17th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A (July 24, 2011)
My brothers and sisters in Christ,
In our first reading today we heard about a man who made a good start toward the kingdom. His name was Solomon and ruled Israel after David. In a dream Solomon was offered anything he desired. He could have asked for wealth or triumph over his enemies, but he did not. He asked God for an understanding heart to judge his people and to distinguish right from wrong. It was a beautiful desire and it pleased God.
Solomon, however, was not able to carry on till the end. He got involved in lustful practices and he allowed foreign gods into Jerusalem. Solomon began a process of decline that required prophets to get them back on the right track. So, we can see in Solomon a man given the gift of wisdom, but then not carrying through to the end.
The second reading for today speaks about predestination. Predestination is not understood as like a god who predestined Solomon to sin and eventually would perish to hell. God could not be good and at the same time predestine some people to sin and hell. In our Catechism of the Catholic Church 1037 we read: "God predestines no one to go to hell; for this, a willful turning away from God (a mortal sin) is necessary, and persistence in it until the end.” It is truly not correct to think that we cannot choose good or evil; this has been chosen for us. Like Solomon, we cannot go around blaming the things that happen in our life to fate. Nor can we blame the devil as in “The devil made me do it". We have to take responsibility for our own actions. Even if something negative happens to us beyond our control, like sickness, we have the ability to use this situation to progress ourselves in virtue and glorify the Lord. As St. Paul tells to the Romans, “We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.” Though it is also true that we have the ability to allow a difficult situation to destroy us but if we choose what is true and good then we are allowing God's predestination to take its effect among us.
Predestination is God's choice to share his love with us. St. Paul tells the Romans that we are called to share the image of God's Son. By sharing this image we are justified from our sinfulness, raised up to the life of God, and glorified with Him. To put all this simply: we are predestined to share God's goodness, but we have the freedom to reject this goodness.
Three aspects of God's kingdom are highlighted in today’s Gospel reading: the necessity of recognizing its ultimate value, the necessity of responding with total commitment, and the possibility of rejecting the gift of eternal life that it brings. Though we are predestined to share God’s goodness but if we fail to recognize its value and to respond with total commitment, we will soon suffer the pain of its loss.
Jesus offers us hidden treasure: his very self. We may have made a down payment on the hidden treasure, but what had happened to Solomon can possibly happen to us because unlike St. Francis or Mother Teresa, we have not yet sold all. Still, it is good to make the down payment…for if we trust in Jesus, he will help us complete the purchase. Make no mistake, the price is everything.
Puji Tuhan! Alleluia.
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