Wednesday of 17th Week, Year II: reflection

Theme: Heaven: the greatest treasure

Reading: Mt 13:44–46

If we say that everyone in this world is on a treasure hunt, we wouldn’t be wrong. There is a nothingness that lies coiled in the heart of man which seeks to be satisfied, and it pushes or urges man to get up every day to search for or aspire for something that he is not, with the sole aim of satisfying this nothingness (emptiness).

For instance, to satisfy the nothingness in man, people go into the pursuit of many treasures on earth: best academic qualifications, fame, best scientific and technological advancement and equipment, material richness, marriage with most lovely and beautiful people, etc. But the irony of life is that the satisfaction of one need opens the door to another or, in fact, it sows the seed for another desire and a fresh cycle of search or hunt.

In the gospel reading of today, Jesus tells us that there is one treasure that is the greatest of all treasures. A treasure that satisfies the quest and nothingness of man without sowing the seed for the search of another higher treasure, because it is the highest of all treasures. This treasure is the kingdom of heaven. The two people who found this treasure in today’s gospel reading sold everything they possessed to acquire this treasure, because they knew its worth and that with it, they wouldn’t have to search for any other treasure. This shows us the value of this treasure and the right step we must take to obtain it.

The path that leads to this greatest treasure was opened to us on the day of our baptism. How far have we gone in our effort to reach it or acquire it? Are we allowing the hunt for inferior treasures to distract us from reaching this greatest treasure? In the words of Jesus, we should put the search for every other treasure behind us and devote all our attention to reaching this greatest treasure, no matter what it will cost us.

May your efforts this Wednesday be blessed. Amen

Fr Isaac C. Chima