17th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Los Angeles, July 29^th, 2020
1^st Reading: from the 1^st Book of Kings 3:5, 7-12
Psalm :118 (119)57,72,76-77,127-128,129-130
2º Reading: from the Letter of St Paul to the Romans 8:28-30
Gospel: Saint Matthew 13:44-52 or 13:44-46

Once again, the Gospel speaks of the Kingdom of God.
On this occasion, he presents two short parables that help us discover the beauty of that Kingdom.
The Kingdom of God is a treasure that changes the life of those who discover it.
The Kingdom of God is a treasure.
The two parables that speak to us today of the Kingdom of God are different.
In one the farmer finds a treasure that he was not looking for. A hidden treasure in the field in which he worked, in the place where a large part of his road passed. It's like a gift that comes from heaven.
In the other parable, the fine pearl merchant who had been looking for a “rare pearl” for a long time ends up finding it.
In both cases, these two characters end up finding something they didn't know about and that has great value.
I retain two things from those two stories. We must be open and attentive to discover, in the place and at the time we least expected it, the presence of God. Jesus reveals himself in the daily life of our existence. We must open our eyes, ears, intelligence, and heart to discover the presence of God in the love we share with the family, with the relationships we have, with our work or study colleagues. God is there, and often we do not see him because we are distracted by our occupations that prevent us from recognizing him.
The second lesson we draw from these two parables is that we should never get tired of seeking the Lord. It is never too late to discover Jesus. Let's never stop looking for this treasure. Let's try to read a passage from the Gospel every day.  Let's commit ourselves to visit or help every day or once a week a person who suffers.
Christology, the Son of God, the Kingdom of Heaven is found in the Gospel and in the face of all our suffering brothers and sisters.
Let's not stop looking for it. Someday we will meet face to face with Jesus and our life will change radically.
The Kingdom of Heaven changes the life of those who discover it. There is always joy, peace and confidence in the life of the person who discovers that treasure that the Bible calls the Kingdom of God and that we know is found in our relationship with Jesus.
Discovering the love of God, the true face of Jesus in our life, allows us to understand that everything around us is fleeting and secondary.
Welcoming the Kingdom of God in our life and living a sincere friendship with Jesus transforms our way of acting in the family, in studies and at work.
Our worries, our sufferings and our sorrows are transformed when Jesus enters our lives to help us carry our crosses, illuminate the conflicts we must face, and grant us the necessary strength and peace to fight against the evil we encounter along the way.
Let us open our hearts to welcome the Kingdom of God that is close to us and rejoice for having found the treasure we were looking for to live happily and in peace.
Amen. Fr. Germán