2026/07/26 SCRIPTURE REFLECTION
Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
- Nicole Zenner, Chief of Staff & Strategy
Our parish has spent this year reflecting on encounter—encounter with Christ, encounter with one another, and encounter with the ways God is working in our lives. This Sunday's readings invite us into a moment of personal reflection, asking us to consider three important questions: What am I asking God for? What do I treasure most? And how is God calling me to use my gifts for His Kingdom?
In the first reading, Solomon receives an extraordinary offer from God: "Ask something of me and I will give it to you." Imagine being given that opportunity. What would we ask for?
Financial security? Good health? Safety for our family? Relief from a burden we are carrying?
Solomon's answer reveals a remarkable humility. Rather than seeking power or wealth, he asks for an understanding heart—a heart capable of listening, discerning, and serving. Solomon recognizes that what he needs most is not more possessions or influence, but wisdom. Do you perhaps see that in yourself too?
His prayer causes me to reflect on my own prayers. Too often I approach God with my list of gratitude and petitions, but all focused on my agenda. Solomon reminds me that perhaps my first prayer should be, "Lord, help me see. Help me understand. Help me become the person You are calling me to be."
A heart that listens is also a heart prepared for encounter. That leads naturally to the Gospel. Jesus tells the parables of the treasure hidden in a field and the pearl of great price. Unlike Solomon's story, these parables are not about asking. They are about recognizing - recognizing what they have found is worth more than everything else they possess.
The question for us from this Gospel reading is not, "What am I asking for?" but rather, "What do I treasure?" What is capturing my attention, my energy, my time, and my heart?
Jesus challenges all of us to consider whether we truly see God's Kingdom as our greatest treasure. Have we become so distracted by the demands of everyday life, the doomscrolling, and the pressure to be "Someone That Matters" that we overlook the treasure that is already present before us? Do we recognize Christ in our relationships, our Saint Clement community, our opportunities to serve those on the margins, and the quiet moments of grace that fill our days?
Encounter often begins with recognition. Before we can share Christ with others, we must first recognize Him ourselves. St. Paul's words to the Romans offer encouragement for this journey. He reminds us that "all things work for good for those who love God." God is continually at work in our lives, more often in ways we cannot yet see. He has called each of us by name and entrusted each of us with gifts that can help build His Kingdom.
Those gifts are not meant to be hidden or kept for ourselves. Some gifts are obvious talents; others are quieter strengths—a welcoming spirit, a compassionate heart, the ability to listen, the courage to accompany someone through a difficult time. Every gift becomes more meaningful when it is shared.
As we continue in these busy, but hopefully restful days of summer, perhaps these readings invite us to pause and reflect:
What am I asking God for in my prayer?
What do I treasure most?
What gifts has God entrusted to me?
How can I use those gifts to help others encounter Christ?
Like Solomon, may we seek understanding hearts. Like the merchant who found the pearl of great price, may we recognize the incomparable treasure of God's Kingdom. And like St. Paul, may we trust that God is at work in us and through us, calling us to share our gifts with the world. For it is through those gifts—and through our willingness to encounter one another—that Christ becomes visible in our midst.