Sunday, July 26, 2020

THE SEVENTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

“A sacrifice to be real must cost, must hurt, and must empty ourselves.
Give yourself fully to God. He will use you to accomplish great things
on the condition that you believe much more in His love than in your weakness.”
– St. Teresa of Calcutta

The aim of Christianity is to prepare souls for eternal life (salvation). To be saved is to achieve what theologians describe as Beatific Vision. This means having a personal union with God where you are welcome to enter His celestial abode. He reigns and sits on His glorious throne in His Kingdom. His Kingship is without end, and we become His princess and princesses. We will see Him face to face as He truly is; we will enjoy the eternal bliss forever and ever. No sickness, no worries, no disappoints nor everything negative that the world gives.

Nonetheless, the Kingdom of Heaven and salvation do not come on a silver platter. In order to gain access to them, one must be ready and willing to sacrifice everything in life to do the will of God. Their prices cannot be quantified, so they are the valuable treasure or pearl of great worth. Hence, it takes great sacrifice, faith and personal relationship with Jesus Christ to be eligible.

In our first reading, Solomon touched the heart of God when he asked for an understanding heart to judge his people and to distinguish right from wrong. In effect, he asked for the virtue of prudence and wisdom. He becomes a model and a challenge to us to be cautious and to discern appropriately and prudently our choices, decisions, actions, plannings and dealings. In doing so, we express our readiness and willingness to do the will of God in our lives. It is a great treasure of accepting God to rule in your life. This calls for discipline, shrewdness, carefulness, caution, skill and good judgements in your life.

St. Paul, in our second reading, reminds us that we have the right and privilege to enjoy the Kingdom of Heaven and to be saved because we are already predestined, called, justified and glorified. So, what is left is to apply the cardinal virtue of prudence. Application of proper discernment and right judgement in our everyday life is crucial in the fulfillment of the will of God. Let our love for God work everything good for us.

Thus, the Psalmist reiterates, “For I love your commands more than gold, however fine.” (Psalm 119:127)

Finally, in our gospel reading Jesus uses a parable to express how the Kingdom of Heaven should be treasured more than anything else in our lives. Like the character in the story, we should be ready to sacrifice everything in our lives to acquire the Kingdom of Heaven. Therefore, it should be our priority to go to Heaven and be saved. We should not allow anything else to take that valuable treasure from us. Faith, prudence, obedience to the will of God and having a personal relationship with Jesus are indispensable means. Solomon was just prudent! Be a Solomon and your life will never be the same.
 
Stay Healthy… PRAY… Keep the Faith… Enjoy the sunshine….
 
Let PRUDENCE lead…
 
Fr. Emmanuel

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