated to the parables of the Kingdom of God (13:44-52). Among these are two small masterpieces: the parables of the treasure hidden in the field, and the pearl of great price. They tell us that the discovery of the Kingdom of God can come suddenly, as when the peasant farmer is ploughing, finding the treasure unexpectedly; or after a long search, as the pearl for the merchant, who finally found the pearl of great price he had long dreamed of. But in that case and in the other, the primary fact remains that the treasure and the pearl are worth more than all other goods. Therefore, the farmer and the merchant, when they find them, give up everythingelse to buy them. They do not need to reason, to think, to reflect: they realize immediately the incomparable value of what they have found, and are willing to lose anything to have it.
So is the Kingdom of God: whoever finds it has no doubts, he feels that it is what he was looking and waiting for, and that it responds to his most authentic aspirations. And it is really so: those who know Jesus, who meet him personally, remain fascinated, attracted by so much goodness, so much truth, so much beauty, and all in great humility and simplicity. Look for Jesus, encounter Jesus. This is the great treasure!
How many people, how many saints, reading the Gospel with an open heart, have been so struck by Jesus, converted to Him. Think of St. Francis of Assisi. He was already a Christian, but "milk-and-water" [insipid]. When he read the Gospel, in a decisive moment of his youth, he met Jesus, and found the Kingdom of God, and then all his dreams of earthly glory vanished. The Gospel makes one know the real, living Jesus. He addresses your heart and changes your life. So yes, leave everything. You can actually change your way of life, or continue to do what you did before, but you are another, you are born again. You find that you are given meaning, flavour, light to everything, even to hardships, even to suffering, even to death. Read the Gospel, read the Gospel. We’ve said this before, remember? Read a passage of the Gospel every day. Also carry a small copy of the Gospel with us, in your pocket, in your handbag – have one at hand, anyway. And there, reading a passage, we find Jesus.
Everything makes sense when you find this treasure, which Jesus called "the Kingdom of God," that is, God reigning in your life, in our lives. He is love, peace and joy in every man and in all men. This is what God wants, it is that for which Jesus gave himself up to die on a Cross, to free us from the power of darkness and move into the realm of life, beauty, goodness, joy! Read the Gospel and find Jesus, and have this Christian joy and the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Dear brothers and sisters, you see, the joy of having found the treasure of the Kingdom of God shines through. The Christian cannot conceal his faith, because it shines through in every word, every gesture, even in the most simple, everyday ones. The love that God shines through, given to us through Jesus. Let us pray, through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, that his kingdom of love, justice and peace comes to us and to the whole world.
***
After the Angelus:
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