Memorial of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, Priest
Lectionary: 403
Reading 1
Jeremiah 15:10, 16-21
Woe to me, mother, that you gave me birth!
a man of strife and contention to all the land!
I neither borrow nor lend,
yet all curse me.
When I found your words, I devoured them;
they became my joy and the happiness of my heart,
Because I bore your name,
O LORD, God of hosts.
I did not sit celebrating
in the circle of merrymakers;
Under the weight of your hand I sat alone
because you filled me with indignation.
Why is my pain continuous,
my wound incurable, refusing to be healed?
You have indeed become for me a treacherous brook,
whose waters do not abide!
Thus the LORD answered me:
If you repent, so that I restore you,
in my presence you shall stand;
If you bring forth the precious without the vile,
you shall be my mouthpiece.
Then it shall be they who turn to you,
and you shall not turn to them;
And I will make you toward this people
a solid wall of brass.
Though they fight against you,
they shall not prevail,
For I am with you,
to deliver and rescue you, says the LORD.
I will free you from the hand of the wicked,
and rescue you from the grasp of the violent.
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 59:2-3, 4, 10-11, 17, 18
R. (17d) God is my refuge on the day of distress.
Rescue me from my enemies, O my God;
from my adversaries defend me.
Rescue me from evildoers;
from bloodthirsty men save me.
R. God is my refuge on the day of distress.
For behold, they lie in wait for my life;
mighty men come together against me,
Not for any offense or sin of mine, O LORD.
R. God is my refuge on the day of distress.
O my strength! for you I watch;
for you, O God, are my stronghold,
As for my God, may his mercy go before me;
may he show me the fall of my foes.
R. God is my refuge on the day of distress.
But I will sing of your strength
and revel at dawn in your mercy;
You have been my stronghold,
my refuge in the day of distress.
R. God is my refuge on the day of distress.
O my strength! your praise will I sing;
for you, O God, are my stronghold,
my merciful God!
R. God is my refuge on the day of distress.
Alleluia
John 15:15b
R. 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
Matthew 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.”
Reflection 1
Catholic Daily Reflections
Discovering the Riches of Heaven
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.” Matthew 13:44
Today’s Gospel presents us with two very short and similar parables. In the first, quoted above, the Kingdom of Heaven is likened to a “treasure.” In the second parable, the Kingdom of Heaven is likened to a “pearl of great price.” Though these parables are very similar to each other, there are also subtle differences worth pondering. It appears that the treasure mentioned in the first parable is discovered almost by accident. The person simply “finds” it. This is in contrast to the second parable, in that the merchant who finds the pearl of great price did so after “searching” for it.
We often encounter the Treasure of the Gospel without even looking for it. We do so any time God intervenes in our lives without us seeking His intervention. For example, if someone were to offer an act of charity to you without you seeking it out, this is God giving you a treasure of His Kingdom. Or if someone shares with you their faith, or an inspiration they received, this is indeed a treasure given to you by God. The problem is that many times when we are given these treasures of the Gospel, we do not always see them as treasures. Imagine, for example, if the person in this parable were to stumble upon the treasure in the field and fail to open it out of indifference. They see it from a distance, have a bit of curiosity about what is in the box, but they are not energetic enough to actually open the box and look inside. In that case, the person would have no reason to go and sell all that they have so as to buy the field in which the treasure is found.
One clear message that this first parable reveals is that we must be attentive to the countless treasures of God’s graces given to us each and every day. God is so prolific in offering us grace, that we truly do stumble upon His grace all the time. Thus, having eyes to perceive His actions and ears to Hear His Voice is essential.
A second message clearly given in both of these parables is that once we discover the graces God gives us every day, we must foster within ourselves a desire for those graces that is so strong that we are willing to do anything necessary to obtain them. The discovery is made through the gift of faith, but the discovery by faith must then be followed with a zeal that drives our will to conform to that discovery.
Reflect, today, upon two things. First, have you discovered the treasures God has given to you? If you hesitate in answering this, then it’s most likely the case that there is much you have yet to discover. Secondly, as you do discover the riches that come with the gift of faith, then have you allowed that which God has spoken to you to consume you to such a point that you are willing to sell all you have, meaning, do whatever it takes to further accept all God wants to bestow? Resolutely determine to go forth on this holy search and you will find that the riches of grace that you obtain are of infinite value.
Reflection 2
One Bread, One Body
DON’T DISQUALIFY YOURSELF FROM JOY
“When I found your words, I devoured them; they became my joy.” —Jeremiah 15:16
When we find God’s kingdom, we are willing to joyfully sell all that we have to buy it as if it were buried treasure (Mt 13:44). “The kingdom of God is not a matter of eating or drinking, but of justice, peace, and the joy that is given by the Holy Spirit” (Rm 14:17). The joy of God’s kingdom is indescribable (1 Pt 1:8), divine, and complete (Jn 15:11). This indescribable joy is far beyond what most people mean by “joy.” Divine joy is always (Phil 4:4) and forever. This complete joy is not at all weakened by suffering. Rather, it reaches greater depths in suffering with Christ and for the Church (see Col 1:24; 1 Pt 4:13).
Joy is the fruit of the Holy Spirit (Gal 5:22). No one can produce divine joy except the Holy Spirit. However, the Spirit will not force this joy on us. We must freely decide to accept divine joy and the Holy Spirit on His terms. This often means being docile to the Spirit by renouncing ourselves more (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 736) and crucifying our “flesh with its passions and desires” (Gal 5:24). Otherwise, we will trade the chance to have divine, indescribable joy for momentary pleasures or comforts. Don’t choose a lifestyle which will disqualify you from divine, everlasting joy. Choose joy!
Prayer: Father, I pray for You to send the Holy Spirit to renew my Baptism and Confirmation so as to produce divine joy in me forever.
Promise: “If you repent, so that I restore you, in My presence you shall stand; if you bring forth the precious without the vile, you shall be My mouthpiece.” —Jer 15:19
Praise: St. Ignatius was a true mystic and the founder of the Jesuit Order. He declared his life to be “for the greater glory of God.”
Reflection 3
Shared from God's Word
The Parables of the hidden treasure and the fine pearls are found only in the Gospel of Matthew. The person who found the treasure accidently, and the merchant who was searching the pearl of great value, sell everything to buy what they found. The treasure of the Kingdom of Heaven is so special and rare that we should do whatever we can to keep it in our lives. The relationship we have with God through Jesus is a treasure greater than all earthly wealth. Saint Paul says, “I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord” (Phil 3:80). Jesus was his pearl of great price, his treasure in the field, and before whom all else seemed meaningless. Saint Ignatius of Loyola, whose feast we celebrate today, after knowing the treasure of the person of Jesus, was never the same, he became a transformed person and offered his life for the Gospel.
Prayers
My Lord of all riches, You bestow upon me and upon all Your children countless graces every day. The treasures of Your mercy are of infinite value. Please open my eyes so that I can see and my ears so that I can hear so as to discover all that You wish to bestow. May You and the riches of Your Kingdom become the one and only, all-consuming focus of my life. Jesus, I trust in You.
Lord Jesus, reveal to me the true riches of your kingdom. Help me to set my heart on you alone as the treasure beyond compare with any other. Free my heart of any inordinate desires or attachment to other things that I may freely give to you all that I have in joy and gratitude for all that you have given to me. May I always find joy and delight in your presence.
Daily Reflections on Divine Mercy
Reflection 212: Overcoming Doubt
What is “doubt?” To doubt is to lack faith, and to lack faith is to lack trust in the perfect revelation and plan of God’s Will. First and foremost, a doubt, resulting from a lack of faith, means you are not listening. When we doubt God, His plan and all that He reveals to us, we are left on our own. But when we listen, hear, understand and believe, we are covered in the protection of His Mercy on account of the faith that we manifest. Faith means that we know with certainty all that God says and wills. Faith is not just believing in something we hope is true, it’s knowing and believing all that is true (See Diary #1101).
Do you doubt at times? Or do you have faith? This is an exceptionally important question to ponder. Begin by asking yourself these questions: Do I listen to the Voice of God? Do I hear God speak to me and do I comprehend all that He says? Without these first steps, faith is impossible. Hearing Him speak can only come through prayer. And the form of prayer we need could be called “soaking prayer.” Soaking prayer is a form of prayer by which we allow ourselves to daily become immersed in the Voice of God revealing His holy Will. He speaks to us all day, every day. Little by little we listen, comprehend and respond. This produces the gift of faith and that faith will lead your life. Reflect upon this process in your life and renew your commitment to start at the beginning so that the Lord will lead you one step at a time.
Dear Lord, I desire to hear You speak to me. Help me to open my ears to hear so that I may know You and discern Your perfect Will for my life. I desire to be led each day only by You and to trust in the gentle guidance of Your holy Will. Jesus, I trust in You.
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