Today’s Reflection
Gospel: Matthew 13: 44-46
July 30, 2025 | Wednesday

Today’s Gospel

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.

Today’s Reflection

In the Sermon of the Mount, Jesus said, “Seek first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these other things will be given unto you.” In the Lord’s prayer, the first petition is “Thy kingdom come, they will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” Jesus teaches us that in Him, God Himself is present, and the kingdom of God comes when His will is done on earth as it is in heaven. In today’s Gospel, Jesus stresses the importance, worth, and value of our seeking and finding the kingdom of God by comparing it to a hidden treasure or a pearl of great price.

The two parables are similar but different. In the first parable, the hidden treasure is found by accident, and the finder buries it again and then sells his assets to buy the field. In the second parable, the trader seeks fine pearls and finds a pearl of exceptional quality that he sells to possess it. These two parables illustrate how we can obtain the kingdom of God and how we can find Jesus and enter into a treasured relationship with Him. The first parable intimates that Jesus could come to us on His own initiative, often unexpectedly and under unexplainable circumstances, by the power of His grace. The second parable spotlights the significance of seeking and searching for God with all our hearts, minds, and souls.

The key question to each one of us now is,” What do we value most in life? What do we focus our efforts on, devote most of our time to, or spend our resources on? What do we aim or aspire to achieve with our struggles and sacrifices? Most of us cherish the love of family or the fellowship of friends. Acquiring assets to have a comfortable, easy, and pleasurable lifestyle is a reasonable goal. The desire for power, position, or popularity could be in some of us.

However, we must recognize that all these matters we may hold dear are temporary and transitory. We could briefly lose them while we are still alive; we will permanently lose them when we die. Jesus is teaching us that what is most precious and valuable is for us to join Him in the kingdom of heaven. He pointed out the singular path to the everlasting life He offers. We must be willing to renounce, forego, and abandon all the pursuits that could lead us astray from His way.

/Vulnerasti, 2025