Homily For Wednesday Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time Year B, 2nd August, 2023.

Readings: Ex. 34:29-35; Ps. 99; Matt 13:44-46

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

 

WHAT ARE YOU SEARCHING FOR IN THIS PASSING WORLD?

 

From the day we were born still the day we die, our life can be liked to one who is searching for something so precious like a treasure. And at the point of death it appears as if one has found all he or she has been searching and looking for, and then sells all he or she has inform of abandoning all we have in this world in order to buy that which we have found. Thus, today we are called to reflect on what should be that precious and ultimate treasure.

 

So, in the Gospel passage today, Jesus used two parables to describe to the people that the kingdom of God is the greatest and ultimate treasure anyone can and should acquire. He said to them: the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field which someone has found; he hides it again, goes off happy, sells everything he owns and buys the field. Again he said, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls; when he finds one of great value he goes and sells everything he owns and buys it.

 

Here, the parables describe the kingdom of God as the ultimate treasure that cannot be compared to anything whatsoever we have in this world. Though the kingdom is open for all but not all can be suitable to dwell in it, only those who on the judgement day are found suitable can be admitted into the kingdom. Using these parables Jesus explains what the kingdom of heaven is like and what we need to do in order to acquire it. The essence of these parables is to remind us that the kingdom of heaven is so precious and great, that it is worth more than our entire life and our worldly possessions and treasures.

 

Therefore, we must do all that it takes to ensure that we acquire it, losing it over the temporal worldly pleasure, fame, power and influence of the things of this passing world will be complete foolishness. For none of them last forever and what good is it for us to gain the whole world but loses our soul out of God’s kingdom. For it is the glory of this kingdom that made the skin on the face of Moses in our first reading to shone so much that the people of Israel would  not dear to near him.

 

Dear friends, what are you searching for in this passing world? What is your ultimate treasure in this life? How many of us are paying attention to this ultimate heavenly treasure? How many of us thinks and search for this ultimate treasure of our souls? For one thing brought us into this world and there is only one thing we can leave in this world and there is only one thing we can take away from this world as our ultimate treasure, that is Love. Yes, Love is our ultimate treasure and as we know God is Love.

 

So,  how many of us desires to personally discover God in our life? How I wish we will understand the shortness of this life, the emptiness of this passing world and the danger of losing our soul out of greediness for the things of this passing world. Then, we will sincerely desire to experience God personally, because in him lies the  greatest and ultimate treasure of life. And discovering God personally in our lives is the greatest treasure anyone can ever have. Remember, God is Love, have you discovered Love? Then you have discovered God and his Kingdom.

 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, the world is full of distractions from false treasures, give us a wise and discerning hearts in order to give up all our attachment to worldly possessions in pursue of True Love the heavenly and ultimate treasure of your kingdom. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Peace be with you.