Anne Lastman
17th Sunday in ordinary time, the Gospel about the Pearl of Great Price. (Mt.13:44-52).
I have to admit that every time this Gospel comes around I listen, I ponder, I look around at stained glass windows and go into a sort of meditation. I hear and have heard what seems to be hundreds of times the homilies on this parable given by the various priests, almost all seeming to have read from the same “song book” All similar and yet nothing deeper than last year’s homily .
“The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought the field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he sound one of great value he went away and sold everything he had and bought it”.
The various homilies delivered were and are not bad explanations but it seems to me that the homilies are so mundane, delivered and explained to parishioners who probably don’t listen, won’t hear it, or hear it and think about what to make for lunch, and will quickly leave the church and not think about it further. Maybe one day trying on a beautiful pearl necklace or earrings they might think about the cost of such a necklace and about giving away all just to get this. For the most part asking parishioners what’s the pearl of great price for you.? Can you give up everything for such a pearl.? What would be the hardest thing for you to give up or give away?
I suppose I do get frustrated at times and wish that the people would hear a Gospel in its deepest form and meaning. To see Jesus in front of them and asking the same question and maybe explaining the pearl itself. I also do ask myself what is it that I would give up for that pearl and I’m not sure I can answer that question because my answer would be a very superficial one. I would find it hard to give up my nice car, my lovely home, the ability to travel, (when I can walk). I would find it hard to give these up on a promise that in a “field” I might find and buy another pearl. I guess for me the pearls are family, and the other the above mentioned tightly held things.
Thinking on this level I am thinking like the homilies I have heard, thinking at the superficial level and leaving mass having heard some words but not hearing or seeing, or thinking anything really deeper. “What does it mean? What is the Pearl of great price?” if not my family, home (hard worked for) car, and comfortable life. What could it be? Think Anne! What’s priceless? What did God give to us which once really discovered cannot ever be forgotten, given and all trade made to get it. What is it?
Thoughts like this are very challenging to me. They make me feel like “a dog with a bone” (adage I think) they keep gnawing away and won’t stop until attention is given to the thought.
Learning to love and cherish those given to us to walk with (that’s a pearl). Learning to be mindful of those who do not have and ensure that I do something about it (that’s a pearl). Bringing up a family to the best of my ability and then letting them go to build their own family (that’s a pearl). Knowing these things don’t come automatically, but with my own learned knowledge passed from past generations and my own experiences, my turn to be able to pass on the baton to the future is also pearl. Helping those in my care to focus on efforts to look for ”life” and continue to look till found is a rarer pearl. A life that is rich with all experiences possible and completed in this life (I guess that’s a pearl too), and maybe amongst these pearls find ways to learn how to love, that pearl that one seems to see as one’s special pearl. One’s special task, charism, calling. To cherish these acknowledged gifts and see them as pearls and ultimately embracing a life that is filled with pearls of happiness. Some bumps, along the way, even falls and come to the end having held to the promise of having held onto that pearl. Having gone out and hiding the pearl so no one may steal these pearl/s from me.
The Talmud, the Jewish repository of thousands of years of Wisdom, states that “We will be called to account in the hereafter for all the God-given pleasures we have failed to enjoy.” The Gifts, pearls, that we missed. The understandings and knowledge we missed because we had hidden them so deeply just in case found and taken. We missed the joys given as a gift because of need to look for sorrows as gifts or for more compensatory gifts.
When describing his prisoner of war experiences, Victor Frankl author of “Man’s Search for Meaning” said that for him, the difference between continuing to live and giving up was to find one thing of beauty (pearl) to focus upon each day. Something so important for that particular day. Not yesterday, not tomorrow but this very day. Anything, even the smallest bit of beauty. The Pearl of great price for him was (the example given) a brass button on a guard’s uniform with the sun shining on it. There was such beauty in the sun and brass button especially in the midst of such ugliness. That Pearl had a “life” of its own, sun and brass button shared meeting each other that the resultant beauty gave meaning and strength so that his own life continued. He found the Pearl, the button, which pointed to the greatest pearl, Life. It hid the tragedies around him. The sorrow, the pain, the injustice, the horror, the wickedness. Instead he found the Pearl. “Life” and the will to live. With all of its roads, made up of pain, separations, tears, injustices, tragedies, he found the will which enlivened “life.” the Pearl. “Life” that mystery which no human, can give. He found “Jesus, life” that Pearl worth giving up everything to have it. The “Jesus Life” like the beautify on which shone on brass button. Its grace and even the kindness of sharing the union of light ray and brass giving shining “Life.” That Pearl, light, love, shine, which is the life of the soul seen through the eyes of one who saw darkness, “ Master when does the dawn start? you know it’s almost dawn when you can look into the face of a stranger and seeing a brother or sister, you have enough light in you to recognise them. Until that time it’s still night and the darkness is still with us” “ Life” with light in it. The Pearl worth giving up all to be able to buy it. Is hidden in plain sight “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life” said Jesus (Jn 14:6) He is the Pearl “Life.” He breathed it into the garden eons ago. He walked amongst creation and created “Life” with the breath of his mouth. He exhaled the first breath (Life) as he called forth creation and finally in such close intimacy breathed “Life,” “into his/human’s nostrils” (Gn 2:7) The one designed like Himself. Not into the creation which he called forth, but into the one creation with whom he could communicate intimately.
The Lord walked amongst all Life and hid pearls for humanity to find. He, over many eons, walked leaving pearls behind so that they pointed the way to him. The pearl may be purchased, at a great price by those who find it. A way to Life. Jesus. However, like the rich young man may choose not to buy “Life” and walk away “sad” because he wasn’t able to give up all he had and to follow the pearl “Life” ((Mt 19:16-30). He hadn’t reached the dawn, the time when there is enough light to recognise his brother and lord.
And another Pearl of great price, the “Truth” about the Pearl, this to counter the lie that the Lord is not the giver of life but anyone can give that life. “Truth, a Pearl without price,” which like the most perfect pearl, is worth selling all to find and purchase it. To find the genuine Pearl (Jesus) and be able to leave all other fake gems behind. The Pearl, which is Life, Jesus, Truth, calls with and it can only be heard in the heart (buried) and seen like the glistening of ray on brass button. As a conclusion to the above we very often hear, read, of famous faces, wealthy persons, who have given away their wealth, left lives of fame and retreated into the beauty of the Pearl of great price, Jesus. Away from the false kingdoms and imitation pearls of the world.
First Life, then Eternal Life, is the Pearl and with great joy selling everything to buy it. The Pearl of great price is Jesus, who is Life.
