Seventeenth Sunday of the Year: A: July 26, 2026

 THE HIDDEN TREASURERS OF THE KINGDOM: Discovery of Faith

Introduction: The theme of today's liturgy is the necessity of having Wisdom in life situations. Having Wisdom can mean to make the right choice at the right time. Successful people in the world around us make investments and inventions at the right time to reap rich benefits. If this is true of worldly wisdom, it is much more so in the case heavenly Wisdom. We ought to search for the most precious possessions and when we find it, we should work whole heartedly to obtain it. In today's Gospel Jesus makes us aware of the necessity of possessing the Kingdom of God through three parables. There is nothing more precious than to be part of the Kingdom of God and we are urged to leave everything to possess that precious gift. 

First Reading: 1Kings 3: 5 and 7 to 12

Second Reading: Romans 8: 28 to 30

Gospel Reading: Matthew 13: 44 to 52

   *First reading is from the first book of Kings. A detailed narration about the Wisdom of God is given. The Lord God is very pleased with King Solomon. He is ready to grant favours that the king is looking for. Solomon humbles himself before the Lord God. He requests the Lord to grant him the Wisdom that he may know what is right and wrong. Solomon makes the right choice by asking for discernment from the Lord God so that he is able to rule wisely his people. He rightly realizes the relative values of the things of this world. 

   *Second reading is from the letter of St. Paul to Romans. Paul gives a comforting message to the Christian community at Rome: All things in life - the painful and difficult ones as well as happy ones - work for good. He encourages us and tells us that God enables us to love Him wholeheartedly. Thus we become God's beloved and He protects us and blesses us in all things in life. 

The parables of the Kingdom                                                           Today's Gospel reading is from St. Matthew. Jesus instructs us through three parables about the Kingdom of God. 1. Jesus compares the Kingdom of God to a treasure hidden in a field. By chance, a person finds it and he goes and sells all that he has and purchases that field. Hence, possessing the Kingdom of God is of more value than anything we have and we must make every effort to obtain it. 2. Jesus compares the Kingdom of God to a merchant in search of precious pearls. After much search, finally he finds one of great value. He sells all that he has and buys that precious pearl. Again, Jesus suggest that the Kingdom of God is the finest and most valuable of all possessions in the world. Hence, we must make every effort to possess it. 3. Jesus compares the Kingdom of God to a net cast into the sea. Both good and bad fish are caught in that net. When the net is brought ashore, useful ones are collected into baskets. However, the useless ones are thrown back into the sea. Jesus warns us that it will be so at the end of times. The good and the bad will be separated. The Lord allows everyone to come into His presence but those found unworthy (useless ones) will be left out of the Kingdom. In this context D. A. Carson says: "Kingdom of heaven is worth infinitely more than the cost of discipleship and those who know where the treasure lies joyfully abandon everything else to secure it." 

Conclusion: The three parables of the Kingdom graphically explain to us the different ways of discovering faith: By chance, by diligent search and by careful discernment. Hence, the discovery of faith is a wonderful experience like finding a treasure in a field, searching for precious pearl or even like casting a net into a field. 

May the Lord Jesus, who instructs us through the parables of the Kingdom, bless you and guide you in your faith journeys. Amen. 

(Kindly note: Sunday Reflections with Fr. Joy Joseph is available on YouTube. Please view, like, share and subscribe to the video version on YouTube. "YouTube/Sunday Reflections with Fr. Joy Joseph, July 26, 2026. Thanks.)