The Treasure That Lasts
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July 25, 2026“What is worth giving your whole life for?”The readings this 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time draw us into this single, piercing question. As always, the Word of God does not provide us abstract answers. It gives us different stories of people who discover something so valuable, so life-changing, that everything else becomes secondary.In the first reading, Solomon stands before God aware of his limitations. God said: “Ask something of me and I will give it to you.” (1 Kings3:5) However, he asks not for riches, power, or long life, but for an understanding heart. Solomon recognizes that the greatest treasure is not something he can possess, but something that can form and reshape his life — the wisdom to seethe way God sees. This request reveals a soul aligned with God’s priorities, and God responds with abundance.In the second reading, Paul reminds us through his letter to the Romans that those who love God, even the confusing, painful, or unfinished parts of life — work for good. God’s wisdom is not merely intellectual; it is providential. It guides the different facets of history, shapes hearts, and draws us toward that place for which we were made: to be conformed to Christ.Then in the Gospel, Jesus brings it home with two brief but meaningful parables. A man finds a treasure in a field and a merchant discovers a pearl of great price. Both respond the same way:they sell everything. Not with conditions, not with fear, but with so much joy. Their actions reveal a truth we often taken for granted — the Kingdom of God is not one treasure among many. Rather, it is THE TREASURE that reorders all others.Jesus is not asking us of course, to despise what we have, but to recognize the truth that nothing compares to what God offers. The Kingdom is worth our time, our energy, our sacrifices, our choices, everything that we have and even our very lives.Solomon teaches us to ask for wisdom; St. Paul teaches us to trust God’s purpose; Jesus teaches us to pursue the Kingdom of God with joy and urgency no matter what the cost is. May we, like Solomon, ask for hearts that understand; likeSt. Paul, trust in God’s purpose; and like the man in the field, joyfully give all for the treasure of God’s Kingdom.This weekend’s invitation is simple yet demanding: Choose the treasure that lasts. Let God’s wisdom shape our desires. Let Christ’s Kingdom become our pearl of great price. Again, “What is worth giving your whole life for?”