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Servants of the Pierced Hearts of Jesus and Mary-
Homilies |
"'Understanding
the Hidden Treasure of the Kingdom in Mind and Heart"
Homily for the 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Fr. Jonathan L. Reardon
July 24, 2011
Year A
Solomon was the privileged
son of King David. It was under Solomon's rule that ancient
Israel reached its pinnacle of prosperity, influence, and
geographical size. At the beginning of his reign, God showed
that He was with the new king by appearing to him and inviting
him to ask a favor. King Solomon, aware that God had given him
an important and difficult mission, asked for the grace of
wisdom, which would help him fulfill that mission. He did not
ask for long life or wealth of any kind. This was what made
Solomon righteous: not that he was perfect in every way, but
that loving God and neighbor by fulfilling his life-duties was
his first priority. God granted his request, making Solomon the
wisest of rulers. Kings and queens of the ancient world travel
long distances to hear him speak because he had an understanding
of things not known to all. He was able to see beyond the
external level of reality and pierce the mystery of God – the
hidden treasure.
The idea of a hidden treasure is appropriate for the preaching
of Jesus. As He demonstrates in the parables we just read. His
message is one that would not be fully revealed to all nor fully
understood by all – therefore, we find something of great value
present in that which He proclaims – that of Kingdom of Heaven.
Even the disciples had a difficult time. But here, the
characteristics of the disciples are that of the seed that fell
on good soil and produced fruit, soil that has the capacity for
growth. Though they still have much to learn, they at least have
an understanding of that hidden treasure that sets them apart
from the crowds and in particular the scribes and Pharisees, who
are in opposition to Christ.
What sets them apart? Their humility and their response to
Jesus. Like Solomon, they were open to the Lord’s call. And
after the resurrection, filled with the Spirit, they were
finally able to fully grasp that hidden meaning of Jesus’
message and went out to preach the Good News and transformed the
world. They left everything behind because the hidden treasure
of the kingdom was made known to them – they understood it, both
in mind and heart.
This is the message of the first two parables we heard in
today’s Gospel – the urgency of responding to the good news of
the kingdom. The kingdom of heaven is like a priceless treasure
that completely alters one’s priorities in life. A person
joyfully abandons all worldly treasure in order to obtain the
treasure of heaven. But how could we even begin to hunt for this
treasure, to go after it, to capture it, to obtain it… if we do
not fully understand its value? Therein lies the problem of
today. I hear it so often – I don’t go to Mass because I don’t
understand what’s happening. I don’t understand why the Church
teaches this or that, so I don’t follow it and I won’t observe
it. These kinds of statements say a lot about our own character
and where our priorities lie. But we have to realize that our
history, our tradition, our sacraments – these are what make us
unique, unlike any other religion of the world. But it’s
difficult to observe these teachings and be faithful when the
value and hidden treasure is unperceived. Indeed, we live in a
society that is in dire need for Christians – for us – to be
better witnesses to the truth of the Gospel message and the love
of God but we can’t do that if we remain stubborn and opposed to
deepening our understanding of that which we believe. I’m not
simply talking about having a better understanding solely in the
mind – that is important – but also an understanding that
penetrates the heart. We need to become more and more like
Solomon – filled with wisdom that sees past the surface level,
the superficial and pierces the mysteries of God. We need to
become more and more like the disciples, who, though they were
not perfect and had much to learn, once filled with the Spirit
were able to grasp the hidden treasure of the kingdom and bear
witness to the Good News. Because in doing so, then will we
begin to understand the deeper meaning and value behind our
history, tradition, and sacraments.
One such opportunity to learn and deepen our understanding is by
way of the changes to the Mass. As we learn more and more about
the Mass and the changes to some of the words, we are given an
opportunity to rediscover for ourselves the grace that lies
hidden within these sacramental rituals. Another opportunity
occurs everyday in our own prayer. Simply through staying
connected to God through a continual dialogue with Him, He will
deepen our knowledge and understanding of His ways by speaking
directly to our hearts. And there are so many other different
ways that affords the opportunity to grow in our faith, to
deepen our understanding of the riches of our tradition, history
and worship.
In our prayer today, may we have the humility to be open to
growth in faith, the courage to take advantage of these means,
to learn, to understand, and to listen with the ears of our
hearts to God who speaks to us of the hidden treasure of the
Kingdom of Heaven.
