Our visiting priest, Fr Ignatius Huang, who is also teaching our novices, gave an insightful sermon today.
Today is Lay Apostulate Sunday. The readings include disciplining is important for children to be taught was is right from wrong, and about the gospel when a disciple asks Jesus how many can be saved, and Jesus didn't reply his question but instead told him it's easier for a camel to go through the eye of the needle than a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.
The eye of the needle is the name given to the door that is opened in the night in a fortress to allow an unloaded camel to pass through. A fully loaded camel cannot enter such a door. Fr. Huang explained that Jesus didn't bother to answer such frivilous question that doesn't add any value to our lives, except to satisfy an idle curiosity. Instead, Jesus focused the disciple on how he should be concerned how he could save his soul. To do so, we need to be detached from worldly and material things. We have to know how to unload and be detached in order to enter the kingdom of God.
He said Jesus was constantly surrounded by people who ask immaterial and insignificant questions, that do help them enter the kingdom of God or make themselves better people. E.g is Peter,when told how he will die a matyers death, asked Jesus what about John. He said Jesus told Peter, to the effect of, mind your own business...don't be KPO about other people's affairs. Instead, be concern about your own affairs.
He shared that once, when he was having lunch with some priests, one of the young priests was re-telling them the question he had posed his primary school catechism children...which angel is the head of all angels...Fr was agitated and couldn't stand it, and decided to tell the young priest, what value does it add to the children to know such frivilous question except to satisfy their curiosity? A better use of the catechism time is to teach the children more about their faith. So parents, teachers and catechists, please sit up and take note!
The last story that he shared was quite moving.
A rich old man had a collection of paintings done by the masters. As his only son was killed saving another soldier at the Vietnam war, he willed that all the paintings will be auctioned off. Amongst the paintings was his favourite...the only portriate of his son done by the soldier whom his son had saved. The soldier did it as a remembrance of the man who saved him, and gave it to the father as a heart-felt gift.
When the auction started, the first painting to be auctioned off was the old man's favourite...the painting of his son, done amateurely by the soldier. The gathering of art collectors did not want the painting as it was not a masters and insisted that the auctioner moved on with the main "course". The auctioner said he could not until the first painting is sold off. As no one wanted the painting, a single hand shot up to make a timid bid. It was the gardener who served the old man and his son for many long years. He said he treasured the painting but he could only afford at most $10 for it. The auctioner asked if there were any bid higher than $10. The gathering of buyers roared get on with it. They want the real deal.
The auctioner then threw down the gravel to seal the deal, then to everyone's surprise, declared the auction over. This drew anger from the crowd. The auctioner then explained that according to the old man's will, the person who bought his son's painting gets the rest of his collection of master paintings!
The lesson Fr Huang wants us to take away was this...the kingdom of God is the same. If we set our eyes and heart on Jesus and treasure Him, we get all the treasures of the kingdom of God as well. Personally, I was touched and moved by this analogy.
Just to share this sermon with you today :)
Love Theresa
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