Posted by The WORD in other words (2022) by Fr Elmer Ibarra SVD – Central Australia
Wednesday 17th Week Ordinary Time
Here in Central Australia, the territory of the Aboriginal people of Australia, whose culture and civilization are more than 60,000 years old, the land is considered sacred to them. There are places where only men can go, and there are places where only women can go. There are also places where non-Aboriginal people are prohibited from entering, as they believe that we might disturb the land. That is why signposts are placed in the area, and it is recommended to ask the Aboriginal residents before taking any action.
During the time of Christ, ownership of the land was of paramount importance. How rich a person was depended on how much land he had. Everything that was on the land was considered their property as well. If something was found on the land, such as a treasure, it would belong to the owner of the land. If somebody found a treasure and they were not the owner of the land, they would have to give back the treasure or risk being accused of stealing. That is why, in the parable, the finder of the treasure bought the field so that they could own the treasure.
The same is true for all of us; if we find something that we desire, we will move heaven and earth to obtain it. This leads us to the question: What is genuinely important in our lives that we are willing to “sell all we have” to obtain? Hopefully, the promise of eternal life in the kingdom of heaven is enough motivation for us to sell everything we own and obtain it.
So, how can we do that? If we all give our lives in the service of others, especially to the more unfortunate; if we depend on the providence of God to give us all that we need rather than being selfish and only looking after ourselves, then we know that the kingdom of heaven will be ours for the taking.
One comment