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Master·evangeli.net

Today's Gospel + short theological explanation

Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)
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Gospel text (Mt 13:44-52): Jesus said to his disciples: "The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field, which a person finds and hides again, and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls. When he finds a pearl of great price, he goes and sells all that he has and buys it..."

Parables of the "treasure" and the "pearl" (the God's Kingdom)

Fr. Enric CASES i Martín (Barcelona, Spain)

Today, Matthew places two parables about the Kingdom of Heaven for us to ponder over. The announcement of the Kingdom is of essence in Jesus' preaching. We can find only in the good thief, hung in a cross along with him, the comprehension Jesus requests when he recognizes Jesus as the King of a Kingdom that will come after that terrible death. It could only be a spiritual Kingdom.

Jesus speaks of the Kingdom as of a hidden treasure, the finding of which causes the finder a great joy and impels him to buy the field to be able to enjoy it forever. But, at the same time, to reach the Kingdom it is necessary to look for it with yearning and effort, to the point of selling all one may have: the pearl that acquires he who has given up everything and has accepted to lose everything.

—The Kingdom is peace, justice and liberty. To reach It is, at the same time, a gift from God and a human responsibility.