HOMILY FOR THE 17TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR A. (3)

HOMILY FOR THE 17TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR A.

THEME: THE MEANING OF THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN.

BY: Rev Fr Stephen ‘Dayo Osinkoya.

First Reading: 1 Kings 3:5, 7-12
Psalm 118
Second Reading: Romans 8:28-30
Gospel Reading: Matthew 13:44-52

A story is told of a teacher who asked a class of students, “What would you wish for if you had one wish?”
One enthusiastic student shouted out, “I would wish for a big house for my family and myself.”
Another student proudly stood up and said, “I would wish for lots of land, to plant an orchard and export fruits.”
A third student, unable to contain himself declared, “Sir, give me the latest automobile.”
Then a young chap stood up, as if possessed with all the wisdom of Solomon and said, “Sir, I would ask for a million, million dollars or more. You see, with that I could buy the house the orchard and the latest automobile!”
The teacher then called upon a shy student, sitting quietly in the back, trying to avoid attention, “And what would you wish for?”
The shy student stood up timidly and whispered, “Sir, I would ask for an eternity of time, for with that I could make the money to buy the house, the land and the automobile, and live long enough to enjoy them!” Young chad had a bad case of sickle cell. He knew he had limited time. He knew the true value of time.

Beloved in Christ, our liturgy on this 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time continues to help us delve deeper into the meaning of the Kingdom of Heaven and to deepen our commitment to it. The readings stress on the importance of the Kingdom of Heaven and demand a personal response on our part to God and his Kingdom.

Ordinarily, people would do everything possible for a cause they believe in. e. g selling properties to raise money to travel abroad. I’ve also seen someone sacrificed a particular certificate examination (NECO) in order to attend an interview to gain admission into the seminary. People would always sacrifice something of lesser value for the one they consider has higher value.

But why do we not place much more value on the kingdom of God? Why do we find it hard to ‘sell’ all we have to acquire the kingdom of God? Perhaps we lack the wisdom to discern what actually constitute highest value.

Now, when we think of wisdom – it is more than knowing a lot of things. Being endowed with wisdom is much more than being just a morally very good person. Wisdom gives an in-sight into what is truly important in life, an awareness of the meaning and purpose of living, of what really matters. It is an understanding of where our real well-being and happiness lies. That is indeed a pearl of great price, price-less in every sense of the word. And that was what Solomon asked God in the first reading today.

What and where is the Kingdom of God? We may ask. I think the answer is found in the Lord’s Prayer: “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done ON EARTH….” On earth, here, as it is in heaven, in us… as it is in God. God’s Kingdom is God’s will, God’s desire for human life, where we find the quality of our human life. God’s Kingdom is the expression of His will, that our lives might be filled with His joy, His love, His mercy, His justice, His truth, and His peace.

The kingdom of God is our human life, that sacred space in which lives the very Spirit of God, the very life of God. The Kingdom is found where God wants to establish it, in our human relationships with each other.

God’s desire and will is nothing else but that we be filled with the fullness of well-being, happy living, total life. Nothing else is God’s will. The Kingdom of God here on earth is human life, high quality human life, life filled with His glory.

My questions for us today then are: How much do we value this kingdom that Christ is talking about? How much do we see ourselves as part of that kingdom? What price we have had to pay to be part of it? Can we work together as neighbours to establish the kingdom of God on earth? When we pray “Thy kingdom come” can we be more aware of what part we are to play in making that kingdom which is in process a reality and advancing it.

For much of the time, we are chasing false treasures, mainly money, status and pleasure. For much of the time we are locked into the past – full of nostalgia or regrets, or focused on the future – not yet achieved longings and desires, or depressing fears and anxieties.

For this, in the Second Reading of today, from his letter to the Romans, St. Paul assures us that ‘all things work for good for those who love God.’ He stimulates our zeal and enthusiasm in the midst of difficulties and persecution by reminding us that God’s plan of salvation, which is definitively in progress, leads to the glory that is our destiny.

God is in control of everything. The ultimate goal for us is to be configured to Jesus Christ, who in his paschal sacrifice, was totally glorified. If we are among the humble and obedient servants of God, those that He had chosen, then we are among those who have been called to be justified. We are among those who will be glorified in Jesus Christ.

Beloved in Christ, the real treasure we must seek is the Kingdom of Heaven, of which Jesus speaks in the parables today.

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