Jesus gives three examples of what the kingdom of Heaven is like in today’s Gospel reading. I struggle with the comparisons He uses
compared with the norms in today’s world; after all we don’t hear of people finding buried treasure today. But I realized I was missing the
point of these parables. Jesus is simply telling us we must make a choice; will we value the things of this world or of Heaven? If we
choose the way of Jesus we must live with purpose and show God we value His love. How do we put God first? As Jesus says, we must sell all we have and purchase that field with the buried treasure! Of course this is easier said than done. It’s not easy to put our lives in order, giving our whole self to God, trusting Him and surrendering our will to Him. That is what He refers to, not our physical possessions. I recall my early days of formation where the wonderful people leading and forming us told us that we would change if we were serious in our study and prayer. I was a bit fearful, wondering what this would mean for me. This is where trust is put to the test. I certainly struggled with the demands placed upon me and with the idea of surrender. This is not something that comes easily for us. And even though the days of formation are over, surrender is a daily decision. Ordination doesn’t make the wonders and allure of our earthly world disappear. However the grace of the sacrament helps us choose wisely. Each of us received the grace of Baptism to assist us with our choice.
Each of us must decide what we will do with our lives; how we will live, which kingdom will we place our trust in? One of the best things we can do with this decision is to take it to prayer. God is always listening to us when we are sincere with our pleadings and questions. We then need to listen to God when He responds.
God’s blessings upon each of us as we make our daily decision which kingdom we will follow.
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