Faith and Family for July 26: The Kingdom of Heaven

READ MT 13:44-52 OR 13:44-46 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,

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UNDERSTAND

by Father Greg Friedman, OFM Are you a collector? I’ve collected stamps from childhood, although I’ve never had enough money to do it seriously. And, I love books, and have a few small collections of titles by certain authors or on certain subjects. My Franciscan vow of poverty makes it difficult to have the kind of intense zeal for either of those two kinds of collecting—or any other—that matches the kind of intensity described by Jesus in today’s Gospel.

There, our Lord gives us two parables of the Kingdom: Someone who finds a treasure in a field, and sells all that he has to obtain the field—and the treasure; and a merchant searching for fine pearls, who finds the legendary pearl of great price, and, like the first discoverer, sells all that he has to buy the pearl.

I must confess that it isn’t lack of money that usually keeps me from being as intense about the Kingdom of God as Jesus proposes. Rather, it’s my humanness—sin, fear, self-doubt, laziness, distraction by other goals and treasures of a lesser value—all the substitutes I allow to preoccupy my efforts, when I should be as intense about the kingdom as the two characters in today’s Gospel parables.

How about you? What’s distracting you from the Kingdom? Let’s pray together for the conversion we need to give it our all!

DISCUSS

by Father Dan Kroger, OFM • In this week's first reading (1Kgs 3:5, 7-12), God gives King Solomon a chance to ask for whatever he needs. What did Solomon request?

God is pleased at Solomon’s request because he did not ask for riches, a long life, or the death of his enemies. What did Solomon receive?

• Do you find the line “. . .all things work for good for those who love God” from the second reading (Rom 8:28-30) to be true in your life?

Consider the virus pandemic. Did the closing of your schoolwork for your good?

• In this week's Gospel, Jesus compares the kingdom of heaven to a treasure hidden in a field.

What does the finder do?

The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls. What does the merchant do when he finds a pearl of great price?

Should we make great sacrifices for the kingdom of heaven? Give some example in your life.

ACT

by Susan Hines-Brigger • Bury a treasure. Get a container and fill it up with things that represent your life right now.

Bury it somewhere in your yard and plan to dig it up sometime in the next few years.

• Draw a picture of what you think the Kingdom of Heaven looks like.