August 02, 2017

Gospel: Mt 13:44-46
The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure, hidden in a field. The one who finds it, buries it again; and so happy is he, that he goes and sells everything he has, in order to buy that field.
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a trader, who is looking for fine pearls. Once he has found a pearl of exceptional quality, he goes away, sells everything he has and buys it.

REFLECTION:
Encountering the Lord Jesus and being invited to his Kingdom is like finding a treasure or discovering a pearl of great price. When given this tremendous blessing we are not to allow it to escape us; on the contrary, we should do everything, and if need be, give up everything to possess it. Jesus himself is the Kingdom in person. To hear oneself being addressed by him amounts to coming across the most precious of all treasures. Obviously, the only reasonable thing to do is to stake everything on him.
The two parables suggest that in order to possess Christ and to enter His Kingdom, it is necessary to leave everything behind. Detachment from everything that is incompatible is an indispensable condition. The Gospel uses the phrase “sell everything” to illustrate this point. This could mean having to die to oneself, selfishness, craving for security, appetite for domination, desire for comfort, desire for adulation and worldly fame. One has to give up everything in order to have Christ as his or her sole possession. One must give up all personal idols so that he or she can worship only Him.