WEDNESDAY OF THE SEVENTEENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME JULY 28, 2021

MASS READINGS:

A reading of the holy Gospel according to Mt 13:44-46

Jesus said to his disciples: “The Kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field, which a person finds and hides again, and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, 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.”

REFLECTION

“The Kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field, which a person finds and hides again, and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field".

Who here has found a treasure walking through a field? Normally there are weeds, wild flowers, burrs, ants, spiders, dry spots, discarded bottles, trash, tires or pipes, rocks and cicadas in the fields that I travel.

Imagine the delight in seeing a treasure half exposed in a field. And if we dare open it, we find a wealth of money, pearls, gold or diamonds. Would we at first keep it for ourselves or would we check to be sure that it is not stolen or belongs to someone else?

This is one of our Lord's parables-- a short story or allegory that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning.

God searches for His treasure, our souls, and finds us buried in the soil of sin. But we are seen by God as His most precious possession, a most precious treasure. He loves us so much that He is willing to go and sell everything He has just so that we can choose the Kingdom of Heaven. He is willing to purchase us at the expense of His Passion and Death on the Cross: For He became a curse for us taking on all of our sins upon Himself. (PAPA Top Secret III)

It is not a simple story of finding a physical treasure. The Lord says, the treasure is like the Kingdom of heaven, for whoever finds it, finds great joy and gives up all detachments to purchase that fortune. Are we willing to follow Christ and detach from the world to seek, keep and dwell in His Kingdom?

Do we see others as souls who are as precious as pearls? Are we willing to sacrifice all for their souls? Our mission in PAPA is to go and make disciples of all nations. We pray for our priests to be on fire for souls, to bring confession and our daily bread, the Eucharist, to us.

May the dear Lord help us find the treasure that He has placed in our midst. We just need to recognize it as a treasure, and never allow ourselves to lose it. May we remember all that He has done to save us by merely saying the Name of Jesus. ( PAPA Top Secret III).

God Bless You