Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary time –Year AIF THE DREAMS BECOME TRUE...1 Kings 3: 5, 7-12
Romans 8:28-30
Mathew 13:44-52
Dear friends in Christ Jesus, how are you all? Did you all sleep well last night? How many of you had dreams yesterday or in your life? Last week we have celebrated the second death anniversary of Dr. A P J Abdul Kalam the late president of India. He was the person of hope especially for the youngsters. Whenever he meets the youth he used to tell that “dear youngsters Dream, Dream, Dream; because dream transforms into thoughts and thoughts results in action”. Thus he says “dream that are not those comes while we are sleeping, but dream is that which does not let you to sleep”.
So dear friends every one experiences dream in his or her life. And with dream so many people have achieved their goals in their life. And to some people have changed the world’s history through their dreams. Thus dream gives enthusiasm, and interest to achieve their goals in life. Today with the readings we will reflect how people have achieved their hearts desire with their dreams.
What is Dream?
Dreams are series of thoughts, images, and sensations occurring in a person's mind during sleep. Also it occurs with cherished aspiration, ambition, or ideal. Hence Dreams are a universal language and it creates often elaborate images out of emotional concepts.
How does dream occurs?
Dreams are basically stories and images in our mind. It comes while we sleep. Dreams can be vivid and it occurs anytime during sleep. But most vivid dreams occur during deep sleep, and in this period we have REM (rapid eye movement), and the brain is most active. According to Sigmund Freud when you have unfulfilled desire it comes out during the dream. So dream is a path way to fulfill your unfulfilled desire. And some author say that we get three kinds of dreams. Good dreams, bad dreams, and confused dreams.
Good Dreams:
When the person thinks of pleasant things in his or her mind during the day until he goes to bed, this experience turns into Good dreams in the night. For example in the first reading the king Solomon gets a good dream. And during the dream God reveals the greater gift to him. In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream at night and God said, “Ask what you wish me to give you.” Now, Solomon thought it is a dream so he asked “O LORD my God, You have made Your servant king in place of my father David, yet I am but a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in. Your servant is in the midst of Your people which You have chosen, a great people who are too many to be numbered or counted. So give Your servant an understanding heart and to judge Your people also to discern between good and evil.”
God found the demand of Solomon was real and just also it pleased God so God said to him, “you have not asked for yourself long life, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have you asked for the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself discernment to understand justice, behold, I have done according to your words. Behold, I have given you a wise and discerning heart, so that there has been no one like you before you, nor shall one like you arise after you. Dear friends it was a pleasant dream for Solomon. And this dream totally changed the life of King Solomon. Today you and I get dreams. How do we react after our dreams? Do we accept that the dreams are real? So first of all we must understand that dreams come from God. If the dreams come from God surely it will be blessings to all of us like King Solomon.
Bad Dreams:
During the day when you think of unpleasant events this turns to be bad dreams during the night. When you understand it is a bad dream and it follows with the consequences. For example in the New Testament we see it was the time when Jesus was arrested and brought before King Pilot for judgment. Firstly, after investigation pilot found that Jesus was innocent and he understood that because of the hatredness of Jews and the high priests they brought Jesus for the judgment. Secondly, while he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent him a message, saying, “Have nothing to do with that righteous Man; for last night I suffered greatly in a dream because of Him.” (Mt 27:19). Thus King pilot was warned to make right judgment through the dream of his wife; but what happened? To possess his own kingship king pilot was not able to make right judgment. Though he had all kinds of power to free Jesus yet he failed to make right judgment.
Confused Dreams
This is a dream connected with bad dreams and sometimes we may not be able to remember what kinds of dream we had during the night. For example; there was a king in the Old Testament he had terrible dream in the night. He was afraid of the dream and not able to sleep for long time at the same time he was not able to remember the dream and it meaning. The King asked so many people about the dream but no one had wisdom to reveal the dreams of the king. Now God chooses Daniel to go before the King Nebuchadnezzar and to reveal his dreams.
Daniel said “As for you, O king, while on your bed your thoughts turned to what would take place in the future; and He who reveals mysteries has made known to you what will take place in the future”. So the future life of King Nebuchadnezzar was revealed in his dream. The moment king understood the meaning of his dream immediately he prostrated in the ground and worshiped the Lord. Do you want to know the dreams of the king kindly go and read the book of Daniel 2: 19-38.
Yes dear friends we cannot avoid dreams in our lives but dreams also reveal the plan of God and sometimes it brings bountiful blessings of God in our lives. For example in today’s he Gospel Jesus speaks of the kingdom of heaven. The kingdom of heaven is compered to three parables.
First the hidden treasure:
My dear brothers and sisters the psychologists say that dreams are the precious gift for all the humanity. Because today people are tensed, worried, always carry so many problems in their mind and so some people do not get peaceful sleep during the night. Now the dream is one of the way to shows you that you have very good peaceful sleep. Thus during the dreams you forget all the worries and difficulties etc. hence dreams are precious gift. And Jesus says that this precious treasure is hidden within you and if any one finds it he rejoices. King Solomon found this precious treasure during the dream and God blessed him abundantly.
A Costly Pearl:
Our dreams are like costly pearls and it has greater value in the life of Man. in the New Testament there was a righteous man namely Joseph the husband of Mary. He had a dream in his sleeping. During his dream he found that Mother Mary is a costly pearl so to obtain the pearl of Mother Mary Joseph gave up all that he had as a possession. Hence, the dream of joseph brought greater joy in his life. Also in the second reading St. Paul tells us that every Christian has a costly pearl in them. The pearl is the image of God. If you are able to see the image of God during the dream and after the dream if you are able to see the image of God in your neighbours then surely you have the costly pearl in your life.
Fishing Net
Through the parable of fishing net Jesus tell us that when we cost the net into the sea it carries all kinds of fishes but the fisher man chooses only the good and best fishes rest he throws out. In the same way during the sleep we get so many dreams but all the dreams does not bring the blessings of God but only few dreams brings blessing in the lives of the people as the dream of Solomon, and Joseph.
So dear friends nobody can stop the dream during the sleep. But at the same time dream gives meaning to our life and it helps us to achieve our goals. And through the liturgy God tell us that through our dream God showers his bountiful blessing as He showered to King Solomon, St Joseph etc. so lets us pray together that we may get good sleep in the night and may the angel of God reveal to us all our future plan during our dreams. God bless you all.
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