Bishop Barron's Gospel Reflection July 31, 2019

Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Memorial of Saint Ignatius of Loyola

Matthew 13:44-46

Friends, today Jesus offers two parables about the kingdom of heaven. Let's focus on the first one: “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field, which a person finds and hides again.” Sometimes God’s love is found that way. There’s a saying: “Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.” Sometimes in the course of our everyday lives, something happens that vividly and surprisingly summons us to union with God. We realize, in a flash, what it’s all about. We weren’t particularly looking for it, but it found us. That's what Jesus is getting at today. As you walk through the fields of life, be open to the inrushing of grace when you least expect it. And when it comes, give up anything that holds it back. Memorial of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, Priest Lectionary: 403 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. 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."