We are the Pearl – Reflection on Matthew 13:44-52
We are precious to God. He has found and surrounds us with love, peace, and joy. To Jesus, we are the pearl of great value, the treasure hidden in a field. He desires that we want to increase what He started. One of the facets to do so is to immerse ourselves in deep prayer and silence with God. This one-on-one time will unveil beyond the partial we already know. Doing so creates an ever-expanding continuum toward understanding the evil that already has and continues to penetrate our being subtly. Before prayer, to prepare to “hear” our faults, we can imagine that God “sold” Jesus, his only son, to be on the Cross for our salvation. Our self-purging process is intensely challenging, but we have the capacity to try. Jesus helps us to separate our own good and evil before entering the fullness of heaven.
The Hidden Treasure by James Tissot (full resolution painting).
More details are available on the Brooklyn Museum website.
Additional Ordinary Time Reflections
Matthew 13:55-52 – Scripture*
44 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which someone found and hid; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls; 46 on finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.
47 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and caught fish of every kind; 48 when it was full, they drew it ashore, sat down, and put the good into baskets but threw out the bad. 49 So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous 50 and throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Treasures New and Old
51 “Have you understood all this?” They answered, “Yes.” 52 And he said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like the master of a household who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.
Thank you for meditating on this daily Gospel reading and considering this Matthew 13:44-52 Reflection – We are the Pearl.