First reading Jeremiah 15:10,16-21
They will not overcome you, because I am with you
‘Woe is me, my mother, for you have borne me
to be a man of strife and of dissension for all the land.
I neither lend nor borrow,
yet all of them curse me.
‘When your words came, I devoured them:
your word was my delight
and the joy of my heart;
for I was called by your name,
Lord, God of Hosts.
I never took pleasure in sitting in scoffers’ company;
with your hand on me I held myself aloof,
since you had filled me with indignation.
Why is my suffering continual,
my wound incurable, refusing to be healed?
Do you mean to be for me a deceptive stream
with inconstant waters?’
To which the Lord replied,
‘If you come back,
I will take you back into my service;
and if you utter noble, not despicable, thoughts,
you shall be as my own mouth.
They will come back to you,
but you must not go back to them.
I will make you
a bronze wall fortified against this people.
They will fight against you
but they will not overcome you,
because I am with you
to save you and to deliver you
– it is the Lord who speaks.
I mean to deliver you from the hands of the wicked
and redeem you from the clutches of the violent.’
Responsorial Psalm 58(59):2-5,10-11,17-18
O God, you have been a refuge in the day of my distress.
Rescue me, God, from my foes;
protect me from those who attack me.
O rescue me from those who do evil
and save me from blood-thirsty men.
See, they lie in wait for my life;
powerful men band together against me.
For no offence, no sin of mine, Lord,
for no guilt of mine they rush to take their stand.
O my Strength, it is you to whom I turn,
for you, O God, are my stronghold,
the God who shows me love.
As for me, I will sing of your strength
and each morning acclaim your love
for you have been my stronghold,
a refuge in the day of my distress.
O my Strength, it is you to whom I turn,
for you, O God, are my stronghold,
the God who shows me love.
Gospel Matthew 13:44-46
He sells everything he owns and buys the field
Jesus said to the crowds: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field which someone has found; he hides it again, goes off happy, sells everything he owns and buys the field.
‘Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls; when he finds one of great value he goes and sells everything he owns and buys it.’
________________________________________________
God, our greatest treasure, our precious pearl
In today’s gospel, Jesus told two parables to His listeners. In the first parable, a man stumbled across a treasure hidden in a field. He was not actively seeking the treasure but accidentally found it and joyfully kept it. On the other hand, in the second parable, a merchant actively searched for fine pearls. Due to his active and persistent searching, he found one of great value. God is the treasure in the field and the pearl of great worth. Like the man who unexpectedly found the treasure, God can surprise us and takes the initiative to come and grace our lives with His presence of love. Thus, when we least expect it, God comes to seek us out. Like the merchant with the finest pearl, we are also called to seek God through prayer and day-to-day life situations.
Our relationship with God consists of His initiative to come to us and our search for more of Him. Like both men in the parables, we need to hold onto this treasure joyfully because God is our treasure, our finest pearl.
Question for reflection:
Is God my greatest treasure?
Is God my greatest treasure?
Acknowledgment: Reflections are based on “Prayer for Living: The Word of God for Daily Prayer Year C” by Sr Sandra Seow FMVD.
