All the Gold in the World | 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time

By: Deacon Timothy John Walsh, Jr.
Seminarian, Archdiocese of Boston

When Christopher Columbus returned from the New World, his voyages opened the way for vast amounts of gold and silver to flow into Europe. The sudden influx of precious metals caused widespread inflation and contributed to the gradual decline of the Spanish Empire. Even the greatest earthly wealth could not secure its future.

If you had all the money in the world, what would it buy you? If you possessed everything you ever desired, would it truly satisfy you, or would it ultimately destroy you? So much of our lives is spent placing our trust in the wealth of this world. Yet none of it will remain with us beyond our brief earthly lives.

King Solomon possessed every gift a king could desire. He was wiser than any man, wealthier than any ruler, and enjoyed God’s favor. Yet those gifts did not satisfy him. He devoted much of his wisdom to building an earthly kingdom, but after his death that kingdom was divided. Although God had given him extraordinary blessings, Solomon did not always use them well. He took for granted the gifts he had received.

Are we like Solomon? Do we value the gifts God has given us? Do we recognize them as signs of His faithfulness, reminders that He will never abandon us or leave us orphans?

Do we treasure the greater things or the lesser things? Do we recognize the greatest gift God has given us? Do we store up treasures for this life alone, or for eternity? The greatest pearl God offers us is the gift of faith. Do we cherish that gift?

Unlike gold, or even earthly wisdom, the gift of faith never perishes. It can never destroy us, and if we remain faithful, we will never truly lose it. God remains faithful to us always. His love never dies and can never be exhausted. If we persevere in prayer, we remain close to Him, and He remains with us.