The Treasure

A few days ago I posted about today's Readings at Mass.  I focused on the buried treasure and how it didn't rightfully belong to the person who coveted it and eventually bought the land.  I know that wasn't the point, right from the beginning.  But listening to Father John this morning, made me  realize how really off the mark I was.

Father John told us a story of how precious a pearl is.  It is so dear that as far back as man can remember, mankind has appreciated and valued the pearl.  It has been called the third eye of Buddha, the divine word to Muslims, and a treasure to Christians.

And consider how it is made.  It is all because of an irritant.  Something enters the life of an oyster that doesn't belong there.  The oyster will try to expel it.  If it can't, it will encapsulate it in layers of nacre, and as the oyster grows in size, so do the layers.

Apply this to human life.  When the "bad" enters our lives, we need to oust the irritant.  If we can't rid ourselves of the sickness, temptation, addiction, evil, we need to encapsulate it in God's love.  We need to turn it over to Him.  Offering up the "bad" and growing closer to God makes that "bad," our treasure--our pearl.
We can make our sufferings, our pearls.  

Take a look at the video.