Author: SHSS

The Kingdom of God: Hidden Treasure and Precious Pearls

Sunday is the Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time. The Gospel continues to speak to us about the Kingdom of God. The Gospel text is Matthew 13:44-52. As we have been hearing for the last three weeks, we are presented with parables that Jesus used to illustrate the Kingdom of God.

A parable is a story Jesus uses to explain a theological point. In this case, Jesus is using parables to explain the Kingdom of God.

What the Kingdom Means

What is meant by the term Kingdom of God? The Kingdom of God is what God wishes for the world. We pray for the coming of this Kingdom every time we pray the Lord’s Prayer, when we say, “Your Kingdom come.”

The Kingdom of God is what God wants for the world. God wants peace, love, kindness, justice, compassion, mercy, empathy, joy, faithfulness, patience, chastity, generosity, gentleness, and self-control. The Kingdom of God is when God’s reign becomes our way of life.

The Kingdom of God comes when we realize that small acts of kindness have the power to change. We must have faith that the will of God for the world is for our good.

Hidden Treasure and Precious Pearls

This week the Gospel presents us with the Parable of the Hidden Treasure and the Parable of the Fine Pearls. In both parables, we have a similar lesson: when you find a treasure that calls you forth to give of yourself in love and mercy, forgetting yourself and losing yourself for the good of others, then you will begin to understand the Kingdom of God, as well as the surprising wisdom of God, which says that it is in losing yourself that you find yourself.

Msgr. Guy A. Massie
July 26, 2026

Lessons from Today’s Readings: The Word, Suffering, and the Mustard Seed

Lessons From Sunday’s Readings

The Word of God is planted in the field of our hearts. In our hearts, this word must take root and grow. If our heart is open to the Word of God, the Word will grow and our behavior will change for the better. If not, the Word will remain silent until the right time when it can grow, or the Word will never grow.

If we are open to the Word of God, then we will slowly recognize that all that happens to us is ordered to our salvation, including our sufferings, losses, and disappointments. We will understand what St. Thérèse of Lisieux meant by saying:

“Everything is a grace… Everything is the direct effect of our Father’s love: difficulties, contradictions, humiliations, all the soul’s miseries, its burdens, its needs—everything. Because through them the soul learns humility, realizes its weakness. Everything is a grace because everything is God’s gift. Whatever be the character of life or its unexpected events, to the heart that loves, all is well.”

Be like a mustard seed. Do small acts of kindness and goodness for the glory of God. Kindness grows, love multiplies, and mercy bears much fruit.

Msgr. Guy A. Massie
July 19, 2026

Do Not Give Up: Proclaiming the Gospel in Good Times and Bad

What do we learn from this Gospel reading? First, we learn not to give up. Our job—my job, the vocation of the Church—is to proclaim the Gospel.

Sometimes we are gratified and see a difference in people’s lives due to the message of the Gospel and the celebration of the Sacraments. Sometimes people do convert to a deeper meaning of life in the Spirit because of our efforts. We must keep in mind that it is God who works through us to accomplish great things.

At other times, we will not see positive results from our ministries. In fact, we may feel our work for the Gospel is in vain. See yourself as a priest or a religious who teaches, gives good example, and finds that their people or students have really rejected all the values you have tried to pass on.

Keep in mind that people can resist God’s Word. The allure of money, success, power, and pleasure can be obstacles to hearing and accepting the Word of God. Will they realize the importance of the values which you sought to pass on? Who knows?

Think of the parent who has done a great job of modeling the Gospel values of faith, love, and hope, only to have children who no longer practice the faith you cherished. Think of the lack of vocations which we are now experiencing. What does that say to those who dedicated their entire lives to the Gospel?

Our vocation is to preach the Gospel in good times and in bad times. It is our vocation never to forsake the hope that maybe one or two people will get the message and hand it on.

Msgr. Guy A. Massie
July 12, 2026