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Spread the good news

John 20: 11-18
"But Mary was standing outside near the tomb, weeping. Then, as she wept, she stooped to look inside, and saw two angels in white sitting where the body of Jesus had been, one at the head, the other at the feet. They said, 'Woman, why are you weeping?' 'They have taken my Lord away,' she replied, 'and I don't know where they have put him.' As she said this she turned round and saw Jesus standing there, though she did not realise that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, 'Woman, why are you weeping? Who are you looking for?' Supposing him to be the gardener, she said, 'Sir, if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and remove him.' Jesus said, 'Mary!' She turned round then and said to him in Hebrew, 'Rabbuni!' -- which means Master. Jesus said to her, 'Do not cling to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to the brothers, and tell them: I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.' So Mary of Magdala told the disciples, 'I have seen the Lord,' and that he had said these things to her." 

Who is your treasure?

26/7/2020

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Picture

​Rome, Monastery of the Annunciation
A few years ago I met a woman at a parish where I was doing ministry. I was not an ordained priest at the time but learning about pastoral ministries.
I met this woman at the parish who had been invited by her sister to one of the ministries; this sister attended Mass and parish functions. These two women lived comfortably -- we could say they seem to lack nothing, and had plenty financial security to enjoy their lives.
The woman visiting the parish, told me she did not believe in God.
And I asked her: Why don’t you believe in God. Her reply: I have everything; what can God give me that I don’t already have?
I was surprised with the bluntness of her answer, and I was shocked that God had no place in her life.
In the First Book of Kings 3:5ff when God asked Solomon what he wanted, Solomon replied, a gentle heart, that he may know how to govern, and distinguish good from evil.
What Solomon sought was wisdom.
How many people would ask God for wisdom, if God had asked us what we wanted from Him?
The Lord was pleased with Solomon’s reply because he could have asked for a long life, health, wealth, to have his enemies punished, but instead, Solomon asked for wisdom.

​This is the wisdom we find in Saint Matthew’s Gospel 13:44ff. I’ll focus on the first parable:
The kingdom of heaven is similar to a hidden treasure: one finds the treasure in a field, then, full of joy, all possessions are sold and that field where the treasure lies is bought.
Discovering Jesus, His love in the absolute sense of love, brings such joy that everything is sold, everything is left behind; this treasure is hidden because we do not want it stolen, or to lose it.
The joy of discovering this treasure -- we want to keep it always with us; everything we have we realise is of little worth compared to this treasure.
When I come here, to this Dominican monastery of the Annunciation, I see the Gospel unfold in front of me -- following Jesus in this radical call -- letting go of everything to keep Jesus, our treasure.
The things of the world -- the distractions that rob us of our attention and our time -- displace Jesus -- not at the centre of our lives.
True wealth, unlike what this woman visiting the parish had claimed  -- she believed she had everything -- true wealth is this treasure, Jesus, who fills us for more than a weekend or a month, but for a lifetime, as He prepares us for Eternity.
The radicality that the cloistered nun have chosen, the call to which you have responded, reflects the discovery of this treasure -- Jesus -- where you have separated yourselves from the world to remain with your treasure -- testified by the monastic grill in front of me that separates you from the world.
Yes, this treasure -- Jesus --is the One who gives meaning to life -- who gives us true joy -- the One who saves us.
This is the woman I mentioned at the beginning of my homily  thought she had everything. Without God, she had really nothing; and without Jesus, she did not have a Saviour.
The testimony of the Gospel lived in its radical depth -- is letting go of the world to keep Jesus at the centre of our lives. This treasure is the centre of our existence.
Let us ask the Mother of God to intercede for us so we can grow in wisdom and not let worldly distractions clutter our minds and our hearts -- so we can keep Jesus, our Saviour, our treasure, at the centre of our lives. Amen.

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    Author

    Fr. David Bellusci, O.P.
    is a Roman Catholic Priest, and Assistant Professor 
    of Philosophy and Theology at Catholic Pacific College in Langley, B.C.

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  • Home
    • About Father Bellusci
    • Contact
  • TALKS
    • TOPICS
    • 2024 Events
    • Past Events
  • ARTICLES
    • Homilies
    • Blogs
    • Catholic Pilgrim >
      • Photos
    • Guest Bloggers >
      • Andrzej Skulski
      • Fr. Gavin Rodrigues, O.P.
      • Lara Paniagua
    • Book Reviews
  • FRASSATI
    • Conferences
    • Reflections
  • Books
    • Amor Dei in the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries
    • Pier Giorgio Frassati Truth, Love and Sacrifice
    • Christian Armor: The Rosary and the Bible
    • Oxford Street
    • Age of Innocence
    • Roman Incense
    • Love Deformed, Love Transformed
    • Ontology Of Blue
    • Beating The Drums
    • Readers Review
  • Sexuality
    • Humanae Vitae
    • Theology of the Body >
      • Introduction
      • Lessons 1-9
    • Combat Pornography