17^th Sunday in O.T. (A); July 30, 2017

1 Kgs 3:5,7-12   Ps 119   Rom 8:28-30   Mt 13:44-52

Deacon Jim McFadden; (New) Folsom Prison

 

The Swedish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard once said , “The saint’s life is about one thing.” He didn’t mean that a saint’s life would be a monotonous existence—“been there, done that” type of lifestyle. Rather, he meant that a truly holy person whose life is fully integrated and whose heart is rightly ordered to the Good is simply grounded in what is really Real.

What is your “one thing”? What is your ultimate concern? That’s the question that was posed to King Solomon in our first reading. Solomon, the successor to his father King David, began his reign by offering God a solemn sacrifice. Then the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night and was told, “Ask something of me and I will give it to you” (1 Kgs 3:5). Here we see the greatness of Solomon appear. He did not ask for a long life, more wealth, elimination of his enemies. Instead, he said to the Lord, “Give your servant…an understanding heart to judge your people and to distinguish right from wrong” (v. 9). Of all the things that Solomon could have asked for, he asked for “an understanding heart.” That’s what was so important to Solomon that nothing else would trump. What would you say if you heard that invitation?

The 1991 film City Slickers, starring Billy Crystal explores this question in a fascinating, cinematic way. The adventure begins in the heart of New York City, where a thoroughly urbanized, stressed out, and jaded executive is struggling to find meaning in his life. His two best friends have the perfect cure: a “fantasy vacation” where they can be cowboys on a real-life cattle drive.

The drive is lead by a delightful, no-nonsense, in-your-face cowboy by the name of ‘Curly,’ played by Jack Palance, who played the bad-guy in Shane. On the trail, Mitch asks Curly, who seems to have things together, “What is life about?”

            Curly’s reply was, “None of you city slickers get it. You know what the secret of life is?” He then raises his index finger. “What? Your finger,” the perplexed Mitch replies.

“One thing. Just one thing. You stick with that and everything else means “rubbish” (not the exact word, but you get the point).

Raising his index-finger, the Crystal character asks, “What is the one thing?” to which Curly responds, “That’s for you to figure out.”

            Brothers, have you figured it out? Would you ask for “an understanding heart?” You may be asking,  what do those simple words mean? We know in the Bible that the ‘heart’ is not only a physical part of the body, but also the center of the person: it’s the foundation from which all the person’s intentions, priorities, and commitments flow from. And, what you really value is where your heart will be. It’s important that you get this right because the meaning of your life, the joy you experience, the realization of your destiny hinges where your heart is, on this “one thing.”

In today’s Gospel readings Matthew continues his reflection on the Kingdom of God, which is at the heart of Jesus’ teachings and preaching. These two small masterpieces are the parables of the treasure hidden in the field and of the pearl of great value. They tell us that the discovery of the Kingdom of God can happen suddenly like the farmer who, ploughing finds an unexpected treasure; or after a long search, like the pearl merchant who eventually finds the most precious pearl after so much searching.

What both parables have in common is that the treasure and the pearl are worth more than any other possession we may have. Given that, when the farmer and merchant discover them, they give up everything in order to obtain them. They don’t need to weigh the pros or cons, to think about it, to deliberate whether it’s worth it. No, they’ve discovered what ultimately important, what the ultimate Good is, and they let go of any world attachments. When you’ve discovered Life, why would you give yourself to something less?

And, what is Life? What is the perfect revelation of the Kingdom of God? It’s not a thing; it’s not an idea. It’s a person: Jesus. And, the gateway to Jesus is the Gospel, which allows you to connect and know the real Jesus. Through the Gospel Jesus will speak to your heart and he will change your life. And, when you open the door of your heart to Jesus, you will leave everything behind.

We do have a choice: we can either change our lifestyle or continue to live as we’ve done before. But, if you’ve encountered Jesus, you have become some else. You are reborn into his resurrected Life; you have found what gives your life ultimate meaning, what give light to your darkness, what gives richness to all aspects of your existence: even to the toil of prison life, even to suffering, and even to death. Nothing else can do the same.

Brothers, everything takes on meaning when you find your treasure in the Gospel. Jesus calls this treasure “the Kingdom of God,” that is the intersection of your choice and the Father’s will. When that happens, then God will reign in your life. God will be in your life. God will be the source of love, joy, and peace in your life and in all your brothers and sisters.

This is what God wants for you. He wants it to such a degree that Jesus, the only begotten Son of the Father, gave himself to death on the cross so that you may have eternal life; He died for you to free us from the power of darkness and move us into the Kingdom of Life, of beauty, of goodness, of joy. To read the Gospel, to allow the Word to transform you, is to find Jesus and to share in his Christian joy, which is a gift of the Holy Spirit.

My dear brothers, I hope you have found the joy of the Kingdom of God which will shine through you to others. I hope you will “sell” everything in your life to have this treasure, this pearl of great price. And, as you do, you will patiently put Gospel values into practice, thereby contributing to justice and peace in this troubled prison.

Let us ask the Virgin Mary, the seat of Wisdom, to help us in this endeavor. Mary is the Mother of God and therefore she is the Mother of the Church. She is our Mother. So, through her example and through her intercession, she leads us into a deeper relationship with her Son. Mary always said “Yes” to God’s will.   May we do the same. Amen.