Little Mary listened intently in Sunday school while the teacher explained the parable of the "treasure" and "pearl" and gave a detailed description of eternal bliss in Heaven. She concluded her class, asking the question, "All those who are ready to go to Heaven, raise your hands." Every hand went up except one. "Don't you want to go to Heaven, Mary?" asked the teacher. "Not this minute," Mary replied, "Mom was baking apple pie when I left home!" In today's Gospel, Jesus concludes a long series of parables about the reign of God by praising those wise men and women who have listened carefully, understood, and responded to his message. The first reading tells us how the young King Solomon opted for the great treasure of accepting God to rule his life and then doing God's will. That is why he asked of God "an understanding heart" to distinguish right from wrong so that he might govern God's people rightly. In the Gospel, Jesus teaches us that God's Kingdom is something of extraordinary value, like a hidden treasure or costly pearl, and that safeguarding it within us calls for total commitment. 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 are 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 the pearl, Jesus teaches us that identifying God's will and living according to the Gospel, both with His help, 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 and the most important things we must do to secure our eternal salvation.
Jesus is our true treasure. There is only one treasure that brings happiness, and that treasure is Jesus. If we find him, we will be truly happy. If you have already found him, as the treasure of your life, never lose him. The man in the first parable in the Gospel today found the treasure and went off happy. If we're not happy, we still haven't found Jesus or the kingdom of Heaven. If you're not happy, my advice is to turn to Jesus, and then you will find the happiness you seek. In the first two parables in the Gospel today, the men sold everything they had to acquire either the treasure or the pearl. Searching for Jesus and the kingdom of Heaven means we face choices and have to make decisions, sometimes hard decisions that we would prefer not to have to make. There will be passing treasures that, in the short-term, are tempting but don't offer us the happiness we want. In the first reading, Solomon passed upon fleeting treasures to have God's wisdom to discern between good and evil. There is the real treasure, Jesus, for whom we sometimes carry our cross to find Him, who is the treasure which gives us real happiness. By carrying our cross well, we will discover a pearl inside us, and that pearl is Jesus.
Most of the time, we are chasing false treasures such as money, status, or pleasure. Often, we are locked into regrets over the past or focused too much on the future. As a result, the enriching present passes us by, and the treasure is never discovered. Thus, the precious 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 reach of all of us 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. Right now, it is for us to use the time given to us to go in search of the pearl of great price and to help others in their search. We are challenged to search and discern where the Lord is calling us so that we may know what path to take. Let us remember that whenever we fight against discrimination, whenever we trust entirely in God, whenever our selflessness conquers selfishness, whenever our love overcomes sin, and our Faith overcomes suffering, whenever we render humble service to others, we are doing the will of God as it is done in Heaven. Hence, we are already living in the Kingdom of Heaven while we are still on earth. The pearl of great price in this life is also found in our human relationships: a happy family, good friends, and people who love and accept us, even if they nor we are perfect. We must give all we have to possess this great pearl. Through selfishness and self-worship, we can destroy entirely the bond of love joining us to God and each other, a bond that otherwise would flourish, surviving despite sickness, disease or geographical distance, and growing stronger when death divides us.