Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

I love the 1st reading and the Gospel for today.

In the 1st reading God asks Solomon what he wishes to ask for and after talking with God and pondering it, he asks for Understanding (one of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit)  to help him govern the people aright!  He didn’t ask for bigger or more things, or something for himself, he asked to understand and help people!  He understood what was important and more importantly that his NEEDS were already met!

I find today many people, not just children don’t know the difference between NEED’s and WANTS.  Our basic needs are food, water, clothing, shelter and healthcare.  Everything else is a WANT.

In the Gospel we hear Jesus tell the parable of the treasure being found in the field.  Jesus is speaking of spiritual and heavenly treasure.  When we find our treasure we get rid of the “baggage” that we don’t need, the things/habits in our lives that keep us from God.

Some people are called to this a little more literally as Religious Sisters, Brothers and Priest who take vows of Poverty, Chastity and Obedience.  Sometimes even laity are called to this in the form of missionary work.  I know single laity and of whole families who sell their homes and many of their belongings to serve in the missions.

So we are to search and find God’s treasure for us, to sell what we have to possess it!(Again not always material things.  But sometimes we all need to clean out our physical house.) Again knowing the difference between needs and wants helps greatly here.  Being familiar with our weakness and sin, so we know what to get rid of.  Of course once we get rid of the bad, the things we don’t need, we don’t want to stay empty.  We want to fill those places with the things of God.  We are to ask to use the gifts God’s gives us to help us find and obtain that treasure!

Have a Blessed Week!