The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today parallel the quest in the visit of Pope Francis to the Indigenous People of Canada in presenting the struggle that accompanies the finding the true riches in our relationship with one another in the Body of Christ.
In the reading from the Prophet Jeremiah, he complains again and is reassured.
If you utter what is precious and not what is worthless,
you shall be my mouth. (Jeremiah, CHAPTER 15, n.d.)
Psalm 59 is a prayer for deliverance from enemies.
* [Psalm 59] A lament in two parts (Ps 59:2–9, 11b–17), each ending in a refrain (Ps 59:10, 18). Both parts alternate prayer for vindication (Ps 59:2–3, 4b–5, 11b–14) with vivid depictions of the psalmist’s enemies (Ps 59:4–5a, 7–8, 15–16). The near curse in Ps 59:12–13 is not a crude desire for revenge but a wish that God’s just rule over human affairs be recognized now. (Psalms, PSALM 59, n.d.)
In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus offers more parables.
* [13:44–50] The first two of the last three parables of the discourse have the same point. The person who finds a buried treasure and the merchant who finds a pearl of great price sell all that they have to acquire these finds; similarly, the one who understands the supreme value of the kingdom gives up whatever he must to obtain it. The joy with which this is done is made explicit in the first parable, but it may be presumed in the second also. (Matthew, CHAPTER 13, n.d.)
Tom Purcell asks what if, instead of focusing on heaven as something that we will experience in the future, we think of it as a process we can experience and help create now, the result of our planting little mustard seeds with our daily lives? His earlier thoughts about being detached and letting go of what binds us to our current life reminds us of the difficulty in following Jesus, but if we think of the consequences of what we do in each moment, we can perhaps see a positive forward movement not just for ourselves but for our sisters and brothers.
So, what are the mustard seeds that we can put into action – obviously we do the important ones Jesus calls out – feeding the hungry, caring for the sick, consoling the grieving, burying the dead. But we also plant seeds when we act with others using simple common courtesy (good manners), such as opening a door, saying thank you sincerely, listening before talking, making eye contact. We plant mustard seeds when do not judge the actions of someone else (either with our words or our silent thoughts). We scatter mustard seeds when we refuse to pass along the latest office gossip or neighborhood scandal. We plant seeds for our children and grandchildren by living a simpler, more sustainable life. We probably store up big points in St. Peter’s ledger if we generously allow someone to merge into traffic in front of us, and do not grumble (or worse!) or share fun little gestures with someone who speeds up in the hope they will be allowed to enter the lane farther up the road. (Creighton U. Daily Reflection, n.d.)
Don Schwager quotes “Finding the pearl of great price,” by Origen of Alexandria (185-254 AD).
"Now among the words of all kinds that profess to announce truth, and among those who report them, he seeks pearls. Think of the prophets as, so to speak, the pearls that receive the dew of heaven and become pregnant with the word of truth from heaven. They are goodly pearls that, according to the phrase here set forth, the merchant seeks. And the chief of the pearls, on the finding of which the rest are found with it, is the very costly pearl, the Christ of God, the Word that is superior to the precious letters and thoughts in the law and the prophets. When one finds this pearl all the rest are easily released. Suppose, then, that one is not a disciple of Christ. He possesses no pearls at all, much less the very costly pearl, as distinguished from those that are cloudy or darkened." (excerpt from COMMENTARY ON MATTHEW 18.8) (Schwager, n.d.)
The Word Among Us Meditation on Matthew 13:44-46 asks how do we get to the point of selling all that we have for Jesus? The truth is, even though we love the Lord, we can depend too much on the “toys” that capture our attention. We can get attached to our earthly possessions and pleasures and become distracted from the most beautiful and compelling “possession” there is: Jesus and his love for us.
The remedy for this isn’t necessarily found in getting rid of all your possessions or in saying no to everything in the world. It’s found in saying yes to Jesus. And that yes starts every day in your prayer time. It starts as you encounter him in the quiet of your heart. It starts as you see his mercy toward you and the love that led him to die for you. It grows as you envision his heavenly kingdom where he has prepared a place for you. In short, you recognize how utterly compelling and desirable he is.
So fix your eyes on Jesus! As you realize how much of a treasure he is, everything else will pale in comparison. As you come to understand how deeply he treasures you, you will treasure him all the more. Your affection for him will grow, and you will find that you aren’t as focused on material things. You’ll start seeing them for what they are—as blessings meant to help bring you closer to him.
“Jesus, you are the pearl of great price, and I want nothing more than to have you in my life!” (Meditation on Matthew 13:44-46, n.d.)
Friar Jude Winkler explains the dialogue between God and Jeremiah known as the “Confessions of Jeremiah” and the consequence of the “Deuteronomic reform” on the family of Jeremiah. In Matthew,two quick sayings reference the “Kingdom of Heaven”. Friar Jude reminds us of the signs of a Pharisee who was a second editor of the Gospel of Matthew.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces Kay Lindahl, an author and founder of The Listening Center, who writes of the inherently sacred nature of reflective listening. Over the years Fr Richard has discovered that there is a basic context that nurtures and develops the practice of listening as a sacred art. Three qualities that are essential to this deep listening context are silence, reflection, and presence.
• Silence creates the space for listening to God. It provides time to explore our relationship to Source. The practice of being in this silence nurtures our capacity to listen to others.
• Reflection gives us access to listening for our inner voice. The practice of taking a few breaths before responding to a situation, question, or comment gives time for your true wisdom to reveal itself. It’s a slowing down, waiting, practicing patience.
• Presence is the awareness of listening to another, of connecting at the heart level. The practice of taking a mundane, ordinary activity and giving it your full attention, for example, washing your hands or brushing your teeth, trains your concentration and your ability to be in the present moment with another. . . . (Rohr, n.d.)
We seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit in our journey to uncover in our relationships with each other and God the pearl of infinite value.
References
Creighton U. Daily Reflection. (n.d.). Online Ministries. Retrieved July 27, 2022, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/072722.html
Jeremiah, CHAPTER 15. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved July 27, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/jeremiah/15?10
Matthew, CHAPTER 13. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved July 27, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/13?44
Meditation on Matthew 13:44-46. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved July 27, 2022, from https://wau.org/meditations/2022/07/27/449750/
Psalms, PSALM 59. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved July 27, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/59?2
Rohr, R. (n.d.). The Gift of Deep Listening. Daily Meditations Archive: 2022. Retrieved July 27, 2022, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/the-gift-of-deep-listening-2022-07-27/
Schwager, D. (n.d.). Joy in Finding Hidden Treasure and Pearl of Great Price. Daily Scripture net. Retrieved July 27, 2022, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2022&date=jul27
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