17th Sunday in Ordinary Time. July 30, 2017 [Matthew 13:44-52]
“…out of joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field (Mat 13:44).”
From today’s parables, we learn that Jesus appreciates human labor, the use of technology, and economic activities. The parables speak of men buying and selling land, merchants making transactions, and fisher folk catching and selecting the fish. Yet, the appreciation comes with a particular condition: the activities have to be honest and just.
I used to question why the man in the parable has to buy the land first before he takes the hidden treasure. He could have taken the treasure away even without buying the land. I realize that the buried treasure might be in a massive quantity that to unearth it requires a lot of effort, but it is also something to do with a right ownership. In ancient times, burying or hiding one’s wealth is not uncommon, especially in time of war and chaos. The treasure must have been hidden for a long period of time and the original owners are no longer alive to claim it. It also does not belong to the current landowner because he is oblivious to its presence in his land. Thus, by selling everything he has, and buying the field, he wants to make sure that he becomes the rightful owner of the land and all that is in it.
The second parable speaks of a merchant, and being a merchant is a profession that many people hate in ancient Israel. They do not like merchants because this work is susceptible to deceit and dishonesty. Yet, today’s parable gives us a merchant who is willing to sell everything he has, just to buy the fine pearl. It is a risky and even dangerous move since he is left with nothing and a serious possibility that he will not profit from the rare pearl, but instead employing some illegal tricks, he makes sure that he will become a true owner of that precious gem.
To be involved in various kinds of economic activities and works is not only necessary for human survival but also part of God’s plan for our flourishing. Our intellectual capacity that God gives empowers us to create professions that do not only sustain our lives, but also build up human society and even the Kingdom of God. With the advances of science and technology, new occupations that did not exist ten years ago now are part of our daily lives. IT experts, software developers and men and women working in robotic industries are few examples of these. Yet, traditional works remain essential. Teachers, farmers, fishermen, business men and women, and many others are still the backbone of healthy society. Jesus appreciates all of this.
One thing, however, that corrupts this human capacity to work is greed, an inordinate passion to gain more profit at the expense of others. One of the basic economic laws is the principle of efficiency, that is to get the maximum benefit with minimum amount of resources. This law is balanced by the principle of equity, that is to distribute the economic prosperity fairly among the members of the society. Unfortunately, greed destroys this balance and corrupts people to sacrifice other people and nature just to gain more profit. Jesus calls us not only to be involved in the economic activities, but also to uphold honesty and justice. Only with these two virtues, do we find true satisfaction in labor and contribute to the greater good of society, and in fact, give glory God.
Br. Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP
From the several parables that Jesus tells us in today’s Gospel, we learn that Jesus is keen on how nature works. He observes how seeds of wheat and weed grow, and how the yeast would affect the dough in the process of baking. Jesus also is observant of human ingenuity in working with nature for the benefit of the human community. Men and women till the land, are observant to the cycle of nature, sow the well-prepared seeds, take care of the growth and then harvest the result for the good of community. The use of yeast for baking is a very ancient method of cooking. Women would place yeast in dough, and the microorganism would interact with the carbohydrate in the flour, creating carbon dioxide, and as an effect, the leaven dough would expand. Though unleavened bread will last longer, this yeast would make the bread softer and tastier, making it more enjoyable for human consumption.
Yoke is a device, usually of wood, placed on the shoulder of animals or persons to carry a burden. In agricultural settings, a yoke is used to pull a plow to make a furrow on the ground so that the soil will be ready for the seed planting. But, a yoke can be used also to drag a cart and transport various goods. Because its primary function is to carry a load or burden, a yoke turns to be a symbol of responsibility, hard work, and obligation. In our seminary in Manila, a leader among the brothers is called a decano. In the beginning of the formation year, we elect our decano, and as he assumes his responsibility, he ceremonially receives a wooden yoke from the outgoing decano. The yoke reminds him of responsibility and great task that he has to endure through the year.
When God calls us, God does not only call us privately and individually. In the Bible, God also calls us with our family, our community. God created the first man and woman not only to complete each other, but also to “multiply” or to build a human family. Noah entered the ark together with his wife and children. They were saved as a family from the flood. Abraham and Sarah were called from the land of Ur, and establish their own family and clan in the land of Canaan. When God called Moses to deliver the Israelites from slavery, God also called Aaron and Miriam, Moses’ brother and sister, to assist him in his mission. Finally, the life of Jesus of Nazareth would not be complete without the family of Mary and Joseph of Nazareth.
St. Francis of Assisi once said, “Preach the Gospel all time. When necessary, use words.” He correctly points out that preaching is not only the job of the priests in the pulpit, or lay preachers in the prayer meetings. Preaching the Gospel is the mission of all of us. The preaching can happen in the family, as we show our children the meaning of true love, fidelity and respect. Preaching can take place in our workplaces as we uphold honesty, hard work, and dedication. Preaching may manifest in our daily life as we do justice, service to the needy, and kindness to our neighbors.
Eating is essential to our life. Nobody would deny that eating is a matter of life and death, but there is always significant different between a beggar sitting by the gate of St. Domingo church and most of us who can enjoy a full meal three times a day. The beggar will ask himself, “How can I eat today?” While, we will inquire ourselves, “Where am I going to eat today? Is the ambience of the restaurant welcoming? Is the food as tasty as Filipino delicacy? Is the food safe from any cancer-causing substance?” For some, eating is about survival, but for some other, this phenomenon has evolved into something mechanically sophisticated. The society provides us with almost unlimited options of what we are going to eat, and seemingly we are masters of these foods as we possess the authority to choose what we like and shun what we don’t. But, we actually are slowly turning to be slaves of our appetite as we shift our focus not on the essential but on the trivial, like how we satisfy our fickle cravings.
Today, we are celebrating the Mystery of the Most Holy Trinity. This Mystery is rightly called the mystery of all the mysteries because the Holy Trinity is at the core of our Christian faith. Yet, the fundamental truth we believe is not only extremely difficult to understand, but in fact, it goes beyond our natural reasoning. How is it possible that we believe in three distinct Divine Persons, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, and yet they remain One God? Many great minds have tried to explain, but at the face of such immense truth, the best explanations would seem like a drop of water in the infinite ocean. Yet, we believe it precisely because the mystery is not coming from the human mind, but is revealed to us by God Himself.
Pentecost is the commemoration of the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the first disciples in the upper room. The usual images we have in our mind are usually dramatic and vivid. The disciples gathered in the upper room, suddenly the strong wind filled the room, followed by the appearance of the tongues of fire. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, the disciples began to speak various languages, and proclaimed the Gospel. This depiction of Pentecost comes from the Acts of Apostles (our first reading today). The same Acts tells us that Pentecost took place 50 days after Easter Sunday (Pentecost itself simply means ‘50’ in Greek).
Have you seen a spirit? When the word ‘spirit’ is mentioned, what image does appear in your mind? Perhaps, scary ghosts from some urban legends or Hollywood horror movies. The word ‘spirit’ conjures terrifying and often creepy images because it is related with the dead, the afterlife, and unexplained paranormal phenomenon. The Church herself warrants the existence of evil spirit or the demons, as the Church fights them through the ministry of exorcism.
In Medio Ecclesiae 