Gospel: Treasures in Heaven

Today is the Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time where the Gospel reading is taken from the account of St Matthew.

The Kingdom of Heaven is like treasure hidden in a field which someone has found; he hides it again, goes off in his joy, 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 that is cast in the sea and brings in a haul of all kinds of fish.

When it is full, the fishermen bring it ashore; then, sitting down, they collect the good ones in baskets 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 upright, to throw them into the burning furnace, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.

'Have you understood all of these?' 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 new things as well as old.'

The Gospel teaches us about the treasures that can be found in Heaven. It elaborates on what we are actually searching in life. Is it the worldly treasures or the material things? Or is it about Jesus and the spiritual treasures that we can find in his presence?

In the first part of the reading, the hidden treasure in the field represents Heaven. If a man truly finds what is important in life, he will sell everything he owns and he will buy that field. That treasure is more important than his secular possessions.

In the parable of the pearl, we are taught that if we know how to search for the right things in life, we will eventually find what we are looking for, and will even agree to sell everything just to get the fine pearl.

Lastly, the Gospel also repeated the analogy of the end of time, where the angels will separate the good from the bad. Are we a good catch, or are we just one of the bad ones who have no use in the Kingdom of Heaven?

Let us pray: Lord Jesus, help us to become a new person so that we can be of use to the Kingdom of Heaven, and to be of service to others. Amen.

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The Gospel is sponsored by Closeup.