Filial Piety
17th Sunday A
Ballymore
26 July 2026
My friends,
In the cultures of the Far East – the Orient, it is expected that the older members of the family and community be treated with great respect and reverence. They are to be respected for their life experience and the wisdom they have through living a long life. They are revered as a repository or storehouse of wisdom for the family and community, and reverence is reflected in they’re being consulted when major decisions are being made. It’s an expression of ‘filial piety’.
This contrasts sharply with our experience in the Western World, where youth and technology are seen as the cutting edge to decision making.
In the Scriptures, Solomon, is regarded as the Father and model of wisdom – all because as a young man humble enough to realise his lack of leadership skill and knowing the responsibility that lay ahead of him, his prayer to God was heartfelt and genuine.
“Give your servant a heart to understand how to discern between good and evil” and the Lord reassured him, “I give you a heart wise and shrewd as none before you has had and none will have after you.”
Leadership and responsibility for others is so important for society – to find a woman or man who has the interest of the people as a priority before any other personal concern. The world realises now how difficult it is to find such leadership – poor leadership has dire consequences for the people. I don’t need to suggest any examples from history – we have ample evidence from our experience at this time.
In the Gospel today there are wonderful images of the nature of the reign of God’s gifts in life. Probably, the most elegant is that of the pearl – a thing of such beauty and value that all else in life must be let go in order to possess it.
There is a beautiful poem by the Welsh poet, R.S Thomas, called ‘The Bright Field’ which was inspired by these verses.
The Bright Field
I have seen the sun break through to illuminate a small field for a while, and gone my way and forgotten it. But that was the pearl of great price, the one field that had treasure in it. I realize now that I must give all that I have to possess it. Life is not hurrying on to a receding future, nor hankering after an imagined past. It is the turning aside like Moses to the miracle of the lit bush, to a brightness that seemed as transitory as your youth once, but is the eternity that awaits you.
It is important for us on life’s path to pay attention to the field with the treasure in it.
Life is not hurrying on to a receding future – nor hankering after an imagined past.
It is now/the present in which we pay attention to where the treasure of our life rests.
The world we experience, both young and old is full of distraction – it calls for Solomon’s gift of a discerning judgment, a heart that understands. Agism is one of the new heresies – whereby our age is the basis for discrimination – in employment but in other areas of life too.
Today the Church recognises the role of the elders in family and in society – especially in family. The evolving pattern of our family living often separates grandchildren from their grandparents. This is potentially a great loss on both parts. For the grandchildren it’s the loss of opportunity to experience the wisdom, advice and friendship of their grandparents and for the grandparents to experience the joy and laughter a new generation brings.
It all can be understood in the image of the dragnet cast into the sea. When hauled ashore the fishermen sort the good from the bad. From experience it can be done quickly.
The moral challenge Solomon faces as a young man is no different from ours today in the world of Artificial Intelligence – to exercise our calling from God to choose wisely and know the difference between good and evil.
