Sunday Reflections

What we do treasure? Despite the time, attention and money we bestow upon our homes, cars, vacations, or investments, I doubt many of us would consider these things our treasure.

Some people might answer that they treasure their family, friends, health, or a special place in nature. While these may all be priceless gifts with great emotional value, they are not enduring. Despite our best efforts and our love and care, these can be taken away from us, slowly or in the blink of an eye.

Our relationship with God is the one thing we have that we can count on, always. For those of us who are cradle Catholics, we are sometimes oblivious of the great gift we have been given. I was reminded of this by my husband, who was not raised in a faith-filled family and became a Catholic later in life. He was like the merchant who went in search of fine pearls, and after several false trails, finally found it.

Sometimes we are blind to what is right in front of us. If I had to write a parable to reflect my life, I would say that I am like a woman who already owned a field that contained a great treasure, but didn’t realize it until she stumbled upon it one day. And like the fishers who had a great catch, I need to continually sort through that field, pulling up the weeds and cutting back the flowers, that, no matter how beautiful, are keeping my treasure hidden.

Despite our many time-saving devices, our lives are busier than ever. It is increasingly difficult to carve out a little time each day to tend our greatest treasure, and live according to God’s purpose for us. Just as we purge our homes of unnecessary clutter, we need to prune away some activities in order to have the time needed to help bring about the Kingdom of God. What activities that take our time and attention do we need to let go of today?