JULY 28th
17Th Sunday in Ordinary Time MT 13:44-52BACKGROUND
Today's selection from Matthew is a collection of parables (or stories) ending with a parable directing the readers to become like the disciples in order to understand the kingdom of heaven. The stories of the treasure and of the pearl, each of which is a symbol of Wisdom in the Hebrew Scriptures, point to the joy a true disciple experiences when s/he discovers the kingdom. The third story of the fisherman's net is an exhortation to avoid evil. The concluding reference to the head of the household invites the reader to listen to the story with the disciples. Like the scribe, the reader must hear the stories, contemplate their meaning and then apply that meaning to situations they encounter in their own lives.
STORY
According to a Jewish folktale, Isaac, a poor man who lived in the city of Krakow, had a recurring dream about a treasure in a box under a bridge in the city of Prague. The dream was so real that Isaac decided he must go and look for the treasure. He walked the three days journey to Prague and found the bridge of his dreams. Before he had a chance to search for the treasure, he was arrested. The police wondered what Isaac, a Jew, was doing under a bridge in the Gentile area of the city. They laughed at his story of a dream. How stupid he was to believe in a dream! One of the officers said he, too, had been having a dream about a treasure hidden under a stove in the kitchen of a peasant named Isaac who lived in the city of Krakow. He, however, was not foolish enough to waste his time and make the journey to Krakow just because of a dream. When the officers tired of making fun of Isaac, they threw him out, telling him to go home and forget about dreams. Isaac hurried home, making the return journey in less than three days. He went directly to the stove in his kitchen. There he found a treasure large enough to make him a wealthy man for the many, many remaining years of his life.
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