Treasures

My topic today will be treasures because Jesus spoke about a pearl of great price and a treasure buried in a field in today’s gospel. Saint Lawrence was a deacon living in Rome in the third century. When he was ordained a deacon the bishop said, “I want you to serve the Church by caring for the sick and by preaching at Mass.” One day the king said to himself: “Since Lawrence is serving at the altar he must have access to gold chalices and silver candlesticks.” So, he told Lawrence, “I command you to bring me all the treasures of the church.” Three days later St. Lawrence came to the palace with several dozen people. He brought forward people who were sick and people who were hungry and people who were homeless. Lawrence said to the king. “This is the treasure of the church. Jesus is living in these people; so, they are the treasure of the church.” This caused the king to be very upset and he ordered his soldiers to kill Saint Lawrence.

Saint Lawrence saw Jesus living in the hearts of those who were suffering and for that he was killed. He wanted the king to see that his people were his greatest treasure. But the king would have none of that! He wanted worldly treasures to increase his wealth. Wisdom is a treasure that God gave to Saint Lawrence and now is giving to us. Wisdom helps us to see that people are more important than things.

Another treasure is the communities that we belong to. Our family community, our faith community, our neighborhood community, our work community and so on. Our communities give us a sense of belonging when we feel lonely and isolated. They give us a sense that others share our values. They give us a safe place where we can share our values without being ridiculed. Our communities come to our side and help us in times of need. They also give us opportunities to make new friends. They also give us the opportunity to joyfully celebrate the blessings that we have received. And our faith communities open their doors for us so that we can celebrate our faith.

There are two more treasures that I wish to mention: Sacred Scripture and the seven sacraments of our church. The Bible gives us wisdom that the world cannot give. Scripture reveals truths that worldly wisdom cannot comprehend. For example, Saint Paul says, “When I am weak then I am strong.” Worldly wisdom sees that as a contradiction in terms. Worldly language says that I cannot be strong and weak at the same time. But scripture reveals that if I admit that I am weak there is room in me for Jesus to enter in and make me strong. The Sacred Scriptures are a treasure for us and I recommend that we spend some time reading the scriptures every day.

What should we read? Not the whole Bible….just the important stuff. I have never read the Bible from cover to cover. I just stick to the important stuff. So which passages are the most important? The passages that we read at Mass every Sunday. The passages for next Sunday are listed in the bulletin each week. They are printed in your cell phone. You don’t have to scrounge around to find a Bible because the Bible is at your fingertips. You might find yourself memorizing Bible passages. This the one that I like: Do Justice. Love tenderly. And walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8.

Our third great treasure is God’s sacred presence in the sacraments of our church. The sacraments are God’s way of touching us and changing us. In the Sacrament of Reconciliation God touches our hearts and our sins are forgiven. In the Sacrament of Anointing God brings healing to us when we are suffering from poor health. In the Sacrament of Baptism God washes away our worldliness and makes us members of the church, the People of God. In the Sacrament of Holy Eucharist God fills our hearts with the life of Christ. In the Sacrament of Confirmation God strengthens us so that we can be loyal to our faith. In the Sacrament of Matrimony God blesses a man and a woman so that they can faithfully share all of their lives and all of their love. In the Sacrament of Holy Orders God provides leaders for the church.

In today’s Gospel we heard Jesus talk about certain treasures that people work so hard to protect. Jesus was talking about physical treasures like gold and silver and pearls. But he was also referring to spiritual treasures like wisdom and faith communities and God’s Holy Word and God’s sacramental presence in our world. During our liturgy today let’s make sure that we thank God for all the treasures that we have received. We are most thankful for the gift of wisdom, for the communities that we belong to, for God’s Holy Word and for God’s Sacred Presence in the sacraments of our church.