The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure buried and suddenly discovered. Out of joy the discoverer sells all he has and buys the field to preserve the treasure. The Kingdom of Heaven is like a pearl long searched for and finally found. Its value is worth giving up everything to preserve it.
These two parables are descriptions of conversion experiences for those who become disciples of Christ. For some that is a sudden discovery of the love of Christ. For others it is a journey searching for meaning in life that is found in the love of Christ. In either case it is a surrendering of ourselves to doing God’s will whatever that is and wherever that may lead us.
The joy and peace that comes with the discovery of Jesus and allowing Him to be the focus of our lives affects our view of the world, our relationships with one another, our ability to bear the crosses that come our way and to look to the future with hope.
St. Theresa of Avila described our time in this passing world as a bad night in a bad inn. Bad nights are temporary and pass; the Son can bring us the dawn of a new day but we must be open to his presence however it is revealed.
In our 1st reading Solomon seeks the gift of wisdom, an understanding heart. St. Paul in the 2nd reading declares with assurance that “all things work for good to those who love God.“ The most complete treasure, the most valuable pearl can be glimpsed in the lesser moments that point us to Christ and invite us to discover him more fully.
Sometimes there are such treasures which value we underestimate. I am not sure they produce them anymore, but as a child I always anticipated a prize that was in a Cracker Jack box which lifted my spirits. In everyday life a treasure that can lift our spirits may be found in a flower, a song, the feel of air conditioning on a hot summer day, a good rain in the midst of draught, a fond memory, a friend. Each can be reflections of God’s love but we must be open to discovering them and valuing them.
The story is told of an elderly woman in Scotland who was so poor that her neighbors had to help to provide for her. They were happy to do so but were annoyed that her son who had gone to America to seek his fortune did nothing to help her. One day the mother overheard this talk and defended her son by saying “he writes me every week and always sends me a little strange looking picture. I keep them in my Bible.” There between the pages of her Bible were hundreds of hundred dollar bills. Treasure unrecognized. Jesus became man that he might be recognized as of great value.
There is a poem entitled Treasures written by a mom about her young son that catches what simple things can be, not what is of earthly value but that which brings joy. It reads: “His overalls hung on the hook by his hat, and I noticed his pockets were bulging fat. So I emptied them out in a pile on the chair, and I tenderly touched every treasure with care. There were three rubber bands, a parking lot ticket, two paper clips and a fishing cricket, a camphor ball and an empty match box, a half dozen nails and a couple of rocks, a yellow golf tee, two lollipop sticks, a marble, a spool and three toothpicks, a knife and a pencil, some dry corn silk, a wire and a cap from a bottle of milk, a rusty door key and white chicken feather, an old clock gear and a piece of leather, a flashlight bulb and three or four strings, a broken dog biscuit and two hair springs. Then I gathered them up, all his treasures so grand, every rock, every nail and each rubber band, and I put them all back, then I kissed him goodnight, and he smiled in his sleep as I turned out the light. And I thrilled as I thought of the fun and the joy such trivial things could give to a boy.”
That mom’s treasure was her son, a reflection of God’s son, not trivial in the least. How sad it is in this day Pope Frances calls our “throw away” culture, for those who do not see such treasures in the unborn or neglected child, or in the grandma and grandpa whose memory is adrift and needs care; they are reflections of God’s love.
The story is told of a medical student who vowed never to entrust her children to a nanny. She said when she was a child her wealthy parents would go on vacation to Europe each year and leave her in the care of her nanny. One year when she was about 11 the nanny quit just before the planned vacation so the parents hired a substitute. The little girl noticed her mother wrapping up and hiding family valuables like silverware. The daughter asked her why she was doing that since she had never done that before. Her mother explained that she could not trust the new nanny who they did not know well with the family valuables. The little girl concluded that she apparently was not a family valuable since the stranger would be entrusted with her. She never wanted her daughter to think that way. Treasures, pearls of great value are all around us and point to the greatest treasure: our Savior Jesus Christ. We miss them if we search for what the world declares is of value, things, money, power, popularity which never bring lasting joy.
Among the most neglected treasures and pearls available to us are those that are spiritual. They include the many forms of prayer, the sacraments especially the Holy Eucharist and confession, Sacred Scripture, and the moral and social teachings of Christ all to be found in the Church, a priceless treasure. The fact that you are praying with us today suggests that you are searching for what is of ultimate value that gives hope. It is in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ that lasting joy can be found.
In the Our Father we pray” thy kingdom come, they will be done on earth as it is in heaven”. When we pray that His kingdom come, his will be done with sincerity and with a willingness to forgo all else to obtain it, we will have accepted the gift of an understanding heart that Solomon sought, and be able to proclaim for ourselves what St. Paul declared, “All things work for good to those who love God.”