Today we are treated to two parables, similar yet different. Jesus speaks of two different treasures. One man is seeking the treasure actively. Another simply finds it, apparently serendipitously. The reaction of both men is similar. They rejoice. They sell what they have. They purchase the treasure.
Finding something for which we are looking or stumbling upon something we knew nothing about is not difficult. It happens. Rejoicing comes naturally. Think of what goes through your mind when you find that for which you are looking – a misplaced wedding ring, a wallet, your car keys. The relief you experience you feel is palpable. Do you whisper a silent "thank you" to God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, or perhaps St. Anthony of Padua!
Stumbling upon something valuable isn't difficult. We hear stories of it all the time. It becomes a news story if the person returns it to the rightful owner or if he gets to keep the treasure because its owner cannot be located. It happens.
The hard part comes after the finding, after the rejoicing. Selling all we have to buy the treasure means letting go of everything that is familiar, everything with which we have become comfortable. Letting go is never easy. However, if the treasure is worthwhile, it happens. Think of the comfortably rich Francis of Assisi or one of his followers in the movie star Dolores Hart. Think of Ignatius, Spanish soldier who sheds
his military career to follow in the footsteps of Jesus (July 31 is his Feastday). Think of St. Paul, a man respected in his culture and in his religion. Each of them "sells" what they have in order to possess the treasure they find, either the one for which they were looking or the one which they stumbled upon.
Once again, the parables are left open at the end. What will I do upon hearing them yet again?
Fr. Lawrence Jagdfeld, O.F.M., Administrator