26 July 2026 --- 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time ‘A’
1 Kings 3:5, 7–12; Romans 8:28–30; Matthew 13:44–52
Homily
I once had the opportunity to speak with a great thinker who did not share the Christian faith and who very humbly described himself not as an atheist, but as a ‘searching agnostic’. And, on another occasion, a friend of mine who did not have – or at least thought he did not have – the faith, and who found himself suddenly facing a serious, probably terminal, illness, which he was facing with great courage and dignity, wrote to me: ‘It would help me to have your faith’. These two examples – and I am sure each of you could cite more than one – allow us to see how the journey towards the Kingdom of God and towards happiness differs from one person to another. The three parables we have just heard also highlight this same mystery of each person’s utterly unique journey.
The man in the first parable – the one who discovers a treasure in a field – wasn’t looking for a treasure. He simply stumbles upon it, as if by chance. The author of the parable doesn’t even bother to explain the circumstances in which he made this discovery. It matters little. What matters is that he had the wisdom to recognize the value of what he had just discovered, as if by accident. He also realizes that it was certainly no coincidence that he made this discovery and that this treasure was, in a sense, meant for him. So he hides it away again. This treasure is an integral part of a field, of a reality greater than the treasure itself. He will not come to take the treasure away by night – which he could no doubt do without anyone noticing – but will instead buy the field and thus legitimately take possession of his treasure. To do this, he will sell all his other possessions, having realized that it is worth the price. The treasure of the Gospel is, in practical terms, found in a field which we might interpret as a symbol of the Church with all its structures. The field is not the treasure; but one is within the other and they are inseparable.
The man in the second parable is quite different. He is a seeker, and indeed a connoisseur. He is a dealer in fine pearls, and although he already has a fine collection, he is always on the lookout for pearls of even higher quality. One day he finds one of quite exceptional quality. As a true connoisseur, he judges that this single pearl is worth more than everything he already owns. He, too, sells all his possessions and buys this rare pearl, which fulfils all his expectations.
The man in the third parable is different again. He is a fisherman who has cast his net into the sea and, as always, has caught a bit of everything: useful things and useless things. He puts the good fish into his basket and has no hesitation in throwing everything else back into the sea.
In the Gospel, Jesus often speaks to us about renunciation. These three parables help us to understand that renunciation – of whatever it may be, even of everything we have and everything we are – only makes sense if it is the result of a wise and calm choice. It is to buy a field containing the treasure for which the man in the first parable sells off everything else he owns; and it is to buy the pearl that fulfils all his searching that the merchant in the second parable also sells everything he has. Finally, the fisherman in the third parable is so satisfied by the great number of fine fish that he does not hesitate to cast all the rest back into the sea. All three, moreover, find their joy and happiness in this choice and this determination.
However we may have discovered the treasure of the Gospel, this treasure will fulfil us and form the foundation of our joy and happiness only if we have the courage to pay the price and to let go of everything in our lives that is incompatible with the Gospel message. Whether we are farmers, pearl merchants or fishermen, sooner or later we will need to be able to discern clearly and assess the value of what we have just discovered, found or caught in our nets, in relation to everything we already possess.
To know how to make the necessary choices at the right time, let us follow Solomon’s example in the first reading. Let us ask God for wisdom—not an innate knowledge of what to do, but rather an attentive and discerning heart that knows how to distinguish between options and make the necessary choices at the right moments.
Armand VEILLEUX