Homily 17th Sunday Ordinary A Today, we celebrate the Seventeenth Sunday in the Ordinary Time. This Sunday is very special because I have to make the official announcement about my leave next month. I have just received a new assignment from Bishop Soto who has appointed me Parochial Vicar of Holy Trinity Parish in Eldorado Hills beginning September 1, 2020. I know that many of you might be sad and disappointed, but I want you to accept that new assignment with faith as God’s will. God must have his mysterious plan for me and for the faithful of the new parish where He’s sending me. We still have one month to be together and share the joy of the Gospel as brothers and sisters of Christ. In my homily today, I’ll focus on two main points.
Like Solomon, let us ask for God’s wisdom
Today’s First Reading begins in a very interesting way. God tells Solomon to ask Him anything he wants. And surprisingly, in his request, Solomon does not ask for wealth, money, power, dominance, or long life (longevity). But, the only things he asks are wisdom and an understanding heart: “
Give your servant O Lord an understanding heart to judge your people and to distinguish right from wrong; to distinguish good from evil.” The Lord God was pleased that Solomon asked for an understanding heart instead of for long life or riches. For with such a request, God can work miracles. As they say, “
All things work for good for those who love God.” And the Book of Proverbs says, “
How much better to acquire wisdom than gold! To acquire understanding is more desirable than silver.” Just think of the possible gifts Solomon could have asked for, he chose to ask for wisdom. So the question today is: if you were Solomon, what would you ask for? I know that some of us would have asked for more cars, houses, money, power, and dominance on our neighbors. Solomon asked for what was essential in his life as a new and young King. And you, what is essential in your life? What do you really need you want to ask God today? Let us focus on what seems essential to us now; like for example in this difficult time of pandemic, asking for God’s intelligence to inspire the scientists to find quickly the vaccine against coronavirus, so we can all come back to our normal life. Let us imitate Solomon to ask wisdom and understanding of heart, to have fear of God and sins. As the Book of Sirach says, “
He who keeps the law controls his impulses. He who is perfect in fear of the Lord has wisdom.” Let us ask for God’s Wisdom, which is a Person: Jesus Christ of Nazareth. He is the Eternal Wisdom that came from God the Father. Whoever opens his heart to receive Jesus in his life will have within him true Wisdom ever greater than “
wisdom” of Solomon. Let us pray that the Holy Spirit give us the gift of discernment, as our guide in making wise decisions in our life.
My second point is an invitation to all of us to find in Jesus our genuine Treasure and happiness
In his dynamic of proclaiming the kingdom of God, today, Jesus gives us two new parables in which He compares the kingdom of God to a treasure buried in a field, which a person finds and hides again, or to a merchant searching for fine pearls. In comparing the reign of God to the merchant, Jesus shows us God’s priorities. In comparing it to the buried treasure, He asks us what our priorities are. Solomon, choosing wisdom over wealth in the first reading, models a truly biblical scale of values. The desire of Solomon is what characterizes the heart of the man who, in today’s parable, sells all he has to buy the treasure-bearing field. The desire of Solomon to have wisdom and good discernment is what sets apart the merchant who, in the other parable, risks his whole livelihood to buy what he judges to be the “
pearl of great price.” One of the specificity of these two men is the fact they made good investment after finding the treasure or the pearl of great value. In other words, these two parables are an invitation to us to follow in the footsteps of these two men, to have wisdom and an understanding heart able to make good decisions in our life. For Jesus is the hidden treasure or the pearl of great value we, as Christians, are seeking in our pilgrimage on earth, and in our journey of faith. Once we have found Jesus, we have to be in that same disposal of spirit to go and sell everything we had before, and to hide that treasure cautiously in the safe of our heart, so no one can come steal it and take it away from us. When we have found Jesus in our life, we have to detach ourselves from all our old and perishable possessions to make Jesus be our preference. Saint Francis of Assisi made the choice of Jesus as his preference. By renouncing all earthly possessions, he discovered how much he possessed and shared with all of God’s creatures. Mother Teresa also made the choice of Jesus as her preference. She dedicated her whole life to Jesus, living in poverty of heart, by serving the poor. As Saint Augustine said, “
To fall in love with God is the greatest romance; to seek Him the greatest adventure; to find Him the greatest human achievement.” To make the choice of Jesus, we don’t need to be a priest or as Sister Carmelite. But, Jesus’ message is for everybody. As they say, “
The Sun of Jesus’ salvation and grace shines for everybody.” As a spouse in your matrimonial life; as a parent or a child in your family; as a parishioner of Saint Patrick of Placerville and Saint James of Georgetown, Jesus is calling you personally to make him be your choice, to make him be your preference. Making the choice of Jesus is making the best investment for your life. In the Insurance Companies, there is an option called “
Comprehensive Insurance or All Risk Insurance”. When you buy a new car or a house, the Comprehensive Insurance or All Risk Insurance covers you for everything. It’s more expensive, but in case of problem, you’ll be less anxious. To give you another example, 6 years ago, when I was living in France, my Bank Advisor made me some interesting proposals about Savings. This Saving Deal was called “
Saving Plan For Housing (SPFH)”. It was interesting, but what Jesus proposes today is better than the
Comprehensive Insurance Plan or
the Saving Plan For Housing. Today, Jesus gives us the best investment plan to be, called “
Saving Plan For Everlasting Life (SPFEL).” No one else in the world will guaranty you such a plan, but Jesus alone. To apply for that SPFEL Plan, there is no paperwork to sign for. The only thing to do is to choose Jesus in your life, to make Him be your Preference, and to take up your daily cross and follow Him. For Jesus is our safety. He is our Shield, our Stronghold, our Savior and our Hope. Saint Therese of the Child Jesus found in Jesus her unique treasure. In one of her prayers she says, “
O Jesus, You my unique and genuine treasure, I abandon all my life to your whim because you are the only treasure that fulfills my soul.” Today, let us make the choice of Jesus because He is the only treasure able to fulfill our lives and souls.
Rev. Pepin W. F. DANDOU Georgetown, CA July 24, 2020.