Daily Liturgy
Wednesday 28 July
SEVENTEENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
THE BURIED TREASURE
Introduction
The radiance on the face of Moses indicates his intimate relationship with God. He is the prophet, the leader, the mediator between the people and God, the reconciler.
The two parables of today’s stress, each in its own way, that one should give up everything in order to possess the kingdom. In the first parable, the kingdom is the treasure, in the second, not the pearl, not the thing, but the person in constant search of it. Our search should concern the things that really matter: God’s reiGen among people, which, in response to God’s grace, we prepare through our love, our justice, our service, our compassion and forgiveness, by which we let Christ’s death and resurrection become a reality in our day. But it is a search – an ongoing quest, never fully achieved, but always, so we hope, in growth and progress.
Opening Prayer
Lord God, our Father,
our heart remains restless
until it has discovered the peace you offer us
in your Son Jesus Christ.
Help us to put our trust and joy
not in brittle, perishable things
but in your Son, his good news
and the kingdom he came to build among us.
Make us poor and receptive,
give each of us an attentive and wise heart
that keeps seeking until we have found you
in Jesus and in people,
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Reading 1: Ex 34:29-35
As Moses came down from Mount Sinai
with the two tablets of the commandments in his hands,
he did not know that the skin of his face had become radiant
while he conversed with the LORD.
When Aaron, then, and the other children of Israel saw Moses
and noticed how radiant the skin of his face had become,
they were afraid to come near him.
Only after Moses called to them did Aaron
and all the rulers of the community come back to him.
Moses then spoke to them.
Later on, all the children of Israel came up to him,
and he enjoined on them all that the LORD
had told him on Mount Sinai.
When he finished speaking with them,
he put a veil over his face.
Whenever Moses entered the presence of the LORD to converse with him,
he removed the veil until he came out again.
On coming out, he would tell the children of Israel
all that had been commanded.
Then the children of Israel would see
that the skin of Moses’ face was radiant;
so he would again put the veil over his face
until he went in to converse with the LORD.
Responsorial Psalm: Ps 99:5, 6, 7, 9
(see 9c) Holy is the Lord our God.
Extol the LORD, our God,
and worship at his footstool;
holy is he!
R. Holy is the Lord our God.
Moses and Aaron were among his priests,
and Samuel, among those who called upon his name;
they called upon the LORD, and he answered them.
R. Holy is the Lord our God.
From the pillar of cloud he spoke to them;
they heard his decrees and the law he gave them.
R. Holy is the Lord our God.
Extol the LORD, our God,
and worship at his holy mountain;
for holy is the LORD, our God.
R. Holy is the Lord our God.
Alleluia: Jn 15:15b
Alleluia, alleluia.
I call you my friends, says the Lord,
for I have made known to you all that the Father has told me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel: Mt 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,
he goes and sells all that he has and buys it.”
Intercessions
– For all Christians, that they may hold dear their faith and their life in Christ and keep living up to their convictions, we pray:
– For the leaders of nations, that as they work for prosperity and progress they may not lose sight of what is essential, that is: people, and the deepest human values, we pray:
– For our young people, that their parents and the Church may hand on to them their living faith and the spirit to serve God and people well, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
Lord our God,
create between you and us
a holy communion of love.
Come among us in Jesus Christ
in this eucharist and in daily life
and reign in us, take possession of us,
to rule and forgive, to sanctify and enlighten,
to lead us and to renew us by your grace.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Prayer after Communion
God our Father,
in this eucharistic celebration
you have again given us your own Son.
Let him nourish in us the growth of your kingdom.
May he open our eyes to the goodness
and yet the relative value of the things of this earth
and let him help us realize
that our human personality and existence
is nothing else than the concrete manner
in which you call us
and in which we respond to your call
to build up your kingdom.
We ask this in the name of Jesus the Lord.
Blessing
We know we are dear to God. May God and our faith and God’s kingdom be our joy and treasure. May God be our happiness and may he bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Commentary
We all know people who talk very little about their faith but whose whole demeanor reflects its importance in their lives. This is the transformative power of faith. This quality brings to mind the reflection of God that shone forth in the face of Moses. Moses’ encounters with God had a lasting effect upon him. His face became so brilliant that he had to keep it veiled; the veil was removed whenever he entered the tent again to consult the Lord.
The story gives us pause and the opportunity to ask what effect my faith is having on my life or the life of others. We may be well versed in church teaching, even learned scholars, but if faith does not ignite a fire within us, it may be quite ineffective. Do we become enthused when others come to the faith? Are we willing to take the time to work patiently and at length with someone dealing with a major problem?
Sometimes we are called to give until it hurts. Years ago a pastor in lower Manhattan was known for never having refused a request for money. When asked, at one point, if he realized how many times he had been taken advantage of, his answer was simple. “No, I don’t. But I know that God is not going to ask me about that.” What was known to all his friends and acquaintances was that his face shone like Moses’.
Points to Ponder
The glow of Christian virtue
Giving beyond measure
Our relationship with God: transformative?