Father Peter’s Homilies

HOMILY for 17th SUNDAY in ORDINARY TIME – Year A

This Sunday’s Gospel tells us about buried treasure & fine pearls. Thinking about that,
I’m reminded of this cute story that I’d like to share with you.
Mrs. Flinders decided to have her portrait painted. She told the artist, “Paint me with
diamond earrings, a diamond necklace, emerald bracelets, and a ruby pendant.”
“But you are not wearing any of those things,” responded the artist.
“I know,” said Mrs. Flinders. “It’s in case I should die before my husband. I’m sure he
would remarry right away; & I want her to go nuts looking for the jewelry.”
Since the beginning of Creation, we humans have realized how rare diamonds & some
precious stones are compared to other regular stones & rocks. That is why we have desired
those special stones so much & spent days & nights searching for them. Some have gone far &
wide to look for the rarest diamonds. Others have dived down to the deepest oceans to find the
lost treasures. That is why we have seen movies such as Indiana Jones telling us about the
efforts & passions of some people who dared to search for the Holy Grail. They had to do
careful research & risk everything they had, including their personal safety to get their hands on
the invaluable treasure. For that is their life mission, in fact the purpose of their whole life.
However, there is one best Holy Grail, the most invaluable treasure that we often
overlook, namely, the kingdom of heaven or of God. That is why Jesus wants to remind us in
this Gospel as the following, “…The kingdom of God is like a buried treasure which a person
found in a field. He hid it again, & rejoicing at ones’ find went & sold all one had & bought that
field. Or again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant’s search for fine pearls. When one
found one really valuable pearl, one went back & put up for sale all that one had & bought it.”
Like last Sunday, this Sunday’s Gospel is one of the rare occasions that the kingdom of heaven
or of God is being revealed to us. Jesus once again used parables to let us have a close look at it.
He compared it to a buried treasure in a field or fine pearls. For someone who is interested in
treasure or fine pearls, that is music to one’s ears. The kingdom of heaven or of God is exactly
what the person has been searching for. It is the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow for a
hardworking treasure hunter. However, if people do not look for the kingdom of heaven or of
God, that good news of a buried treasure in a field or fine pearls would not mean much.
Unfortunately, that is problem of our current world. It might be interested in treasures
& fine pearls. But, it does not seem to see & want to consider the kingdom of heaven or of God
to be the hidden treasure or fine pearls. We know that the whole world keeps going after
treasures & fine pearls every day. It has worked hard days & nights to accumulate treasures &
wealth. It has used every possible way to advance that life mission. In fact, I have watched
many programs about some treasure hunters who have scoured the bottom of the oceans in
search for shipwreck treasures. Others have gone after stolen treasures from various wars &
conflicts that were secretly buried around the world. Meanwhile, many business entrepreneurs
have travelled around the world to look for rarest diamonds & fine pearls. I have learned that a
few of them was lucky enough to find a rare, huge, blue diamond in Africa worth several million
dollars. If we have put that much effort & resources to search for hidden treasures & fine
pearls, why shouldn’t we do the same about the kingdom of heaven or of God that is worth
more than all the treasures & fine pearls on earth?
King Solomon was given an opportunity to ask God for anything when he became the
King of Israel. The whole world was surprised by his prayer request. Here is how this Sunday’s
First Reading tells us about it, “The Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream at night. God said,
‘Ask something of me; & I will give it to you.’ Solomon answered, ‘…Give your servant,
therefore, an understanding heart to judge your people& distinguish right from wrong.’…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 give
you a heart so wise & understanding that there have never been anyone like you up to now, &
after you there will come no one to equal you.’” As you can see, King Solomon could ask the
Lord for anything; but he chose a wise & understanding heart instead. For the king, that is the
hidden treasure & fine pearl. A wise & understanding heart is what he was searching for his life
& kingship. What is it that you are searching for your life? Which are the hidden treasures &
fine pearls that you want for your spiritual life?
My dear brothers & sisters, we often assume that God only communicates to us when
we are awake. But, today’s First Reading was one of several times in the Bible that the Lord
appeared to the people of God in a dream with a special message. So, pay attention to your
dreams & see what the Lord might want to talk to you about. More importantly, let us search
for the kingdom of heaven or of God in our daily life as is we are looking for hidden treasures &
fine pearls. That way we will do everything in our power to possess it.