Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time – 26th July 2026
Dear brothers and sisters,
In today’s Gospel, Jesus gives us three simple pictures: a hidden treasure, a pearl of great value, and a fishing net cast into the sea. Although they are different images, they all lead us to the same question: What is the greatest treasure in my life? If someone were to ask us that question today, many of us would answer: my family, my health, my children, my friends, or perhaps the peace and security we long for. These are all wonderful gifts from God.
But Jesus invites us to look even deeper. He tells us that there is one treasure that gives meaning to every other gift we have. That treasure is the Kingdom of Heaven – God living and reigning in our hearts.
In the first parable, a man unexpectedly discovers a treasure hidden in a field. He was not looking for it, but the moment he finds it, he realises that nothing else can compare with it. There is one detail that is easy to miss. The Gospel says that “in his joy” he goes and sells everything he has in order to buy that field.
He does not walk away feeling sorry for himself. He does not complain about what he has to leave behind. He does not say, “What a shame that I have to give up so much.” He goes full of joy. That is the sign of someone who has truly encountered God. When we discover Christ, faith is no longer simply a duty. It becomes a joy.
Pope Francis often reminded us that a sad Christian is a contradiction. Not because Christians never suffer, but because, even in the midst of suffering, they know they have found the one treasure that can never be taken away.
Perhaps, if we are honest, there are times when we live our faith more out of obligation than out of love. We come to Mass because we know we should. We pray because it is expected. We keep certain traditions because we have always done so. But Jesus is inviting us to something much deeper. He wants us to rediscover the beauty of knowing him.
There is a lovely story about an elderly violinist who owned an old violin that appeared to have very little value. After his death, the instrument was put up for auction. People offered only small amounts of money. Then another musician asked if he might play it for a few moments. He lifted the violin, began to play, and the whole room fell silent. When the music ended, the value of the violin had changed completely, and it was sold for an astonishing price. What had changed? Not the violin. Only the eyes of those who had finally recognised its true worth.
God has never changed. He has always been the greatest treasure. Sometimes it is we who forget his value. We become so busy with what seems urgent that we lose sight of what is truly important.