17th Sunday of Year A

May God make you realize the full implication of the call to confirm to the image of Christ in order to bear the appropriate fruit of Christian charity that will be beneficial to your needy neighbour. Happy Sunday! + John I. Okoye

DOCTRINE AND FAITH

(1 Kings, 3,5.7-12; Romans 8,28-30; Matt 13, 44-52, 17th  Sunday of Year A)

            In the 2nd Reading, the apostle Paul reveals to us God the Father’s design which he has from eternity predestined/called us to conform to the image of his Son, Jesus Christ. The theme of divine call is common in the Scriptures. The pressing question here is two folds: Who is called? And, to what are they called? In giving answer to the second question, Paul holds that those who are called are called to conform to the image of God’s son. The answer to the first question is proffered by the entire Christian tradition. All are called to conform their lives to the image of Christ, who is God’s first Son also. If believers conform themselves to the image of their elder brother, they will themselves become children of God. It is by being conformed that they will be justified and their justification will be the source of their glorification. Thus, as baptized, we have taken the first step in conforming to the image of Christ. We are already clothed with his image. What remains is the manifestation of this in our daily lives. The readings of today provide indications that could help us in this wise.

                First, we have to give a listening/docile ear to the message of Jesus’ parables about the kingdom of heaven as given in today’s gospel reading. Through the parables of the hidden treasure and the precious pearl, Jesus describes the supreme value of the kingdom of heaven and the attitude believers should have, if they are to attain it. The treasure is the kingdom of heaven, the reign of God, that is finding out what is God’s will in our lives and doing it. It is discovering the proper vocation of communion with God and the love of our neighbours. It is also the realization that we belong to God, that we are cherished and cared for, that we have been called to commit ourselves to the noblest values of the human heart.  The reign of God is the fulfilment of our deepest desires and our most cherished hopes. Nothing in the world can compare with it, and that is why we should be willing to sacrifice in joy everything to attain it. The treasure we find is really a gift that is given. We can neither work to attain the kingdom, nor earn it any way. It is given to us by God; all we have to contribute is to accept it. It is given out of God’s generosity as was in the case of Solomon of today’s first reading. God invites him to ask for whatever he would like. One could hold that the kingdom of heaven is ours for the asking. Unfortunately, we do not do so as we do not always recognize and appreciate its value. It is when the treasure, as the reign of God, is dominant in our lives that we can boast of confirming ourselves to the image of Christ as Paul would exhort in today’s second reading. 

            What will also help us confirm ourselves to the image of Christ is to share the treasure we have discovered. We should follow Solomon’s example in the first reading. Having been given the opportunity to choose any blessing he might desire, Solomon chose to be of service to others. We have discovered the treasure in the   field and found the pearl of great price; we have been blessed with the kingdom of God through our baptism. What we have been given, we must now share with others. We can be assured that it will be with us as it was with Solomon. In giving we will lose nothing. In fact, we gain an abundance of blessings. All things work for good and God is glorified in all. May we, therefore, pray in the Eucharistic celebration of this Sunday for the grace to have the treasures of the kingdom of heaven manifest in our lives and be enthused to propagate the same treasure in our circumstances of lives: in our families, places of work, among colleagues and associates, etc. Happy Sunday! +John I. Okoye

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