17th Sunday in Ordinary Time- A
Once a priest asked his parishioners saying, "Is there anyone here who does not have an enemy at all?" Please remember even great people had enemies and if you do not have one, please raise your hands". Nobody did and then one older woman of 95, raised her hand and the priest invited her to the front and after everyone clapped hands for her, he asked, "how come you did not have any enemy at all" And she said, "I outlived all those stupid people".
It's our choices that show who we are , far more than our abilities. As we make good choices in life, we enjoy life more and come to realize the purpose of life too.
We are here for a reason and purpose and as we make good choices in life, we come to know the divine reason for why God created us.
We all know that famous story of St. Thomas Aquinas who had a vision as he prayed to God. Jesus who appeared to him said, "Thomas, you wrote well of me and now ask for anything and I will give it to you". Thomas could have asked for wealth, could have asked for fame and riches instead he asked Christ saying, "Da mihi te ipsum" means 'give me yourself" Yes, by asking Christ Himself, he got it all.
Asking Christ Himself is the best choice in life and as we have Christ with us, everything else will come to us. Yes, He is our ultimate goal and after reaching Him, we have nothing to achieve at all.
Today's reading, the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night and said, "Ask what I should give you". Solomon who praised and thanked God for all the things that happened to him said, "Give me your servant wisdom to govern your people". As he got understanding and wisdom, he got it all. Solomon made the best choice asking for wisdom and asking for understanding.
It's our choices that make who we are, more than our abilities.
As we choose right things, we will live. God gave the opportunity to choose between life and death; light and darkness; between happiness and misery and unfortunately our parents Adam and Eve chose death and darkness and misery and pain.
But our Lord Jesus Christ reversed everything and brought life and light; unending happiness and joy to us all. He says that the kingdom of God is like a hidden treasure and as we leave behind unwanted and worldly things and reach that treasure, then we can say that we make a very good choice in life.
It's our choices that show who we are, far more than our abilities.
As a woman who was a widow and poor was getting help from the parish, the parish priest visited her. While he was talking to her about her situation and her son who moved to the big city and was making very good money. The woman said, "I am so proud of my son and he writes every week and also sends me a picture". The pastor said, "I loved to see those pictures thinking they were family pictures". The old widow showed him a bible stuffed with pictures of Benjamin Franklin. Those are $100 bills, in case you missed it. The son tried to help his mother, but she missed the treasure.
The kingdom of God is like a net that was thrown into the see and caught fish of every kind and we should know how to choose good fish and throw away the bad and make the kingdom of heaven grow.
It's about choices that show who we are, far more than our abilities. Let us make good choices and make the kingdom of heaven grow and manifest in and through us. Amen.
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