17th Week in Ordinary Time - Matthew 13:44-52

Transformation Tuesdays

Transformation Tuesdays was inspired by the CD "The Jesus Question" by Matthew Kelly. Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione and Aaron Emig recap the Gospel from the prior Sunday and give action steps and resources to transform our lives for that week every Tuesday at 2:10 p.m. at Morris Hall from Ss. Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Collinsville, IL…A Spiritual Home from Everyone where we strive to Be, Grow and Make Disciples. Music and vocals provided by our parish choir. Deacon Jimmy: Hello, I’m Deacon Jimmy… Aaron Emig: And I’m Aaron Emig… And this week are celebrating the 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time… And our question for the week is: What does the Kingdom of Heaven mean? This week’s Gospel come from: Matthew 13:44-52 Deacon Jimmy: I read once, The Kingdom of Heaven should be understood as the good life for all people and it begins in the present moment. In today's Gospel, the man who found treasure seized the moment for a new life when it came. He was willing to trade everything he had for this new-found treasure. So, must we. It doesn’t matter how old or how young you are, it’s never too late or too early in life. Please understand, God loves us just the way we are, but He loves us so much that He refuses to leave us just the way we are. Aaron Emig: Jesus again talks to us in parables… This time he explains what the kingdom of heaven is like… He compares it to the great riches of the world so people can understand… Like a buried treasure in a field… And pearls that are very valuable… The person that finds the treasure goes and gives up everything he owns to buy that field… The merchant also sells everything he owns just to have the pearls… For us to reach heaven we must give up our lives and possessions to do God’s will… Not our will but to serve God at every given moment… Are you willing to give up everything in your life to God’s will to reach heaven? Deacon Jimmy: If the Kingdom of Heaven starts right now, then it requires some action on our part. So, the Kingdom of Heaven on earth then, is more a verb than it is a noun. It is an action word. Jesus calls us to be an active part of this Kingdom of Heaven. Not just a by-stander but an active participant. God calls us all to be great Saints, don’t miss the opportunity. Start today, it’s just the right time. Aaron Emig: Not to be assumptive, but I’m assuming most people would like to go to heaven… Because we will be with God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit… So, if that’s our ultimate goal in life then what do we need to do to get there? In Matthew 11:27 Jesus promises us this… “No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.” So, if Jesus will introduce us to Father… Then doesn’t it make common sense for all of us to build our personal relationship with Jesus? We need to become BFFs with Jesus through the daily gospel and prayer… So, he will he will send the Holy Spirit to guide us to do God the Father’s will here on earth… Deacon Jimmy: Wisdom Words of the Week are… "It doesn't matter if you're a late bloomer as long as you don't miss the flower show." Aaron Emig: The Transformation Tool is… A Quick Introduction to Bible CD by Matthew Kelly… I just listened to it again and picked up some more ideas… Just like we have heard stories from the Bible a few times… Each time they can have a different meaning to you based on where you are in your life… Again, Matthew gives a guide to really get the most out of the Bible… We are giving out free copies at Morris Hall each Tuesday at 2:10 p.m. Aaron Emig: Transformation Tuesday Prayer… “Jesus, how do You want me to transform my life today?” Deacon Jimmy: We would like to thank our parish choir for the music and vocals in our program. And God Bless you all from Ss. Peter and Paul Catholic Church, a Spiritual Home for Everyone where we are striving to Be, Grow, and Make Disciples…