30th July, 2017 - 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time
1 Kgs 3: 5, 7-12; Rom 8: 28-30; Mt 13: 44-52
Have you lived these moments:
- Someone defrauds you and takes away from you whatever you have, though it might not have been much, but that is all what you had! You let go of it, for you have no other go.
- Someone requests you for a help and you render it most willingly, only to later come to know that the person never deserved that help, or the person actually has been exploiting you! You shrug your shoulder and go your way.
- Someone is in dire need and you very generously lend a hand; but as soon as the person got to a better state of affairs, the person turns indifferent to you. You begin to wonder, why on earth in the first place, did you choose to help! Anyway, you did what you did, you would do it further too.
- Someone whom you know is against you or has no corner soft in his or her heart for you, but you continue to do good, help out and remain charitable, however feeling bad that nothing returns. You keep doing it anyway.
Have you lived an experience of this nature? Can there be a rational explanation for these ...however hard you try they will only remain empty excuses. But the world considers foolish what these persons consider valuable whereas, that which matters the least to these, matters the most to the world. The choice of Solomon, the attitude that St. Paul speaks of and the act of the man Jesus speaks of in the parable, they are of this kind. They seem to be losers in the eyes of the world. But in fact they gain something that the world knows nothing about, even if it knows it values it for nothing!
It is like that girl about whom the story is narrated - the girl who was asked to choose whatever she wishes in the palace of the king. Whatever she touched, it was told, would belong to her. While everyone else with her was running helter skelter touching what they could imagine was precious, this girl stood her ground filled with thoughts. They asked her, 'haven't you made your choice?' She said, 'in fact I have and walked up to the king and held his hand'. What could be more precious than the king in the palace of the king - she became the crown princess!
We may have everything, but if we lack God on our side, soon we will feel the emptiness all around. When we choose God we choose everything! What do you choose?
Have you lived these moments:
- Someone defrauds you and takes away from you whatever you have, though it might not have been much, but that is all what you had! You let go of it, for you have no other go.
- Someone requests you for a help and you render it most willingly, only to later come to know that the person never deserved that help, or the person actually has been exploiting you! You shrug your shoulder and go your way.
- Someone is in dire need and you very generously lend a hand; but as soon as the person got to a better state of affairs, the person turns indifferent to you. You begin to wonder, why on earth in the first place, did you choose to help! Anyway, you did what you did, you would do it further too.
- Someone whom you know is against you or has no corner soft in his or her heart for you, but you continue to do good, help out and remain charitable, however feeling bad that nothing returns. You keep doing it anyway.
Have you lived an experience of this nature? Can there be a rational explanation for these ...however hard you try they will only remain empty excuses. But the world considers foolish what these persons consider valuable whereas, that which matters the least to these, matters the most to the world. The choice of Solomon, the attitude that St. Paul speaks of and the act of the man Jesus speaks of in the parable, they are of this kind. They seem to be losers in the eyes of the world. But in fact they gain something that the world knows nothing about, even if it knows it values it for nothing!
It is like that girl about whom the story is narrated - the girl who was asked to choose whatever she wishes in the palace of the king. Whatever she touched, it was told, would belong to her. While everyone else with her was running helter skelter touching what they could imagine was precious, this girl stood her ground filled with thoughts. They asked her, 'haven't you made your choice?' She said, 'in fact I have and walked up to the king and held his hand'. What could be more precious than the king in the palace of the king - she became the crown princess!
We may have everything, but if we lack God on our side, soon we will feel the emptiness all around. When we choose God we choose everything! What do you choose?