Learning about treasures new and old

It is the 17th Sunday in Ordinary ECQ Time and yes, it’s been four months since the Catholic faithful have been fasting and not receiving the Holy Eucharist as we have been hearing the Holy Mass through live streaming from the various churches. For instance, in our parish at the Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (Capitol) Parish, we watch it live on MyTV Channel 30. So today’s gospel reading is a series of very short parables that our Lord explains to his disciples that we read on Matt.13: 44-52.

“44 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. 45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, 46 who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.

“47 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sat down and sorted the good into containers but threw away the bad. 49 So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous 50 and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

“51 “Have you understood all these things?” They said to him, “Yes.” 52 And he said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house, who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.”

* * *

Actually only the evangelist Matthew put these very brief parables that our Lord taught his disciples. First is the Parable of the Pearl of Great Value, then followed by the Parable of the Net and ends with the Parable of the New and Old Treasures. Basically what the Lord is telling us is that heaven should be like a great treasure that we found hidden in the field and we end up selling all that we have in order to buy the field with the heavenly treasure in it. Whoever it is that found the treasure and buys the field is rewarded with being in God’s heavenly kingdom. Basically this is the same story as the man who found a pearl.

In the Parable of the Net, allow me to repeat that verse, which says, “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and gathered fish of every kind. 48 When it was full, men drew it ashore and sat down and sorted the good into containers but threw away the bad. 49 So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous 50 and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

This parable is easier to accept and understand, especially to those who are fishermen who end up picking up the various fish that they have caught, where they keep the good fish to sell, and separate the bad ones either to feed their own kin or throw away. Without any additional explanation, Jesus adds that the angels will come out the separate the evil from the righteous and throw away the evil ones into a fiery furnace where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth. Indeed, suddenly a talk about fish found in the net is shifted into teaching what the angels do at the end of time.

Basically we are taught by our Lord regarding the Treasures of the New and the Old. To most humans, Catholic or otherwise, gold or a lot of money is an earthly treasure that we all want to have. However, a few of us believe that learning how to get into heaven is a human treasure in itself. Only those with vocations to join the priesthood have learned how to dump their earthly treasures in lieu of getting into God’s kingdom in heaven. However as time goes by and as we approach the end of our earthly lives do we realize and understand that no amount of money that we own can bring us into heaven. Heaven can be attained if only we trust in Jesus Christ.