(1 Kings 3:5-6a,7-12; Psalm 119; Romans 8:28-30; Matthew 13:44-52)

One of the strongest memories I have from my teenage years is when I was punished for being cheeky to my Grandad. I, like many teenagers thought that I was clever and had given him some backchat which obviously upset him enough to let my Dad know. My Dad made sure I knew never to do such a thing again. The wonderful thing about this episode was that my Grandad never held it against me, he continued to love me and look after me. When I moved in with my grandparents a couple of years later, he spent a lot of time looking out for me, and nothing ever appeared to be too much trouble.

Now that I am a grandfather myself, I try to have the same patience and realise that at times it is really difficult. This helps me to have an even deeper appreciation of how wonderful all of my grandparents were. The memories I have of them are treasures, which I hold onto with great fondness.

In the Gospel today we hear Jesus talk to us about how the kingdom of heaven being like a treasure hidden in a field which a man finds and wants to keep for himself, so he covers it up and hides it allowing him the time to sell everything he has to then purchase the field. He also describes heaven as being a fine pearl, which again the one who finds it sells everything he has to acquire it.

The message here is that getting to heaven is the purpose of our life. None of the possessions we have or the titles or honours we receive in our lifetime matter if we do not find the treasure; which is the kingdom of heaven.

We see a close link to this in our first reading, when King Solomon, in a dream, is given the choice of a gift from God. He did not choose long life or earthly riches or power over his enemies, instead he sought a discerning mind; one that would help him to understand and serve his people. If only we had leaders like that nowadays. Solomon was given a mind which could determine what was important and how other people think.

In the second reading St Paul is telling us that we, who have been called to be brothers and sisters of Christ, are also predestined to be conformed to the image of Christ. The closer we can be to Christ the more like him, we become. This reading concludes by reminding us that we who have been predestined, have been called, those who have been called are justified and those who are justified will be glorified. God’s promise to us, is that if we love God and follow his commandments then we will be like Jesus and live in the kingdom of heaven for ever. Jesus tells us how this will happen in the Gospel, “at the end of the age, the angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace.” Just like in the Gospel last week, the evil (the weeds) are taken away from the good and taken to their fate. The righteous are taken for their reward.

I started today by remembering my grandparents. Today the Church recognises the Sixth World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly. It falls on the Feast Day for St Joachim and St Anne, the grandparents of Jesus. In his message for this day Pope Leo XIV wrote, “The celebration of the World Day of Grandparents and the Elderly is an opportunity to rediscover that the Church is called to be a mother to all and that at any age it is always possible to recognize ourselves as sons and daughters of God. May this day, therefore, be an inspiration for everyone, especially the young, to revive the beautiful custom of visiting their grandparents, the elderly members of the family and even those who have no one to visit them. Bring them, through this message and your presence, the closeness and affection of the Pope. Ensure that the words of the prophet, “But I will never forget you,” take the form of a tender and affectionate encounter”.

In these days when many of us live far from where we grew up, it is not always possible to visit our elderly relatives. But modern technology gives us a way to keep in touch and to tell them we still remember them, we still love them. The Holy Father is inviting us to renew that bond between the generations; he is asking us to keep alive the words of the prophet Isaiah “But I will never forget you.”  Today on this day dedicated to Grandparents and the Elderly, may we take up his encouragement and make contact with at least one elderly person or a grandparent. Especially if we are aware of people who live alone or who are in a Care setting. In this way we can build up treasure which matters for our journey towards the kingdom; which is more valuable than all of the jewels and pearls in the world.

Further Reading

The Catechism of the Catholic Church

Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

CCC 407: cannot ignore wound of sin in discerning human situation
CCC 1777-1785: moral decision making in rapport with God’s will
CCC 1786-1789: seeking will of God in divine law in difficult circumstances
CCC 1038-1041: separation of good and evil at Judgment
CCC 1037: God predestines no one to hell[1]

Please accompany in your prayers

  • All those who are sick, either at home or in hospital, especially those who have very few or no visitors.
  • Those who have died and those who grieve for them.
  • The success of the Pastoral Area Mission Plan.
  • Those struggling with addiction.
  • The grandparents and elderly in our Community and those older relatives who helped to form us.

David, Arianna and J

[1] Homiletic Directory, Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments