17TH SUNDAY HOMILY ORDINARY TIME — YEAR A
17TH SUNDAY HOMILY ORDINARY TIME — YEAR A
HOMILY THEME: FIRST THINGS FIRST
BY: Fr. Gerald Muoka
1 Kg 3:5-12, Rom 8:28-30, Matt 13:44-52
Little Mary listened intently in Sunday school while the teacher explained the parable of the “treasure” and “pearl” and gave a detailed description of eternal bliss in Heaven. She concluded her class by asking the question, “All those who are ready to go to Heaven, raise your hands.” Every hand went up except one. “Don’t you want to go to Heaven, Mary?” asked the teacher. “Not this minute,” Mary replied, “Mom was baking apple pie when I left home!”
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My dear friends, one central theme that cuts across the three readings of today’s liturgy is the wisdom to choose first things first. In the three parables of today’s gospel, we see wisdom to recognize and pursue what is of greatest value.
In the first reading, we see Solomon’s practical application of wisdom. God asked Solomon to ask for anything. Solomon of our generation could have asked God to clear his house mortgage, student loan, and car loan, and perhaps to secure a free car, a house, and life insurance. But Solomon asked for wisdom. What a stupid choice! He could have asked for riches, a God-fearing wife (God-fearing Yahoo boy), or good health. He chose the first thing first. His choice aligns with the scriptural injunction, “Seek ye first God’s kingdom and every other thing will be added unto it.
In the gospel reading, Christ becomes that hidden treasure and pearl of great price. Solomon’s choice of wisdom only points to the thirst and longing for Jesus, the eternal and incarnate wisdom of God. Jesus is the pearl and treasure our souls pine for. These treasures and pearls of great price are hidden in the mysteries we celebrate: the Eucharist and other sacraments of the church. To recognize and buy these treasures, we need to give up all other treasures and values.
William Barclay, while interpreting today’s gospel text, said, “There are other pearls (treasures), but there is only one pearl of great price. That is to say, there are many fine things in this world, and there are many things in which a person can find loveliness as knowledge, in art and music and literature and human relationships. These are all lovely, but they are all lesser loveliness than the supreme love of God. Hence, like in the parable of the dragnet, we choose the most valuable and let those of lesser value slip off.
Take Home Messages:
We need to reflect today on whether we choose first things first in life: When the time for the FIFA World Cup final or the Super Bowl coincides with the time for Mass on Sunday morning, which do I choose?
Do I choose to watch a movie series of 5 hours and never have to spend one hour in church on Sunday?
Do I choose 3 hours of hot gossip but can’t spend time listening to a 10-minute life-changing podcast?
Do I spend the whole day reading tweets and comments on Facebook or Instagram, while reading a single line in the Bible seems boring and tiring? Perhaps, my profile reads: Last seen on Facebook – 3 minutes ago, Instagram – 1 minute ago, Netflix – 10 minutes ago, but last seen in prayer or reading the Bible – 2 years ago.
What’s the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning? Talk to God first or check unread messages or tweets?
There is only one way to bring peace to the heart, joy to the mind, beauty to life, and that is to choose Jesus first by accepting and doing the will of God. Remember: First things first – God first.
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