Seek the treasure that awaits

Readings for July 27, 2014

Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Is-17-il Ħadd matul is-Sena Sena 'A'

 (Messalin 'A' pp 338)

Reading 1                1 kings 3:5, 7-12

The LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream at night.  God said, “Ask something of me and I will give it to you.”   Solomon answered:  “O LORD, my God, you have made me, your servant, king to succeed my father David;  but I am a mere youth, not knowing at all how to act.  I serve you in the midst of the people whom you have chosen,  a people so vast that it cannot be numbered or counted.   Give your servant, therefore, an understanding heart  to judge your people and to distinguish right from wrong.   For who is able to govern this vast people of yours?”  The LORD was pleased that Solomon made this request.  So God said to him:   “Because you have asked for this—  not for a long life for yourself,  nor for riches,   nor for the life of your enemies,  but for understanding so that you may know what is right—  I do as you requested.   I give you a heart so wise and understanding  that there has never been anyone like you up to now,   and after you there will come no one to equal you.”   This is the Word of The Lord.

L-Ewwel Lezzjoni  -  1Slaten 3, 5-7.12

F'dak iż-żmien, f'Gibgħon il-Mulej deher lil Salamun fil-ħolm bil-lejl: "Itlobni x'nagħtik," qallu Alla.  U wieġbu Salamun: "Mulej, Alla tiegħi, lili, qaddej tiegħek,  għadek kemm qegħedtni sultan flok David missier.   Iżda jiena għadni daqsxejn ta' żagħażugħ, bla ma naf mnejn  għandi ngħaddi. Il-qaddej tiegħek sab ruħu f'nofs dan il-poplu  li int għażilt, poplu hekk kotran li ħadd ma jista'jgħoddu jew iqisu.    Agħti, għalhekk, lill-qaddej tiegħek moħħ ħafif biex jifhem, biex   jista' jmexxi l-poplu tiegħek, u jagħraf it-tajjeb mill-ħażin; għax inkella   min jasal biex imexxih, dan il-poplu tiegħek ta' kotra hekk kbira?" Il-Mulej ħa gost li Salamun talab dil-ħaġa. Għalhekk qallu Alla:  "Ladarba tlabt din il-ħaġa, u ma tlabtnix għomor twil, jew għana,  jew il-ħajja ta' l-għedewwa tiegħek iva, talli tlbat li tagħraf   tifhem kif għandek tmexxi – hawn jien se nagħmel kif għidt int. Qed nagħtik moħħ għaref u għaqli, hekk li ħadd qablek ma kien hawn bħalek, u anqas warjk ma jkun hawn."  Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Responsorial Psalm      psalm 119:57, 72, 76-77, 127-128, 129-130

R/ (97a) Lord, I love your commands.

I have said, O LORD, that my part
is to keep your words.
The law of your mouth is to me more precious
than thousands of gold and silver pieces.                            R/

Let your kindness comfort me
according to your promise to your servants.
Let your compassion come to me that I may live,
for your law is my delight.                                                           R/

I love your command
more than gold, however fine.
For in all your precepts I go forward;
every false way I hate.                                                                   R/

Wonderful are your decrees;
therefore I observe them.
The revelation of your words sheds light,
giving understanding to the simple.                                      R/

Salm Responsorjali    -   Salm 118 (119)

                R/ Kemm inħobba l-liġi tiegħek, Mulej.

Mulej, dan hu sehmi,

li nħares il-kelma tiegħek.

Aħjar għalija l-liġi ta' fommok

mill-eluf ta' flejjes tad-deheb u l-fidda.                     R/

Tkun it-tjieba tiegħek il-faraġ tiegħi,

skond il-wegħda li għamilt mal-qaddej tiegħek.

Tiġi fuqi tjubitek, biex ikoll il-ħajja;

għax il-liġi tiegħek hi l-għaxqa tiegħi.                      R/

Għalhekk inħobb il-kmandamenti tiegħek,

aktar mid-deheb, mid-deheb l-aktar fin.

Għalhekk jien nimxi dritt fuq il-preċetti tiegħek,

u nobgħod kull triq qarrieqa.                                      R/

Ta' l-għaġeb huma l-preċetti tiegħek,

għalhekk tħarishom qalbi.

It-tifsir ta' kelmtek jagħti d-dawl,

Ifiehem lil min ma jafx.                                                    R/

Reading 2                romans 8:28-30

Brothers and sisters:   We know that all things work for good for those who love God,  who are called according to his purpose.  For those he foreknew he also predestined  to be conformed to the image of his Son, so that he might be the firstborn  among many brothers and sisters.   And those he predestined he also called;  and those he called he also justified;  and those he justified he also glorified.  This is the Word of The Lord.

It-Tieni Lezzjoni   -   Ittra lir-Rumani 8, 28 -30

Ħuti, aħna nafu li Alla, ma' dawk li jħobbuh, ma' dawk  li huma msejħin skond il-providenza tiegħu, f'kollox   jaħdem id f'id għall-ġid tagħhom.  Għax lil dawk li hu għarafhom mill-bidu, ippresestinahom ukoll biex jieħdu s-sura fuq ix-xbieha  ta' Ibnu, ħalli dan ikun il-kbir fost ħafna aħwa; lil dawk  li ppredestinahom, sejħilhom ukoll; lil dawk li sejħilhom,  iġgustifikahom ukoll; lil dawk imbagħad li iġġustifikahom,  igglorifikahom ukoll.  Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Gospel                                  matthew 13:44-52

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.   Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net thrown into the sea,  which collects fish of every kind.   When it is full they haul it ashore  and sit down to put what is good into buckets.   What is bad they throw away.   Thus it will be at the end of the age.   The angels will go out and separate the wicked from the righteous  and throw them into the fiery furnace,  where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.  “Do you understand all these things?”    They answered, “Yes.”    And he replied,  “Then every scribe who has been instructed in the kingdom of heaven  is like the head of a household  who brings from his storeroom both the new and the old.”   This is the Word of The Lord.

L-Evanġelju   -  skond San Mattew 13, 44-52

F'dak iż-żmien, Ġesu' qal lid-dixxipli tiegħu: "Is-Saltna tas-Smewwiet tixbaħ lil teżor moħbi f'għalqa,   li wieħed raġel isibu u jaħbih, u kollu ferħan imur ibigħ  kull ma jkollu u jixtri dik l-għalqa.  Tixbah ukoll is-Saltna tas-Smewwiet lil wieħed neguzajant   ifittex ġawhar fin; meta sab ġawhra tiswa ħafna, mar biegħ  kull ma kellu u xtara lilha. Tixbah ukoll is-Saltna tas-Smewwiet lil xibka mitfugħa l-baħar li fiha jinġabar minn kollox. Meta timtela jtellgħuha x-xatt u joqogħdu bilqiegħda, jiġbru fil-kannestri dak li jkun  tajjeb u jarmu l-ħażin. Hekk jiġri fi tmiem id-dinja: l-anġli joħorġu  jifirdu l-ħżiena mill-ġusti, u jixħtuhom fil-ħuġġieġa tan-nar; hemmhekk ikun hemm il-biki u t-tgħażiż tas-snien. Kollu fhimtuh dan? "Iva," qalululu. U hu qalilhom:"Għalhekk kull  kittieb li jkun sar dixxiplu tas-Saltna tas-Smewwiet jixbah lil wieħed sid li, mill-ħażna tiegħu, joħroġ sew il-ġdid u sew il-qadim."  Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

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COMMENTARY:  By Fr Raniero Cantalamessa ofm cap

Seek the Treasure That Awaits

What did Jesus want to say with the two parables of the hidden treasure and the precious pearl? More or less this: The decisive hour of history has arrived. The Kingdom of God has come on earth.

Specifically, it is about himself and his coming on earth. The hidden treasure and the precious pearl are nothing other than Jesus himself. It is as if, with these words, Jesus wished to say: Salvation has come to you freely, by God's initiative. Make a decision, take advantage of the opportunity, do not let it escape from you. It is the time to decide.

What comes to my mind is the day World War II ended. In the city, partisans and allies opened the storerooms with provisions left by the German army when it retreated. In a flash, the news reached villages in the country and all ran at top speed to take all those wonderful things. Some arrived home full of blankets, others with baskets of provisions.

I think that with these two parables Jesus wished to create such an atmosphere. He wanted to say: Run while you have time! There is a free treasure that awaits you, a precious pearl. Do not lose the opportunity.

Except that, in Jesus' case, what is at stake is infinitely more serious. One's all is at stake. The Kingdom is the only thing that can save us from the highest risk of life, which is to lose the reason why we are in this world.

We are in a society that lives on insurance. People insure themselves against everything. In some countries, it is a kind of mania. There is even insurance against bad weather during vacations. Among all, the most important and frequent insurance is that of life.

However, lets reflect for a minute. Of what use is this insurance and against what does it insure us? Against death? Of course not. It ensures that, in case of death, some one receives an indemnity.

The Kingdom of Heaven is also life insurance against death. "Whoever believes in me, even though he die, shall live," said Jesus. Thus we also understand the radical need posed by such a "deal": to sell everything and leave it all. In other words, to be prepared, if necessary, for any sacrifice.

However, not to pay the price of the treasure or the pearl, which, by definition, do not have a "price," but to be worthy of them.

In each of the parables there are, in fact, two actors: an evident one, that goes, sells and buys; and a hidden one, taken for granted. The author taken for granted is the former proprietor who did not realize that in his field there was a treasure and sold it cheaply to the first bidder. It is the man or woman who had the precious pearl, did not realize its value, and gave it to the first merchant passing by, perhaps for a collection of false pearls.

How can we not see in this warning that is addressed to those of us who sell our faith and Christian heritage for nothing?

However, the parable does not say "a man sold everything he had and started to look for a hidden treasure." We know how such stories end: One loses what one had and finds no treasure. These are stories of dreamers, of visionaries.

No, man found a treasure and, because of this, sold all he had to buy it. In a word, it is necessary to have found the treasure to have the strength and joy to sell everything.

Leaving the parable to one side, we must first find Jesus, meet him in a personal, new and convincing way. Discover him as friend and savior. Then it will be child's play to sell everything. 

It is something that will be "full of joy," as the proprietor mentioned in the Gospel.

[Translation by ZENIT from the Italian original]