Gospel Reflection for July 23, 2017, 16th Sunday Ordinary Time

Wisdom 12.13,16-19; Romans 8.26-27; Matthew 13.24-43

“The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; the field is the world, and the good seed are the
children of the kingdom. The weeds are children of the evil one.” – Matthew 13.37-38
The gospel last Sunday took us to the parable section of Matthew’s well-organized narrative, chapter 13. We
heard the parable of the sower. This Sunday we hear the next three parables: the risk of weeding wheat, the
promise of growth in tiny seeds, and the effect of leaven in bread dough.

When Jesus interprets the weeds and wheat parable for his disciples, he recommends letting them grow
together until the harvest. This means separating sinners from righteous folks bis not our work. Similarly Pope
Francis insists, “Time is greater than space,” and gives priority to processes that build and develop
communities over time rather than pass judgment. The mustard seed suggests how an insight, a moment of
grace can grow with time. Another of Pope Francis’s pastoral principles is “unity is greater than conflict.” Most
of us recognize how easily we magnify differences rather when in fact we have more in common than divides
us. “The Spirit can harmonize every diversity,” says Pope Francis.

Life and growth take time. God’s reign takes time to grow in each of us just as leaven takes time to transform
bread dough. In light of our daily breaking news, it’s comforting to imagine all the daily loving actions Jesus’
disciples do invisibly in our world.

What leaven do you hope you are in your neighborhood? What small effort do you hope grows much
bigger?

Wis 12:13, 16-19; Rom 8:26-27; Mt 13:24-43

Anecdote “Your Excellency, your cabin-mate left his valuables with me for the same reason!” A Bishop was sailing for
Europe on one of the great transatlantic ocean liners. When he went on board, he found that another passenger was to
share a cabin with him. After unpacking his bags, he went to the purser and inquired if he could leave his gold watch and
other valuables in the ship’s safe. He explained that he had just met the man who was to occupy the other berth in his
cabin and he was afraid that the man might not be trustworthy. The purser smiled, accepted the valuables and remarked,
“It’s all right, Bishop, I’ll be very glad to take care of them for you. The other man has just been up here and left his
valuables for the same reason!” Today’s Gospel reminds us that we should not judge others hastily. There is a lot of good
in the worst of us and a lot of evil in the best of us. In other words, the best of us are still "weeds" in God's garden.
Introduction: Today’s readings tell us about a very patient and compassionate God Who is hopeful that the so-called
“weeds” among us will be converted, and that we should not be in a hurry to eliminate such elements from the Church or
society or the family on the basis of unwarranted and hasty judgment.
Scripture lessons: The first reading gives us a picture of a merciful and patient God rather than the strict, angry and
judging God presented in the book of Genesis. The second reading reminds us that the Spirit of God goes on empowering
us in our weakness, and, hence, we should be patient with ourselves. Finally, the short form of today’s Gospel contains
the parable of the wheat and the weeds, an agricultural parable with allegoric interpretation. Through this parable, Jesus
assures us that we are the field of God. We are the ground He works as well as the plants He nurtures. We are the people
He rests His hopes upon and the people He plants His seed in. We are the congregation He anoints with the Holy
Spirit. In today’s parable, Jesus presents a wise and patient God who allows the good and the evil to coexist in the world,
so that the evil ones may come to conversion before their time ends and God must punish them. "Let the seed and the
darnel grow together till the harvest time. God gives all of us sinners ample time to repent and change our lives. God
calmly recognizes that there is evil in the world, but He sees that evil as no excuse for the good people not to do good with
the power of God at their disposal. Through the parable of the wheat and the weeds in today’s Gospel, Jesus calls us to be
patient with those who fail to meet the high ethical standard expected of a Christian. The parable tries to teach the need for
tolerance, patience and the acceptance of God's judgment to his Judeo-Christian community. It also encourages us when
we discover sin and weakness within ourselves and challenges us to open ourselves to God’s love more and more.
The first reading explained: Wisdom 12:13, 16-19: The Book of Wisdom, written a century before Christ in
Alexandria by a pious Jew, shows us a merciful and patient God rather than the strict, angry and judgmental God
presented in the book of Genesis. Today’s passage tells us that God exercises leniency and clemency: “But though you
are master of might, you judge with clemency, and with much lenience you govern us.” The emphasis on God's
forbearance underlies this reading. The God shown in this reading is so powerful and wise that He need not be vengeful
and quick to punish. This God can afford to let His enemies live, for they can never prevail, and, given time, might
repent.
The second reading explained:: Romans 8:26-27: Like the previous selections from Romans, Chapter 8 tells us how
helpless we are on our own, but shows us how the Spirit of God nevertheless empowers us. The Spirit prays within us and
enables us to pray in accordance with the Father’s will. Paul tells us that when things are not going well, when we do not
even know how to pray, when our weakness in whatever form is overcoming us, the Spirit moves in and takes over. St.
Paul understands well the power and centrality of the Holy Spirit in the life of the Christian. The real message of this
reading is that we should be patient with ourselves, because even at our worst moments the Holy Spirit is there guiding us,
acting in us, bringing us along, though we may not recognize His action.
Exegetical notes on the gospel: The troublesome weeds: The weeds among the wheat in the parable are a variety of
tares known as “bearded darnel." They resemble wheat plants so closely that it is impossible to distinguish the one from
the other until the ears of seed appear. By that time the wheat and darnel roots are so intertwined that the tares cannot be
weeded out without plucking the wheat out with them. At the end of the harvest the tares must be removed from wheat by
hand, because they are slightly poisonous. Sowing them in the wheat field was a crude way for an enemy to take revenge
on a farmer. The weeds in the parable stand for unrepentant sinners, people whose first priority is themselves, who use
others for their own advancement or pleasure, instead of serving them. These unrepentant sinners, since they don’t
cooperate with God’s grace, will end up in hell, "the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth." The
wheat stands for the righteous, those who resisted the seductions of evil, repented from their sins, and battled against
selfishness in order to follow Jesus Christ.
We should not be discouraged because of the weeds in the Church:Why does God permit evil to triumph so often in
this world? Why the wicked are allowed to prosper? Jesus answers these questions in the parable. The triumph and
prosperity of the wicked are short-lived, whereas the reward of the Christian who suffers from their wickedness is
everlasting. God uses the very wickedness and injustices of evildoers to perfect his elect. “From research and personal
experience," says Dr. Howard Hendricks, "I've come to the conclusion that in every church, 16 percent of the members
will never change. But the tragedy I see is that the young pastors are leaving the ministry every day or getting
disappointed because of that 16 percent “weeds.” What they should be doing is concentrating on the 84 percent who are
ripe for change. That's where the real ministry of the local church takes place." Bishop Sheen said in one of his radio
speeches: “The history of the world would have been different if the Christian authorities had shown compassion, patience
and mercy instead of expelling Hitler and Mussolini from the schools and Stalin from the seminary in disgrace as weeds.”
We need to pray for the conversion of weeds to wheat: We are called to recognize evil, name it and then to give it to God
in prayer so He can take care of it, the way the farmer in the parable told his servants that he would take care of the
weeds. God wants us to do good instead of evil, to bless instead of curse, to praise instead of criticize, to help instead of
stand aside, to love instead of hate, to forgive instead of resent and to tell the truth instead of lies. The disciples to whom
Jesus addresses this parable include Judas who will betray Jesus, Peter, who will deny him, Thomas, who will doubt him
and James and John, who cherish personal ambitions. In the end, only Judas is (apparently) lost, showing us that many
weeds can become high yielding wheat.
Why we should not treat others as "weeds:" The parable hints at why we should not treat others as "weeds," i.e. evil or
wicked. 1) Each one of us is a combination of wheat and weeds. In each of us there are elements of the Kingdom of God
and elements that are deeply opposed to it. Even Paul recognized that struggle within himself (cf. Romans 7:21-25). God
told Paul that it was precisely through his weaknesses that He could reveal His glory. "My power is made perfect in
[your] weakness" (2 Corinthians 12:9). Relying on the power of God, we, too, must learn to be patient with the evil
ones. 2) The time for judgment is not yet come because the Kingdom of God is still in the growing stage. Now is the
time to expect conversion because with the help of God’s grace, sinners can change. 3) Another reason we should
avoid judgment is that we cannot draw a line which would neatly separate the good from the bad because everyone is a
mixture of good and evil. Here is Karl Rahner’s piece of advice to enthusiastic weed-gatherers: "The number-one cause
of atheism is Christians themselves. What an unbelieving world finds simply unbelievable is the presence of those who
proclaim God with their mouths and deny Him with their lifestyles. Perhaps, the best defense of God would be to just
keep our mouths shut and to live as He told us to. The Gospel would then have such a power and attraction that we
wouldn't have to worry about defending it.”
Chance of conversion and the need for Christ’s mind: This parable indicates that there will be a separation of weeds
from wheat, good from bad fish (13:47-50), and sheep from goats (25:31-46). But this "harvest" will take place on God's
time-table not ours. Hence, instead of asking why God allows evil to exist (terrorists, criminals, diseases, hurricanes,
etc.), let us ask what God expects from us. God wants us to take a good look into the field of our own lives to see what is
growing there. Let us work with Him to pull out the “weeds" in our own personalities. Then we need to start treating the
so called "evil ones” as Christ did. Why did he not weed out Judas who betrayed him, or Peter, who denied him? Jesus
saw the weeds in their lives, but he saw also saw the wheat. He knew that with encouragement the wheat could
prevail. And often it did. “Even the most honest man has stolen something in his life, but this doesn't mean that all
people are thieves.” (Dostoyevsky)
Life messages: 1) We need to practice patience. First of all, we need to be patient with ourselves. We may not get
everything done perfectly this week, but so what? Then we must be patient with the others – those who annoy us by the
way they drive their cars, those whose opinions differ from ours, those who make too much noise and disturb us and those
who make our spiritual progress more difficult for us by their bad example and counter-witnessing. Let’s practice
patience, remembering that, in the end, it is God who controls. Let us patiently and lovingly treat the “weeds” in our
society as our brothers and sisters and do all in our power to put them back on the right road to heaven, especially by our
good example and our fervent prayer for their conversion.
2) We need allow God to judge us and others as weeds or wheat: This parable was told so that we might not go around
judging others as weeds or wheat. Judgment is the function of God the Father and His angels. Instead, the parable asks us
to take a close look at our own life with the understanding that one can judge one’s own heart, then repent and bear good
fruit. It is a time to look at our own sins and at the way we conduct our own life, then to make a decision about our own
repentance so that we can turn around and bear fruit for Jesus. Our Gospel lesson asks us whether we are secure in our
Faith life. Are we secure in the knowledge that one day we will be judged as wheat or weed? How often have we been a
"weed" in the garden of the Lord? Would we, knowing what we know now, like to have been plucked up at those
times? God is so merciful that He allows evil to exist in order that what is good may grow. He allows evil to exist
because He can turn it into good. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, God can change even the ugliest thorn into a
blossom of faith. In God's field we have two responsibilities: to grow in grace and to share His Word and love with
others.
3) We need to grow up as healthy wheat in God’s field, leaving the weeds for Jesus to take care of. We live in a
violent and impassioned culture. Christians often appear too self-righteous, suggesting that those who disagree with them
are the weeds in the garden of life. Some are judged as being too radical and others as not being radical enough. Some
are judged for embracing doctrinal errors, others for appearing not to have any doctrine at all. Some are condemned for
not caring for the poor, others for caring too much for the poor. We often forget that appearances can be deceptive. The
old saying, “If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, it’s a duck,” may be true in the secular
realm, but not in the Kingdom of God. If one talks like a Christian, sings like a Christian, etc. it doesn’t necessarily mean
he or she is a Christian. While we do our best to exercise right judgment as to what is or isn’t correct (John 13:35; I John
2:5, 3:10), the final determination will be made by God. Evil will coexist with good until the second coming of
Jesus. The Good News is that growth and maturity are probably the most effective forms of weed control. In the end, it’s
enough to know that we are “seeds” who have been planted by the “Son of Man,” and that we’re part of a healthy harvest
that will someday be reaped by the angels of God. (Prepared by Fr. Anthony Kadavil).
Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Wis 12:13, 16-19; Ps 86:5-6, 9-10, 15-16; Rom 8:26-27; Mt 13:24-43

In a course I teach on theology and criminal justice, my students examine various ways of approaching the familiar-
though-inevitably-elusive concept of justice. As we consider the proper response for a range of misdeeds, a retributive
approach usually comes to these young men and women as second nature. Justice requires that one gets what one
deserves. What is mercy then? From this view, mercy appears to be the suspension of justice. If mercy is holding back
from the punishment that one deserves, then mercy and justice are in direct conflict. It is a compelling perspective. But it
is also problematic.

One problem emerges when we apply these understandings of justice and mercy to God. From this view, it appears that
God’s mercy toward human sinfulness is a failure to do justice to human sinfulness. In other words, true justice puts
heaven a bit out of reach for all of us. God would have to choose whether to be just or merciful and couldn’t be both
simultaneously. And thus salvation seems to involve taking our chances with a supremely powerful Dr. Jekyll and Mr.
Hyde.

Yet, we have a sense that God’s justice must be compatible with God’s mercy. Indeed, in this Sunday’s First Reading, we
hear a reference to this:

For your might is the source of justice; your mastery over all things makes you lenient to all. (Wis 12:16)

Many others have claimed this compatibility over the centuries, including even St. Anselm. Despite misunderstandings of
his Cur Deus Homo [How God Became Man], justice and mercy are in harmony with one another in St. Anselm’s theory
of satisfaction. The sentiment is echoed in an earlier work of Anselm’s in which he offers the following prayer:

Certainly, if thou art merciful because thou art supremely good, and supremely good because thou art supremely
just, then it follows that thou art merciful because thou are supremely just (Proslogion, Ch. 9).

How can we arrive at this place of accord between justice and mercy? In short, by re-examining basic terms. The Hebrew
Bible largely uses the language of justice to speak of a saving, intervening power that works on behalf of the vulnerable
and oppressed. Justice is done to widows and orphans. Justice works to restore the relationships of the community to
God’s original intentions. A merciful, saving intervention is thus at the same time a work of justice.

With all this in mind, consider the parable of the wheat and weeds from Sunday’s Gospel. A slave asks the master
whether he should pull up the weeds growing among the wheat, and the master says no for fear that some of the wheat
might be destroyed as well. The weeds and wheat are allowed to grow together until harvest time and only then will they
be separated and dealt with accordingly. Later, Jesus explains that the good seeds are “the children of the kingdom. The
weeds are the children of the evil one” (Mt 13:38). Thus, the parable’s message seems to be one of temporary
coexistence and tolerance with the consolation that, ultimately, each will get his or her due. There is reason for Matthew
to provide such a message; it gives guidance to a Jewish community struggling with the division between those who
accept the words of Jesus and those who do not. Patience in the face of eschatological time is a worthy reminder. But we
may need to stay vigilant about how such a parable leads us to think of justice and mercy.
One might read the parable and see an all-too-simple view of good guys and bad guys, of innocents and criminals. The
bad seem to be given mercy in being allowed to continue and prosper alongside the good. Yet, the tables will one day
turn and justice will ultimately prevail, replacing and negating mercy.

The problematic opposition of justice and mercy follows from a confidence in the stark opposition between the righteous
and the unrighteous. Despite our tendencies, the parable is not aimed at helping us to definitively self-identify as sinner or
saint; the main point, it seems is about a willingness to accept our mixed society in the present.

Indeed, we might also see this parable as an invitation to recognize our own mixed nature and to caution us from confident
line-drawing between the good guys and the bad guys.

If justice is getting exactly what we deserve, our inner weeds will spell our destruction, and harvest time is to be feared
mightily. But if justice is a saving intervention, then it is both just and merciful to let us grow, weeds and all. Even more,
it is both just and merciful to release us from our weeds in the great harvest.

The justice and mercy of God may be compatible after all . . .

THE TRANSFORMATION OF WEEDS

You are more than the labels you live under and you're not who people say you are. You are not a weed, you
are a flower; clothed in the beauty of God. Your life is purposeful. You are powerful and uniquely made. You
are a masterpiece. Say it! Mean it! Believe it!

We are programmed every day of our life to live on this earth as "weeds": an eyesore to the beauty of nature.
We are told that we are no good and that we must do things to show our worth and justify our existence. We
have the freedom to prove who we are but not the freedom to be. Oftentimes, who we are is not good enough
so we try to be like someone else. We try to fit in with the "flowers" but we feel we don't belong - we feel out of
place and the world agrees with us. We fight for a seat at the table but we don't even know what they're
serving for dinner. We just want to be in and not out, included and not excluded. We want it so bad that we
don't see who we truly are. We "sit" in the dark and complain about the darkness, yet, we refuse to find the
light. We look for darkness to tell us who we are, when the darkness is actually longing for our light to shine on
it.

When my oldest daughter was about four years old, we went on a walk in our neighborhood. As I was
appreciating the sun and the nice weather, my daughter said, "Look at the flowers, Dada." I looked around but
all I saw were weeds. I said, "Those are weeds, I don't see flowers." She said, "No Dada, those are flowers."
She picked one up and had the biggest smile; she was in awe of its beauty. As I looked at her, I didn't see
weeds anymore, I saw love. The label of "weeds" was lifted and I saw the beauty of God's creation.

We may not look like "flowers," but we are God's creation; uniquely made with a purpose that is designed for
just us. When we realize that we are created in love, we don't have to compare ourselves to anyone else. We
are who we are and in God's eyes, we are beautiful. God's love lights our path and overtakes any limitation
that we thought existed.

You are created powerful and purposeful but most importantly, you are loved. When you understand that, you
will not accept a cheap imitation of love when you can have the real thing. No more lying to ourselves! We
have a place in the world and we don't have to prove anything. Be encouraged to be you.

Until next time....

Gospel Reflections for July 23 2017

What kind of world is this?

Each week it seems there is a new fierce political battle, dangerous threat from North Korea, or some other
dramatic crisis in the world.
How would Jesus talk about this?

Today’s Gospel presents our troubled world with the image of a field, in which grow both life-
affirming wheat and life-threatening weeds …together at the same time. Jesus affirms our world is neither a
place of only bad news or only good news. It is a mixed place with stories of extraordinary goodness, personal
heroism, and remarkable saintliness right alongside stories of extraordinary selfishness, evil motives, and bad
behavior. Maybe you can discern both good and bad events happening at the same time in your own
neighborhood too.

The Gospel affirms it is just simply not true that our world is only good or only bad. Reality and truth demand
that we open our eyes and see what is actually going on, which will include many examples of both good and
bad things happening at the same time. (Of course, I am always glad if I see more goodness than anything
else!)

But then Jesus adds an even more important message. He indicates what our response should be while living
in this crazy mixed-up world, and it is a very helpful lesson!

Whenever we encounter bad people, we should never let their lack of faith, hope, and love change our faith,
hope, and love!

If we are examples of “wheat” then we must continue to live as such, even if “weed” people are all around us.
After all, if we have faith and love in our own hearts …why would we let anyone who does not have faith and
love change us? We should be affecting them, not the other way around!

That can happen if we ask for the grace from Our Lord that he offers at this mass. Then we will never
become discouraged but always and everywhere encourage others instead. We will never feel alone but
rejoice also in the communion of saints in heaven who constantly intercede for us.

We live in a very big world that was designed by God in His wisdom to have both wheat and weeds living
alongside each other. Let us make sure that everyone we meet will know just which one we are!

God Bless!

Fr. Dave

Sunday Readings
The first reading is taken from the Book of Wisdom 12:13, 16-19 where the author reminds us that the kind of
judgment we receive depends not on the scales of godless justice, but instead on the mercy and love of God
for those who strive to live life in response to His love. — A Celebrants Guide to the New Sacramentary - A
Cycle by Kevin W. Irwin

The second reading is from the Letter of St. Paul to the Romans 8:26-27. The theme is the activity of the
Spirit in helping us in our weakness to pray as we ought, for it is the Spirit who makes intercession for us and
intercedes for us before God. — A Celebrants Guide to the New Sacramentary - A Cycle by Kevin W. Irwin

The Gospel is from St. Matthew 13:24-43. Today's parable is Christ's answer to the question so frequently
asked: "Why does God permit evil to triumph so often in this world, why are the wicked allowed to prosper?"
The triumph of the wicked is short-lived, the reward of the Christian who suffers from their wickedness is
everlasting. The very wickedness and injustices of evil-doers are one of the ways that God uses to perfect his
elect. It is only on a battlefield that a true soldier can be proved.
 In the parable, the weed does not destroy the wheat. It only makes it
more difficult for the wheat to grow to maturity. So it is with the Christian.
No one can take his faith from him, but living up to it is made more
difficult by the evil influence and bad example of sinners. If some
succumb to this evil influence and give up the practice of their faith, the
fault is theirs. God can force no man to serve him.

The patience of the farmer in letting the weed grow on until harvest time,
exemplifies the infinite mercy of God toward sinners. The weed could
not change its nature, but the sinner can change his ways and God
gives him every chance and every help to do this, up to his last moment of life. No sinner will be excluded from
heaven because of the sins he committed but because he did not repent of these sins while he had the
opportunity.

We must learn a double lesson of patience from this parable. First, to be patient with those who make our
spiritual progress more difficult for us—they are actually helping us to be better Christians if we bear with
patience the injuries they inflict on us. Second, we must try to imitate the patience God shows in his dealings
with sinners. While we must not approve of their evil deeds, or their sins, we must still look on them as our
brothers and do all in our power to put them back on the right road to heaven. We can do this by good
example, and by fervent prayer for their conversion. This is not easy for human nature, but we can be certain
that God will give us the necessary grace and strength to subdue our natural weakness and aversion, if we try
to act with charity and true brotherly interest toward our erring fellowmen.

By acting thus, we will not only be helping a weak brother on the rugged road to heaven, we will also be
making doubly sure of our own arrival there, for God will never be outdone in generosity.

Excerpted from The Sunday Readings by Fr. Kevin O'Sullivan, O.F.M.

Reflections on Sunday’s Readings: July 23, 2017

This is the 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time. The crowds listening to Jesus
know that mustard seed is an invasive weed - no one would ever sow mustard seeds - except God! Today’s
scriptures remind us that God’s love encompasses all, and reaches even those that are rejected...those who
are on the fringes...those who are broken. God’s love reaches the divorced, the depressed, the homeless, the
gay, the jobless and the addicted. Our personal weeds grow together with our wheat. Things cannot be sorted
out cleanly now, however much we might like to do so. But God’s love reaches each of us as we are and fills
us with forgiveness. This is freely given by God to all of us, and can’t be earned. All we are called to do is to be
open to this incredible gift of God, and, in turn, to reach out to others with this same love.
The Readings:
 Wisdom 12.13, 16-19. We can trust in God’s care. God asks us to treat others as God has shown us: judging
with mercy and with an abundance of kindness.
 Romans 8: 26-27. It is the Spirit that helps us pray, that fills in for our “weaknesses”, that “opens” us to God’s
desires for us. God's grace is at work in us even (or especially) when we feel helpless to do anything.
 Matthew 13:24-43. Three parables of the kingdom. God lets the weeds grow with the wheat, waiting until the
harvest. God looks on this world with all its problems with compassion, love, and patience, not panic, hatred,
and violence. God invites us to look on the world in the same way and act accordingly.
July 21, 2017

1 Kings 3:5.7-12 Romans 8:28-30 Matthew 13:44-52

Today’s Readings stress on the importance of the Kingdom of God and demand a personal
response on the part of every Christian to God and to his Kingdom. In normal language the
Kingdom of God is understood as God’s rule in the heart of every individual. In the New
Testament there are almost one hundred and fifty references to the Kingdom and the more
Jesus speaks about it, the more he reveals its mystery.

The Kingdom constantly invites people to the high ideals and great generosity. It also calls for a
great measure of tolerance, patience and understanding in seeing the Kingdom become a reality.
The Kingdom is primarily an environment, it is a set of relationships, and it is a situation where
God’s values prevail. The divine values in practice are nothing but the deepest human values
and aspirations as mirrored in the life of Jesus, who is himself the revelation of God to us in
accessible human form. While today’s Gospel presents us with the image of the kingdom, its
focus is not the hidden treasure, pearls or the catch of fish. It is the actions of the people in the
parables. They are relentless in their search for the prize. They are persistent in the face of
challenges and they become innovative in looking for ways to overcome the obstacles they face.
It is with joy and assurance that one sells everything else to obtain them. In the first reading we
have the king making a right choice before God. He asks for a listening heart that is to have the
wisdom to serve God’s people with Justice. God grants him his request and more qualities to
indicate their divine origin. In the second reading Paul tells us that God fashions all events in our
lives for our good and for our salvation. Christ is the firstborn who is God’s gift to us and God
intends that as his brothers and sisters, we must be conformed to Christ’s image. He wishes that
all make use of the gifts granted to them and utilize the necessary means to attain eternal glory.

In the First Reading from the First Book of Kings, we heard how the Lord God rewarded Solomon
for his unselfish desire to be righteous before the people as their King. King Solomon, when
given the opportunity to ask for what he wishes, prays for practical wisdom and prudence to
discern for his people right from wrong.Kingship in Israel was established by God to serve the
people. Since God was the true king of Israel, David and his successors were to use their
position to steer the people on right path of faith. David was partially successful in this role and
his successors were not. His son Solomon had made alliance with Egypt had built his palace
before he sought to build a Temple for God and the sacrifices were offered in high places.

The Jewish traditions credited Solomon with wisdom which surpassed any other king of Israel
and it is credited to the humility he exhibited before God. When God comes to him in a dream,
offering to grant him any request, Solomon displays extraordinary wisdom. He identifies himself
as God’s servant ruling over God’s people and he asks for an understanding of heart to govern
the people justly. He did not ask just to have things, or to have obstacles in his life removed. He
asked to be able to see. In other words, he asked for wisdom and discernment. God is pleased
that Solomon ranked service to God over the standard interests of Monarchy: long life, wealth
and power together with control over enemies. Solomon’s request was granted. God further
declares that Solomon will be unique among all the kings of the earth. God says: “I give you a
heart wise as none before you have had and none will have after you.”

In the Second Reading from the Letter to the Romans Paul says that all things work for good for
those who love God. God’s plan is that we be conformed to the image of his son Jesus and that
Christians reproduce in themselves an image of his Son by progressively sharing more and more
in the risen life of Christ. Paul here wants Christians to realize that they have been destined from
all eternity to be confirmed to the image of his son. Further he says that God knew before
creation which one among us would respond to His grace through our own free will. In deciding
to create the universe, we know that God arranged everything out of love. He knew beforehand
about those who would live our Christian faith in accordance with the teachings of Jesus, shining
in Divine love so we may inherit the Kingdom of God. God is active in all events of their lives.
We are in God’s mind from the beginning and God will complete his plan when we are glorified.
If we are among the humble and obedient servants of God, those that He foreknew, then we are
among those who have been called to be justified. We are among those who will be glorified in
Jesus Christ.In speaking of the final destiny of glory for all those who place their faith in Jesus
Paul says that we are predestined to be saved in him who has lovingly called us to be his own
sons and daughters.Paul declares that, for the person who loves God, everything can be turned
to good.

In the Gospel of today we are presented with three parables, two of which are closely linked in
meaning but with slight difference. The first two parables using the images of hidden treasure
and a pearl of great price are addressed to individuals who with joy and assurance sell
everything else to possess something precious. The third parable speaks of the realistic
situation, similar to one about the wheat and the darnel, about the Christian sense of time and
the separation process at the end of time. Here perhaps the church quietly explains the
existence of people both good and bad. The first and second parables are in effect saying that to
know God and to live according to the Gospel are the most precious things in life. Through Jesus
and the Gospel we come to know and understand what the real meaning of life is and what the
most important things in life are.The comparison here is based on obtaining something of
extremely high value. The dynamic described is that nothing will get in the way of obtaining an
object of extremely high value if one desiring it feels it must be acquired at any cost. Both the
parables demand renunciation, risk and commitment. The emphasis is not so much on the pain
of renunciation as on the supreme value of the reward they will obtain. Jesus advocates the total
reversal of the past in order to gain a wonderful future.

What many do not realize is that the treasure buried in the field legally belongs to the owner of
the field and therefore the person who finds it sells everything and purchases the land in order
to become its owner. In this parable the finder does not tell the owner of his discovery but
purchases the land to make it legal. Jesus does not pass judgment on his ethics but stresses on
his life time discovery of the reign of God. We must remember that in early days the ordinary
persons could not avail the facilities of Banks and burying the valuable things in the ground was
a possible alternative.There was the danger of foreign invasion or brigandage that made rich
people or royal households to bury their gold or precious treasures in the ground. Of course,
because of war or some other unforeseen calamity, they might have to leave the place suddenly
and not be able to take their belongings with them. They might not be able to return or they
might die before they could do so. Someone else, then, might stumble on their treasure and find
ways and means to take possession of it.In this parable, the man comes across the treasure and
is aware that it does not belong to him. He sells everything he has in order to get ownership of
the field and hence of the buried treasure.

Thus the parable tells us of a person who actually goes beyond all ordinary possibilities to obtain
an object of great value. This shows how valuable and precious the kingdom of
heaven is.The idea obviously is that when one really discovers Jesus and his vision of life
everything else becomes secondary. In the service of the Kingdom there are no half measures
and in that service there is a special kind of liberating joy. The second parable is similar. A
businessman looks for fine pearls. When he finds the one he wants, he sells everything else he
has in order to acquire this precious pearl.A slight, if significant, difference has been pointed out
between the two stories. For, in the first, the man was not actually looking for the treasure.
Perhaps he found it while digging the ground or ploughing the field, that is, in the course of his
ordinary working day. Whereas the treasure was found accidentally, the pearl in the second
parable was found after a diligent search. The man was on the lookout for the “pearl of great
price”. He knows it must exist somewhere and he uses all his energies to find it. In the ancient
world pearls were special not only for their intrinsic value but also for their beauty. Once he
discovers this pearl, he does not hesitate to use the necessary means to acquire it. This was
Paul’s experience as he tells the Philippian community: “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” and again “For me, to live is
Christ, and to die is gain”.

This brings us to the third parable today of the net thrown into the sea and this story focuses on
the ultimate judgment. To understand the church better and the way it exists, Jesus gives us the
parable of the net. Here Jesus compares the church to a fishing net which when thrown into the
lake collect all sorts of fish. The net could not and does not discriminate. It was left to the
fishermen to do the dividing and the separating process. While the first and second parables
speak of the total commitment and dedication which are the ideal of every follower of Christ, this
third parable helps to put our two feet firmly back on the ground. It reflects the same emphasis
that the interpretation of the parable of the wheat and the weeds made. Again, the good will be
separated from the bad and reward and punishment will be administered accordingly. This time
it is the angels who will make the judgment.

While the ideals are valid and still beckon us, they must not lead us into any form of elitism. The
point is that in the kingdom of heaven there will be accountability. This parable reminds us that
the Church and even the Kingdom in the process of its evolution is full of all kinds of people. Our
Church is a Church of saints and sinners, the good and the bad. Those who have heard the
teachings of Jesus and put them into practice will enter the kingdom of heaven and those who
do not will be excluded. The judgment is not arbitrary and rests ultimately on the response of
the one who has heard the message of Jesus. The Church too has its role to play namely to
accept into its bosom the poor, the crippled, the blind, lame and all those in need and lead them
to the treasure and the pearl of great price.In the meantime, it is for us to learn to be tolerant,
compassionate and understanding those who seem to fall far below the requirements of the
Gospel and the Kingdom.

The disciples declare that they have understood what Jesus has taught them in and through
these parables. Jesus responds with a saying that describes the calling and task of everyone who
desires to be a follower of Jesus in the Kingdom of heaven. It is a matter of drawing on the rich
treasury of the past, but shaping it to apply for guidance into the future. Jesus tells them that
they will be like scribes or men of learning who will have ancient and modern teaching with them
to give to the hearers. The past tradition is not to be done away with, but we can never return
there to live. The future requires the past for a firm foundation without which it will never be
realized. This balancing act is the task of each one of us who have been instructed in the
kingdom of heaven. Judgment is for later. Right now, it is for us to use the time given to us to
go in search of the treasure and the pearl of great price, of the gift to be able to identify, with
Jesus, the really true, the good and the beautiful, and to help others too in the same search.
Thus when we approach the Eucharistic table and celebrate this sacrificial meal, we express our
faith in Jesus who is our pearl of great price. Jesus is worth everything to us and allowing
ourselves to be united to him in communion is the greatest gift we can give ourselves.

As reflect on this word of God, Jesus invites us to build the kingdom searching relentlessly and
seeking his presence. The reward will be something precious and which cannot be lost at any
time. We are called to face obstacles and we are called to be innovative in the ways in which we
overcome those challenges. King Solomon responded to God asking for wisdom and knowledge
and he was given the precious reward. The persons in the parable went in search of the treasure
and the pearl and took the risk to obtain it for them. The parable of the net will tell us of the
need for discernment on the kingdom to be good and be able to see the preciousness of our
choice. This gives us the joy of discovering the meaning of life and of finding ourselves involved
in the adventure of holiness. People who risk whole heartedly are ultimately peaceful. Finally, it
is the choice which God has made for us as he has chosen us and formed us in his own image
and has planned a plan for us. Let us then respond to the divine call given to us and live this
kingdom to the full.

In order to better understand people’s views of the world, a researcher once placed two children,
one a pessimist and the other an optimist, alone in separate rooms. The pessimist was placed in
a colourful room full of all kinds of imaginative toys…the optimist was put in a room filled with
horse manure. The first child played in the room for a little while, but soon came to the door
asking to leave because the toys were boring and because they broke too easily. Likewise, the
young optimist soon came to the door…but rather than asking to leave, she asked for a shovel.
Of course, the researcher asked the child why she wanted a shovel. She replied, “With all this
manure around, I know that there must be a pony in here somewhere.”

A hermit was meditating by a river when a young man interrupted him. “Master, I wish to
become your disciple,” said the man. “Why?” replied the hermit. The young man thought for a
moment and said: “Because I want to find God.” The master jumped up, grabbed him by the
scruff of his neck, dragged him into the river, and plunged his head under water. After holding
him there for a minute, with him kicking and struggling to free himself, the master finally pulled
him up out of the river. The young man coughed up water and gasped to get his breath. When
he eventually quieted down, the master spoke. “Tell me, what you wanted most of all when you
were under water.” “Air!” answered the man. “Very well,” said the master. “Go home and come
back to me when you want God as much as you just wanted air.”

Fr. Eugene Lobo S.J. Bangalore, India