Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, cycle A

MATTHEW 13:44-52
I HAD A GREAT AUNT, MY GRANDMOTHER'S SISTER.  SHE WAS IN HER LATE TEENS, BEING COURTED BY A YOUNG MAN NAMED GEORGE, AND IT LOOKED AS THOUGH MARRIAGE WAS ON THE HORIZON.  CHRISTINE, LIKE HER BROTHERS AND SISTERS, HAD A DEEP FAITH.  ONE DAY SHE WAS TALKING WITH HER PASTOR, AND BROUGHT UP THE FACT THAT SHE THOUGHT SHE LOVED GEORGE, AND HOPED SOMEDAY HE'D ASK HER TO MARRY HIM.  AS THE STORY GOES (TOLD BY CHRISTINE) THE PRIEST TOLD HER THAT SHE WAS BEING CALLED TO GIVE UP EVERYTHING AND FOLLOW JESUS, AND THAT COULD BE DONE BEST IF SHE ENTERED A RELIGIOUS ORDER.  CHRISTINE DECIDED, APPLIED TO THE MADAMES OF THE SACRED HEART, AND INFORMED GEORGE THAT HIS ATTENTIONS WERE NO LONGER DESIRED.  SHE ENTERED THE CONVENT AT 19, AND PASSED AWAY AT 105, STILL WEARING HER HABIT, STILL A MEMBER OF HER COMMUNITY.  I THINK SHE WAS  HAPPY AND CONTENTED IN HER RELIGIOUS LIFE; AT LEAST WHEN I KNEW HER SHE RADIATED JOY AND GOOD CHEER.
JESUS TODAY DESCRIBES THREE THINGS THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS LIKE.  IT IS LIKE SOMEONE WHO FINDS A TREASURE, THEN SELLS ALL HE HAS SO THAT HE CAN BUY THE FIELD WHERE THE TREASURE IS BURIED.  THE PARABLE OF THE PEARL IS NOT TOO DIFFERENT; AGAIN, THE PERSON SELLS ALL HE HAS TO TAKE POSSESSION OF THE PEARL.  THE INDIVIDUALS IN THESE TWO STORIES IN A WAY MAKE A TOTAL COMMITMENT, EXCHANGING EVERYTHING SO THAT THEY CAN POSSESS ONE THING.  I REMEMBER A LONG TIME AGO THESE PARABLES BEGAN TO BOTHER ME.  WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF YOU HAD NOTHING LEFT IN LIFE BUT A REALLY WONDERFUL PEARL?  HOW WOULD YOU EAT? WHERE WOULD YOU LIVE?  YOU'D HAVE THE PEARL, ALRIGHT, BUT IT ALMOST SEEMS LIKE THE OLD STORY OF KING MIDAS – HE HAD ALL THE GOLD HE COULD POSSIBLY WANT, BUT COULD NOT HAVE ANYTHING ELSE.  MY GREAT AUNT THOUGHT SHE WAS GIVING UP EVERYTHING FOR JESUS, BUT IN A WAY, AS IS TRUE OF EVERYONE WHO GIVES UP EVERYTHING, IT DIDN'T REALLY HAPPEN.  SHE JUST EXCHANGED ONE LIFE FOR ANOTHER; SHE STILL HAD FOOD, CLOTHING, SHELTER, COMPANIONSHIP, AN INTELLECTUAL LIFE, AND SO ON.  AND THE OTHER PROBLEM WITH THESE PARABLES; IS JESUS TELLING US ALL TO DO THIS?  OR IS IT RESERVED FOR A FEW, ASSUMING THAT'S WHAT HE MEANS.  WHEN HE TELLS THE RICH YOUNG MAN TO SELL ALL HE HAS AND GIVE IT AWAY AND COME FOLLOW HIM, WE SORT OF  SEE THIS AS A SPECIFIC REQUEST TO THE YOUNG MAN, A VOCATION, IF YOU WILL, AND NOT A GENERAL PRESCRIPTION.  AFTER ALL, THERE WERE OTHERS WHO BEGGED TO FOLLOW HIM, BUT WHO WERE TOLD TO RETURN TO THEIR HOMES AND PROCLAIM THAT THE KINGDOM WAS NEAR.
IT'S INTERESTING THAT JESUS TELLS THE STORY OF THE TREASURE, THEN THE PEARL, AND THEN SAYS, “AGAIN, THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS LIKE A NET THROWN INTO THE SEA … “  THAT PARABLE DOESN'T SEEM TO HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE OTHERS, IN FACT, IT'S MORE LIKE THE PARABLE ABOUT THE WHEAT AND THE WEEDS.  BUT JESUS SEEMS TO CONNECT IT TO THE OTHER TWO IN THIS GOSPEL.
SO WHAT IS JESUS ASKING?  AND IS IT EVEN POSSIBLE FOR MOST OF US?  I THINK JESUS GIVES US A CLUE WHEN HE SAYS, “THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS WITHIN YOU”.  WE EACH HAVE IT IN OUR POWER TO MAKE THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN REAL.  THAT MEANS THAT EVERY DECISION WE MAKE SHOULD BE MADE WITH THE KINGDOM IN MIND.  EVERY TIME WE PULL OUT OUR WALLET OR OPEN OUR PURSE, WE SHOULD BE THINKING OF THE KINGDOM; EVERY TIME WE ENCOUNTER ANOTHER PERSON, EVEN SOMEONE VERY CLOSE TO US, WE SHOULD HAVE THE KINGDOM IN MIND.  SAINT PAUL TALKS ABOUT PUTTING ON CHRIST.  THAT'S THE IDEA; EVERYTHING WE DO NEEDS TO BE DONE AS THOUGH CHRIST WERE DOING IT – WHICH MEANS THAT WE NEED TO MAKE RESOLUTIONS EVERY MORNING AND EXAMINATIONS OF  CONSCIENCE EVERY EVENING IF WE ARE REALLY SERIOUS ABOUT MAKING THE KINGDOM REAL.  AND WE CAN ALL DO THIS, WE CAN ALL COMMIT TOTALLY TO THE KINGDOM, WE CAN ALL CHOOSE TO GIVE UP EVERYTHING ELSE THAT IS NOT CHRIST FOR THE SAKE OF CHRIST – AND IT DOESN'T MEAN ENTERING A  MONASTERY OR BECOMING A HERMIT.  IT MIGHT FOR SOME, BUT NOT FOR MOST OF US.
THERE'S A STORY ABOUT A WOMAN WHO COMES TO CHURCH.  SHE THROWS A STERN LOOK AT THE CHILD WHO IS TWITCHING IN HIS SEAT; SHE LOOKS WITH DISAPPROVAL AT THE YOUNG MAN WEARING SHORTS AND A  TANK TOP.  WHEN THE CHOIR HITS A SOUR NOTE, SHE WINCES; WHEN THE PRIEST MISPRONOUNCES A WORD DURING THE READING OF THE GOSPEL, SHE NODS IN SATISFACTION THAT SHE CAUGHT THE MISTAKE.  AND WHEN SHE LEAVES THE CHURCH SHE HAS A MENTAL LIST OF EVERYTHING THAT WENT WRONG, AND IS WONDERING IF THERE IS ANY CHURCH WHERE EVERYTHING IS PERFECT.
ANOTHER WOMAN COMES TO CHURCH AND SMILES AT THE CHILD TWITCHING; SHE'S GLAD HIS PARENTS ARE STARTING HIM EARLY.  SHE SEES  THE YOUNG MAN IN CASUAL  CLOTHES AND GIVES THANKS THAT A FEW YOUNG PEOPLE COME TO CHURCH WHEN THEY COULD BE DOING SOMETHING ELSE.  SHE HEARS THE SOUR NOTE FROM THE CHOIR AND HER HEART IS GRATEFUL THAT THERE ARE VOLUNTEERS WHO WORK HARD TO PROVIDE THE MUSIC FOR THE LITURGY; AND SHE LAUGHS OFF FATHER'S MISPRONUNCIATION BECAUSE SHE IS LISTENING HARD FOR THE WORD THAT GOD WILL GIVE HER TODAY, BECAUSE HE ALWAYS DOES, YOU JUST HAVE TO BE OPEN.  AND WHEN SHE LEAVES CHURCH, SHE IS THINKING ABOUT HOW SHE CAN CHANGE HER LIFE, EVEN A LITTLE BIT, TO BE MORE LIKE JESUS.  AND SHE'S HAPPY THAT SHE BELONGS TO A COMMUNITY OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE IN COMMON THAT THEY ARE ALL PART OF CHRIST'S BODY.
BOTH WOMEN HAVE COME TO THE SAME CHURCH, THE SAME MASS, AND THEY'VE BOTH GOTTEN WHAT THEY PREPARED  THEMSELVES TO RECEIVE.  BUT ONLY ONE IS POSESSING THE KINGDOM.
AT THE END OF TIME, THERE WILL BE A SEPARATION OF THE WHEAT FROM THE WEEDS, THE BAD FISH FROM THE GOOD FISH.  AND WHILE JESUS SAYS THAT THE ANGELS WILL DO THE SEPARATING, IT WILL JUST BE THE LAST STEP, BECAUSE THE SEPARATING STARTED A LONG TIME AGO, WHEN EACH INDIVIDUAL MADE A DECISION – TO GO ALL OUT TO BRING ABOUT THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN, OR TO HOLD BACK, AND MAKE SURE THAT WHILE WE REACHED FOR THE KINGDOM WITH ONE HAND, WE HELD TIGHT TO WHAT WE HAD WITH THE OTHER.