Parables Of The Hidden Treasure And The Pearl

JULY 27, 2022, WEDNESDAY
Wednesday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time (Green)
CYCLE C - YEAR II
Lectionary: 403

Reading 1
Jer 15:10, 16-21

Woe to me, mother, that you gave me birth!
a man of strife and contention to all the land!
I neither borrow nor lend,
yet all curse me.
When I found your words, I devoured them;
they became my joy and the happiness of my heart,
Because I bore your name,
O LORD, God of hosts.
I did not sit celebrating
in the circle of merrymakers;
Under the weight of your hand I sat alone
because you filled me with indignation.
Why is my pain continuous,
my wound incurable, refusing to be healed?
You have indeed become for me a treacherous brook,
whose waters do not abide!
Thus the LORD answered me:
If you repent, so that I restore you,
in my presence you shall stand;
If you bring forth the precious without the vile,
you shall be my mouthpiece.
Then it shall be they who turn to you,
and you shall not turn to them;
And I will make you toward this people
a solid wall of brass.
Though they fight against you,
they shall not prevail,
For I am with you,
to deliver and rescue you, says the LORD.
I will free you from the hand of the wicked,
and rescue you from the grasp of the violent.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 59:2-3, 4, 10-11, 17, 18

R. (17d) God is my refuge on the day of distress.

Rescue me from my enemies, O my God;
from my adversaries defend me.
Rescue me from evildoers;
from bloodthirsty men save me.

R. God is my refuge on the day of distress.

For behold, they lie in wait for my life;
mighty men come together against me,
Not for any offense or sin of mine, O LORD.

R. God is my refuge on the day of distress.

O my strength! for you I watch;
for you, O God, are my stronghold,
As for my God, may his mercy go before me;
may he show me the fall of my foes.

R. God is my refuge on the day of distress.

But I will sing of your strength
and revel at dawn in your mercy;
You have been my stronghold,
my refuge in the day of distress.

R. God is my refuge on the day of distress.

O my strength! your praise will I sing;
for you, O God, are my stronghold,
my merciful God!

R. God is my refuge on the day of distress.

Alleluia
Jn 15:15b

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

I call you my friends, says the Lord,
for I have made known to you all that the Father has told me.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel
Mt 13:44-46

Jesus said to his disciples:
"The Kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field,
which a person finds and hides again,
and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
Again, the Kingdom of heaven is like a merchant
searching for fine pearls.
When he finds a pearl of great price,
he goes and sells all that he has and buys it."

GOSPEL REFLECTION:

Imagine the reaction of the person who finds the hidden treasure in this parable, how their heart must have leapt to find it! Their whole life is turned around; for the first time in their life they have hope that things will be better. They can’t wait to tell their family; but know they have to keep the treasure a secret until they have bought the field. But the person’s family will notice the change in them and wonder what good news has got hold of them.

The kingdom is a treasure as precious as the finest of pearls. It should be our greatest and most important possession. It means that my values are the values of God. Is that how I see it? Would anyone know?

PRAYER:

Lord, you talk of the joy of discovery. That is the sign that I have found your treasure, a deep happiness that nothing can separate me from you.

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