Matthew 13, 44 - 52
Today's Gospel reading has three parables. I see two parts. The parable of the treasure buried in a field and the parable of the merchant's search for fine pearls constitute the first part. The parable of the net belongs to the second part.
I think the parable of the treasure buried in the field applies to persons who realize God wants a relationship with them. These persons then take the necessary steps to protect the connection. They recognize that to remain committed to God, they must fully commit themselves and build their lives around the relationship with Christ. This is the person St. Ignatius describes:
I will ponder with great affection how much God our Lord has done for me, and how much He has given me of what He possesses, and finally, how much, as far as He can, the same Lord desires to give Himself to me according to His divine decrees.
Then I will reflect upon myself, and consider, according to all reason and justice, what I ought to offer the Divine Majesty, that is, all I possess and myself with it. Thus, as one would do who is moved by great feeling, I will make this offering of myself.
Contemplation to Attain the Love of God 1st Point. The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola
I think the parable of the person's search for fine pearls mirrors the lives of persons seeking what would fulfill them. They may seek power or fame as their fine pearls but remain unhappy. They are people St. Augustine of Hippo identified with when he wrote:
Great are You, O Lord, and greatly to be praised; great is Your power, and of Your wisdom there is no end. And man, being a part of Your creation, desires to praise You — man, who bears about with him his mortality, the witness of his sin, even the witness that You resist the proud, — yet man, this part of Your creation, desires to praise You. You move us to delight in praising You; for You have made us for Yourself, and our hearts are restless until they rest in You.
Confessions of St. Augustine 1, 1
They may have found other fine pearls and purchased them, but when they see a pearl of great price πολύτιμον μαργαρίτην (polytimon margaritēn - very precious pearl), they sell all the other fine pearls they have been keeping so far to buy that single pearl.
The common thread in the two parables is the level of investment the buyers put in. Both of them risk everything to have what they want.
The parables are addressed to us, disciples of our Lord. We are being asked to consider the level of our commitment to being citizens in God's Kingdom. What do we become in the process of commitment? Are we people who will buy the field, i.e., the whole lifestyle that protected the treasure? Would we be willing to give up everything for our relationship with God? Can we consider our Lord's words to the rich young man:
If you wish to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to [the] poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.
Matthew 19, 21
Will we allow ourselves to be confronted by the question St. Ignatius posed to Francis Xavier when they were in the early stages of their friendship?
What profit is there for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?
Mark 8, 36
Nothing in the world takes priority over God's Kingdom.
The parable of the net illustrates how our life goes on. The Greek word used for the net is σαγήνῃ (sagēnē, a dragnet, a type of weighted net which is dragged along the bottom of a body of water. Once pulled up into a boat or on the shore, the good καλὰ (kala --- attractively good; that which inspires (motivates) others to embrace what is lovely (beautiful, praiseworthy)) is gathered into vessels, and the bad σαπρὰ (sapra --- what is of poor quality, unfit for use, putrid) cast out. We readily assume that the dragnet catches only good and bad fish. However, the dragnet may have snagged other items at the bottom of the lake or sea. It is an apt wording for the sentence which follows.
Thus it will be at the end of the age. The angels will go out and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.
Matthew 13, 49 – 50
At the Last Judgment, God will clearly show what is good and evil.
When we take the three parables together, the picture emerges that committing ourselves to Christ means total commitment. To live according to that commitment means allowing the values of the Kingdom of God to be the dragnet that will enable us to discern what is good from the bad --- to keep the good and cast out the bad.
The measure of the Kingdom, which will enable us to pick the good from the bad, is the Beatitudes.
At the end of a pastoral visit to Sweden in 2016, Pope Francis shared a list of beatitudes that we may use to interrogate ourselves:
Blessed are those who remain faithful while enduring evils inflicted on them by others and forgive them from their heart.
Blessed are those who look into the eyes of the abandoned and marginalized and show them their closeness.
Blessed are those who see God in every person and strive to make others also discover him.
Blessed are those who protect and care for our common home.
Blessed are those who renounce their own comfort in order to help others.
Blessed are those who pray and work for full communion between Christians.
All these are messengers of God's mercy and tenderness. Surely they will receive from him their merited reward.
His Holiness Pope Francis
Pope Francis summarizes how the Beatitudes can be seen in our total commitment:
The Beatitudes are the image of Christ and consequently of each Christian.
* * *
The Beatitudes are in some sense the Christian's identity card. They identify us as followers of Jesus. We are called to be blessed, to be followers of Jesus, to confront the troubles and anxieties of our age with the spirit and love of Jesus. Thus we ought to be able to recognize and respond to new situations with fresh spiritual energy.
His Holiness Pope Francis
Let us then help each other become saints praying for ourselves and each other.
Take, Lord, and receive all my liberty, my memory, my understanding, and my entire will, all that I have and possess. Thou hast given all to me. To Thee, O Lord, I return it. All is Thine, dispose of it wholly according to Thy will. Give me Thy love and Thy grace, for this is sufficient for me.
The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola
Francis, His Holiness Pope. "Homily of His Holiness Pope Francis at the Holy Mass in Swedbank Stadion, Malmö, Sweden." news release, 1 November 2016, 2016, https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/homilies/2016/documents/papa-francesco_20161101_omelia-svezia-malmo.html.
Hippo, St. Augustine of. "The Confessions of St. Augustine." The Project Gutenberg Etext the The Confessions of Saint Augustine, 397-400.
Loyola, St. Ignatius of. "The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola." https://spex.ignatianspirituality.com/PuhlTranslation.html.
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