A few weeks ago, I contacted a couple of removal companies for quotes for my move to my new parish in Harrow. Both removal companies, when they carried out their surveys, quickly came to the conclusion that what I will be mainly taking with me are books. They were right. I do have a rather large book collection and my books are some of my most treasured possessions. I am a keen collector of classics, fantasy novels and children’s books. Some are more valuable than others. There are the paperback novels that aren’t worth anything except to me (for sentimental reasons), and there are the rare special or first editions that would fetch quite hefty prices on eBay.
I would never move anywhere without my books. Without them, I would lose an important part of me. The characters in those novels and stories are as dear to me as my friends in real life are. In fact, to lose any one of my books would upset me. But this Sunday’s Gospel puts things in perspective. We all have material possessions we consider priceless but the parables in this Sunday’s Gospel invite us to ask ourselves, “What is truly the most important thing in life? What should I value most? How do I find it and how do I keep it?”
In the Gospel, using three short parables, Jesus teaches us that God’s Kingdom is something of extraordinary value, like a hidden treasure or a costly pearl. Possessing that treasure demands from us a total commitment if we are to preserve it. The Kingdom of God is God’s reign in our hearts, in our lives, in our homes, in our society, and in our world. Only those who develop a searching mind and a heart willing to give up everything for the great treasure of God’s Kingdom will be rewarded.
Through the first and second parables of the treasure and pearl, Jesus teaches us that identifying God’s will and living according to the Gospel (both with His grace), are the most precious and worthwhile things in life. Through Jesus and his Gospel, we come to know and understand the real meaning of life, the will of God for us each day, and the most important things we must do to secure our eternal salvation.
We should live every moment in view of our precious goal. Most of the time, we are chasing false treasures such as money, social status, or worldly pleasures. Thus, the really valuable “pearl” of sharing in God’s life through Jesus here on earth and later in Heaven, is never found. Let us always remember that Heaven is within the reach of all who try to do the will of God, following the ordinary vocations of life and enjoying this world’s joys and pleasures within the framework of God’s Commandments. When we do this, we are already living in the Kingdom of Heaven while we are still on earth.
We need to take all precautions to keep our greatest treasure safe. As disciples of Jesus, we must be prepared to put him and the Kingdom of Heaven first in our lives. On our part, this may involve surrendering some of the things to which we are most attached, either in the material sense or in the sense of ideas and ambitions we hold dear. We are encouraged to see this, however, as something that will bring us joy, just as the man who found a treasure in a field went off happily to sell everything he owned, in order to purchase the field.
