Fr. Jerome Pistoni sx
17th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR A 30th July 2023
The first reading of the Mass, from the first book of Kings, is very inspiring.
God invites Solomon to ask him anything he wants and, surprisingly, Solomon, refusing the attraction of money, power or success, chooses the gift of Wisdom:
“Give your servant a heart to understand how to discern between good and evil.”
In his young age Solomon was already wise, even before receiving the gift of discernment.
We could ask ourselves, during a moment of personal prayer: “If God makes the same proposal to me, what would my request be? If we answer honestly, we can really understand which ones are our priorities in life.
This is the Wisdom we need in order to appreciate the gospel of this coming Sunday.
“Discerning between good and evil” is what Jesus is teaching to his disciples in the chapter 13 of the gospel of Saint Matthew. Jesus, with 7 parables, wants to make clear to his listeners how the Kingdom of Heaven takes root in this world.
We have listened already to four parables, in the previous Sundays, and those told in the gospel of today are the last three.
The Kingdom comes to us through the Word of God, and it is necessary to welcome and keep it, as Mary, the mother of Jesus, did.
The first two parables of this coming Sunday underline the great value of the Kingdom:
a man, by chance, digging a hole in a field, finds a treasure and he sells everything he has to buy the field and to keep the precious finding. A trader visits all the markets in order to find the most prized pearl and when he finds it, he sells everything he possesses to become the owner of that pearl.
The treasure and the pearl become the only thought that occupies their mind and influences their action. The treasure, the pearl, is Christ himself. Do I really consider Christ a great treasure that dwells constantly in my thoughts and influences all my life?
The atmosphere that envelopes the protagonists of the two parable is a great Joy.
This joy is the thermometer of our faith, that reveals indeed if Christ is a living presence for me.
Joy is the consequence of this encounter. If in my life I do not experience this joy, it means that I need to keep searching for the treasure, Christ the Lord.
17th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR A 30th July 2023
The first reading of the Mass, from the first book of Kings, is very inspiring.
God invites Solomon to ask him anything he wants and, surprisingly, Solomon, refusing the attraction of money, power or success, chooses the gift of Wisdom:
“Give your servant a heart to understand how to discern between good and evil.”
In his young age Solomon was already wise, even before receiving the gift of discernment.
We could ask ourselves, during a moment of personal prayer: “If God makes the same proposal to me, what would my request be? If we answer honestly, we can really understand which ones are our priorities in life.
This is the Wisdom we need in order to appreciate the gospel of this coming Sunday.
“Discerning between good and evil” is what Jesus is teaching to his disciples in the chapter 13 of the gospel of Saint Matthew. Jesus, with 7 parables, wants to make clear to his listeners how the Kingdom of Heaven takes root in this world.
We have listened already to four parables, in the previous Sundays, and those told in the gospel of today are the last three.
The Kingdom comes to us through the Word of God, and it is necessary to welcome and keep it, as Mary, the mother of Jesus, did.
The first two parables of this coming Sunday underline the great value of the Kingdom:
a man, by chance, digging a hole in a field, finds a treasure and he sells everything he has to buy the field and to keep the precious finding. A trader visits all the markets in order to find the most prized pearl and when he finds it, he sells everything he possesses to become the owner of that pearl.
The treasure and the pearl become the only thought that occupies their mind and influences their action. The treasure, the pearl, is Christ himself. Do I really consider Christ a great treasure that dwells constantly in my thoughts and influences all my life?
The atmosphere that envelopes the protagonists of the two parable is a great Joy.
This joy is the thermometer of our faith, that reveals indeed if Christ is a living presence for me.
Joy is the consequence of this encounter. If in my life I do not experience this joy, it means that I need to keep searching for the treasure, Christ the Lord.