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17th Sunday in Ordinary Time

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Fr. Chad VanHoose, Associate Pastor

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earlier this week I had the opportunity to catch up with an old buddy of mine whose name is Vince so I got Vince and his wife and his three young daughters all under the age of 3 and we go to the place that any recovery in when would go to for breakfast Cracker Barrel  they're having breakfast there Cracker Barrel and we have a great visit and I've known them now for 7 years  see I first got to know him when we were both Discerning priesthood we were both following Jesus asking that question what's God calling me to  Vince at the time had just graduated from the University of Minnesota is a good gopher and he was working for Target corporate office so we got a good job after graduation but he was dissatisfied he come home at night and we live together for a summer exhausted because he's sold pillows for Target all across the country I need ask the question what AM what's my life mounting to hear I sell pillows for Target what good am I doing here and so he kept pursuing the Lord as I kept pursuing the Lord my path obviously led the priesthood and his led to read life eventually he quit his job at Target because he knew it just wasn't what would satisfy him he found another job at the University of middle go to an admissions so went back to his alma mater and he started dating he met a young gal and they really hit it off they both love Jesus and two years into my Seminary career I had the great joy to serve at Vince's wedding here the day he was Tina's bride  Vince and his wife Danielle got a shock when after the honeymoon they realized we've not one but two baby girls on our honeymoon so their life right away was filled he had a new job he had a new wife he had two baby girls on the way and his life was just on the right track finally he was finding Jesus finding happiness in the way he was living so you can imagine that we were all shot I'm two years into their marriage Vince and his wife after lots of discernment lots of prayer decide we're going to sell our home we're going to sell everything that we have  and we're going to become Catholic missionaries in India picked up their entire family there two baby girls under the age of one and they move to India to become missionaries Anna brought them the greatest joy because they've been falling in love with Jesus so much ask play win the question what do you want from us that's making this decision gave them even more peace send more joy because it was with the Lord and so to get together with my friend Vents and have breakfast with them and to hear the stories was a great joy for me because it's the first time we've seen each other in a long time and the first time since now he and I have laid down our lives Define that great Pearl that pearl of great price we both now surrendered nearly everything to find that Pearl in the gospel today we hear Jesus tell the parable the merchants sells everything he has to get that one pearl of great price my friend Vince and his wife and their family by the way they have three daughters now as I mentioned under the age of 3 living in India they have given everything that's a radical witness to us the gospel Parable my friend Vince these are radical exam I'm selling everything giving everything over to the Lord that we would find that Pearl but this sent that was his purpose in life it makes sense because his one job he is one purpose his one goal in life was to Find Pearl's so many cells everything to find that one Pearl to buy it Tempest acid to obtain it it makes sense it was the goal of his life even though it was a radical decision brothers and sisters the Lord calls us each in our lives to make those decisions as well but we might ask ourselves what's our purpose or not Merchants we're not looking for fine pearls but what's our goal what's our purpose in life it's this to know love and serve God in this life and to be happy with him for in the next life this is our goal this is what drives us that we would find God self we find them in this life and we find him in the next life forever that's our goal that's all a purpose and anything that gets in the way of that needs to be sold we need to get rid of it because it's not leading to our ultimate goal now I saying that you need to sell everything you own and go to Indy and be missionaries no am I saying that all the men here need to go off the Seminary and become priests no but each of us needs to ask that Shin how is Jesus calling me to sell everything to give him everything back because he deserves it and it's ultimately the cost that we must pay to find that pearl of great price but what's it look like in 21st century America what does selling everything we have look like I'll give you a few examples maybe some of close to home  maybe it had too much stuff your garage your attic year after year we just cumulate things priests are not exempt from this  maybe that stuff's is keeping you from the Pearl so tell it get rid of it better yet bring it to the garage sale this week will sell it for you get rid of that that's holding you back I'll probably even go through feather Wilson stuff later this week and get rid of his stuff you know we can all do a little prune I'm here maybe it's the time you spend on your smartphone every week maybe some of you have already checked your phone during this homily all Denny's Hot Chat Instagrams that time can just be a burden and never ending in our lives it can keep us from attaining that pearl of great price maybe it's a television show or a movie that you watch regularly and you know it's keeping from the Pearl but you make justifications you make excuses get rid of it  what if it is your job like my friend Vince you know yeah it's providing for me but this isn't leading me to the Pearl it's actually he sing me from it these are questions that we need to ask ourselves because what if we get to the end of our life all this stuff we have a good job you have our cell phone we have all these things but we don't reach our goal what good would the merchant have been who the own was in search of fine pearls and he didn't get that pearl of greatest Price what good is it if we have all this stuff but don't find Our Lord we don't find the girl  brothers and sisters St Paul has comforting words for us today in the second reading he says all things all things work for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose all things work for our good when we love God and we we are called according to his purpose when we enter into the last today let's ask for the grace to leave behind all those things keeping us from the Pearl that we would come forward it to you and receive our Lord we would receive that pearl of great price and leave everything else find

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17th Sunday in Ordinary Time

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