He sells everything he owns and buys the field

Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Year A

Collect

O God, protector of those who hope in you, without whom nothing has firm foundation, nothing is holy, bestow in abundance your mercy upon us and grant that, with you as our ruler and guide, we may use the good things that pass in such a way as to hold fast even now to those that ever endure. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Amen. 

I give you a heart wise and shrewd.
1 Kings 3:5, 7-12

A reading from the first book of Kings
The Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream and said, ‘Ask what you would like me to give you.’ Solomon replied, ‘O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in succession to David my father. But I am a very young man, unskilled in leadership. Your servant finds himself in the midst of this people of yours that you have chosen, a people so many its number cannot be counted or reckoned. Give your servant a heart to understand how to discern between good and evil, for who could govern this people of yours that is so great?’ It pleased the Lord that Solomon should have asked for this. ‘Since you have asked for this’ the Lord said ‘and not asked for long life for yourself or riches or the lives of your enemies, but have asked for a discerning judgement for yourself, here and now I do what you ask. I give you a heart wise and shrewd as none before you has had and none will have after you.’

The Word of the Lord.
℟. Thanks be to God.

Psalm 118 (119):57, 72, 76-77, 127-130

℟. Lord, how I love your law!

My part, I have resolved, O Lord,
is to obey your word.
The law from your mouth means more to me
than silver and gold. ℟.

Let your love be ready to console me
by your promise to your servant.
Let your love come and I shall live
for your law is my delight. ℟.

That is why I love your commands
more than finest gold,
why I rule my life by your precepts,
and hate false ways. ℟.

Your will is wonderful indeed;
therefore I obey it.
The unfolding of your word gives light
and teaches the simple. ℟.


Rom 8:28-30

A reading from St Paul’s letter to the Romans
We know that by turning everything to their good, God co-operates with all those who love him, with all those he has called according to his purpose. They are the ones he chose specially long ago and intended to become true images of his Son, so that his Son might be the eldest of many brothers. He called those he intended for this; those he called he justified, and with those he justified he shared his glory.

The Word of the Lord.
℟. Thanks be to God.

Gospel Acclamation
See Jn 15:15

Alleluia. ℟. Alleluia.

I call you friends, says the Lord,
because I have made known to you
everything I have learnt from my Father.

℟. Alleluia.

He sells everything he owns and buys the field.
Mt 13:44-52

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew

Jesus said to the crowds, ‘The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field which someone has found; he hides it again, goes off happy, sells everything he owns and buys the field.

‘Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls; when he finds one of great value he goes and sells everything he owns and buys it.

‘Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet cast into the sea that brings in a haul of all kinds. When it is full, the fishermen haul it ashore; then, sitting down, they collect the good ones in a basket and throw away those that are no use. This is how it will be at the end of time: the angels will appear and separate the wicked from the just to throw them into the blazing furnace where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.

‘Have you understood all this?’ They said, ‘Yes.’ And he said to them, ‘Well then, every scribe who becomes a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out from his storeroom things both new and old.’

The Word of the Lord.
℟. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Reflection

Today’s Liturgy of the Word centres on wisdom. Wisdom is not simply knowledge; it is a gift that comes from God alone. Only the humble can receive this wisdom. As they begin to acquire it, they come to recognise what the greatest treasure of their lives truly is.

This wisdom reveals how distracted we can become by countless things in life. It shows us the need for discernment, for it is through discernment that the mind, the heart, and the whole person begin to be purified. In this way, we gradually attain the serenity that God alone can give, when, in the silence of our hearts, we welcome His grace.

In the silence of the heart, we begin to realise that we need to reorder our priorities. We learn to recognise what is truly essential among so many other things. We also come to see that, over the years, we have accumulated many memories within ourselves and around us, not all of which bring us peace. This is why discernment is necessary: to choose wisely, to let go of certain things, to change others, and to accept what cannot be changed, knowing that these experiences are there to help us mature and grow in holiness. It is this holy wisdom that leads us to discover the true treasure of our lives.

God’s wisdom is able to sustain, heal, and purify our innermost being, provided that we open the doors of our lives wide to Jesus Christ and make Him our absolute priority—the hidden treasure in the field of our lives—lived in a society that strives to seek treasures everywhere except in Jesus Christ.

- Why are you afraid of the silence that brings you face to face with the truth about your life?
- You know that where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. So, where is your heart? What does it rest upon?
- Why do you keep yourself so distracted by so many things when you know they cannot satisfy the deep thirst within your heart?
- Why are you afraid to kneel before God and ask Him to help you cleanse your life, especially your memories?
- Why are you afraid to ask God to help you accept what you have long been running away from in your life?

Believe, and accept it. What matters is that you continue to keep Jesus Christ as the highest priority in your life and remain His faithful disciple.

Prayer

Lord, open my heart, my mind, and my whole life so that I may receive Your wisdom. Many things happen in my life that I do not understand, yet I believe that, in Your love, these are moments of great grace. Help me to overcome the many fears that prevent me from allowing You to become the absolute priority in my life. Amen.

 

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