Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.”

Gospel Reading: Matthew 13:44-46

"The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.

What are the treasures that you hold most dear to your heart? What treasures really matter in your life? In today's gospel reading Jesus tells us that "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field…" If you were to find the Kingdom of Heaven today, would you be able to give up everything you own for it? This question is difficult to answer honestly because we all want the kingdom of heaven, but when we find it, it is difficult for us to give up our earthly treasures. If we look around, the kingdom of heaven is forth coming today.  We do not need to wait.  In the Lord’s Prayer, we say “Thy kingdom come” recognizing that the kingdom of heaven is before us.  The real question is – “Are we a part of the construction crew?” When we do charitable work, it is easy to see the kingdom of heaven in the work that is being done. Also, when we have the opportunity to sacrifice our own time and talent, the joy we experience is truly the kingdom of heaven.  If you stop and look, you will see the kingdom of heaven is all around us in the love that we and others give unselfishly to help others experience God. However, fully discovering and embracing the kingdom is a different story. To embrace the kingdom of heaven means to sacrifice and to suffer for God. Sometimes those sacrifices may mean giving up friends who lead us away from the kingdom. It may also mean making difficult decisions in which you must choose between church and a movie or a retreat over a football game. If you truly discover Christ, you will truly discover the kingdom of heaven. The kingdom of heaven is here and now. It is being built around you. If you want to go to heaven, don't wait, it's here. When you help someone else, when you give freely of the talents you were provided you experience the joy heaven today.  You experience the greatest love of all, a love for both God which is expressed through our love for neighbor.

A Simple Prayer

Lord Jesus, help me reveal the kingdom of heaven.

Help me lead others to your gates.

Help me give up the earthly treasures for the truly eternal treasure.

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon