The Catholic Calendar for Wednesday, July 28, 2004
Wednesday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time

Scripture from Wednesday’s Liturgy of the Word:
Jeremiah 15:10; 16-21
Psalm 59:2-4, 10-11, 17-18
Matthew 13:44-46

A reflection on today’s Sacred Scripture:

The reign of God is like a buried treasure. . . (Matthew 13:44)

To gain anything of value takes time and effort. Earning a college degree, building a happy marriage, raising children, developing a career, even growing old gracefully -- none of these happen by accident. They must be sought after, require hard work, and attained through sacrifices. We’re not as apt to value other things costing us nothing. Receiving too much too cheaply, causes our holding nothing in esteem.

Of all those things that we are called on to do in a lifetime, the most valuable and difficult to gain is the forming of lasting, loving relationships. Too few realize that the reign of God, His most precious gift to humanity that He desires us to seek and find, is His love given to us in the Person of Jesus Christ. It is Christ in His self-sacrificing act who has shown us how much God loves us; and in so doing, He’s also showing that it’s in our giving of self to others that we stand to make the greatest gains in this life.

In today’s Gospel, those who found God’s treasure, sold all they had of this life’s goods so that they might bring God’s reign of love, joy, peace, justice and truth into a world starved for want of Him.

O generous Redeemer,
grant us the grace
to forfeit the perishable goods of this world
that we may open our hearts
to receive your true, eternal treasure. Amen.

- Marie Bocko, OCDS
(mlbocko at borg dot com)

____________________

These meditations are also available by email subscription
©1986-2004 The Way, The Truth, The Life

posted by joachim at 4:12 AM