Sunday Mass Readings for July 30 2023, Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A . Fr Jean Pierre GATETE.SAC
1st Reading – 1 Kings 3:5, 7-12
5 The Lord appeared to Solomon, through a dream in the night, saying, “Request whatever you wish, so that I may give it to you.”
7 Solomon answered: “O Lord God, you have caused your servant to reign in place of David, my father. But I am a small child, and I am ignorant of my entrance and departure.
8 And me, your servant is in the midst of the people that you have chosen, an immense people, who are not able to be numbered or counted because of their multitude.
9 Therefore, give to your servant a teachable heart, so that he may be able to judge your people, and to discern between good and evil. For who will be able to judge these people, your people, who are so many?”
10 And the word was pleasing before the Lord, that Solomon had requested this kind of thing.
11 And the Lord said to Solomon: “Since you have requested this word, and you have not asked for many days or for wealth for yourself, nor for the lives of your enemies, but instead, you have requested for yourself wisdom in order to discern judgment:
12 behold, I have done for you according to your words, and I have given you a wise and understanding heart, so much so that there has been no one like you before you, nor anyone who will rise up after you.
Responsorial Psalm – Psalms 119:57, 72, 76-77, 127-128, 129-130
- (97a) Lord, I love your commands.
57 I have said, O LORD, that my part
is to keep your words.
72 The law of your mouth is to me more precious
than thousands of gold and silver pieces.
R. Lord, I love your commands.
76 Let your kindness comfort me
according to your promise to your servants.
77 Let your compassion come to me that I may live,
for your law is my delight.
R. Lord, I love your commands.
127 For I love your command
more than gold, however fine.
128 For in all your precepts I go forward;
every false way I hate.
R. Lord, I love your commands.
129 Wonderful are your decrees;
therefore I observe them.
130 The revelation of your words sheds light,
giving understanding to the simple.
R. Lord, I love your commands.
2nd Reading – Romans 8:28-30
Brothers and sisters:
28 We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.
29 For those he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, so that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.
30 And those he predestined he also called; and those he called he also justified; and those he justified he also glorified.
Alleluia – CF. Matthew 11:25
- Alleluia, alleluia.
25Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth;
for you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the kingdom.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel –
Matthew 13:44-46
Jesus said to his disciples:
44 “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.
45 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls.
46 When he finds a pearl of great price, he goes and sells all that he has and buys it.
The readings the Church our mother submits to our meditation talk about wisdom. The first reading reminds us that wisdom is a gift from God that we must ask for in order to live happily and act in conformity with the law of God. In the second reading, wisdom consists in loving God and preferring him to everything else because he has chosen us in advance and predestines us to be his children in his only Son Jesus Christ.
The first reading tells us the story of the young King Solomon who finds himself at the head of so many people to govern it. He went to the sanctuary to offer sacrifices to God in order to entrust himself completely to him. He asked for the necessary abilities to accomplish the mission that God entrusted to him. His only concern is the happiness and safety of his people. This is why he asked for a discerning and discerning heart. And God gives him understanding and wisdom. He has shown confidence and humility before God and receives in return an immense and precious gift which is Wisdom. It is the most precious good in the world and only God has the prerogative and holds the key.
Saint Paul the Apostle reveals to us the secret of wisdom. It consists in loving God who first loved us. He offers everything to man and he has the possibility of trusting him. All God asks of us is to trust Him. God’s plan hangs on our freedom. Our relationship with him must bring us into harmony with his justice: this is what Saint Paul calls justifying. Through it, we are made partakers of his holiness: it is to sanctify and we welcome in glory: it is to be glorified.
In the Gospel, true wisdom lies in the discovery of the kingdom of God compared by Christ to a precious pearl and a hidden treasure. And truly wise he who discovers the kingdom of God. Wisdom is proven in our behavior. It requires some necessary renunciations. To be the owner of the precious treasure, we must renounce all that it is not. And ultimately Wisdom par excellence is based on the knowledge of Jesus Christ who leads us to consider the rest as sweepings.
Ask God for the gift of wisdom so that, like King Solomon, we have an attentive heart, a prudent and wise clairvoyant, capable of discerning good and evil. May this wisdom allow us to freely choose God and his kingdom. From there we will faithfully observe his words and we will follow the path of happiness.