Image: An Oyster by Corpomobile12, sourced from Wikimedia Commons
By Amber Kinloch
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls. When he finds a pearl of great price, he goes and sells all that he has and buys it.” (Matt 13:45-46)
Here’s another valuable reflection, this time from an older pastor.
The parable of the treasure buried in the field immediately precedes the one above. In it, the man finds the treasure by accident, as some people find God. The merchant, however, undertakes a long, deliberate quest, as most of us likely do with our Faith.
Then there’s the pearl. As Father explained, it begins as a grain of sand or a pebble that lands inside of an oyster, a living being. The oyster, irritated by the presence of the sand or rock, responds by coating it with thin layers of nacre, gradually forming a pearl.
We are like that pebble inside the oyster (God). Over time, He transforms us. He sheds grace after grace upon us, making something beautiful out of what was an irritant.
It takes time, and depending on how open we are to grace, the results will differ. The best pearls are large and luminous. A light shines forth from their depths as it does from holy souls. Not that everyone can see this light. People focused on worldly things do not have eyes for the spiritual.
Father also said he counsels people who are struggling to spend time before the Blessed Sacrament. Why? Because you can’t help but be transformed by Our Lord’s Presence. It won’t happen overnight, but it will happen.
That, I think, is the key to becoming a saint: being aware of God’s Presence. If we’re aware of His Presence and let His grace illuminate us, everything will come more easily. Without Him, we can do nothing (John 15:4-6). With Him, anything is possible.
Amber Kinloch
Amber writes from the bunker of her living room. There she hunkers down with her laptop and a blanket while keeping an eye and ear tuned in to the activity of family life. Music set on loop keeps her energy flowing as she muses on the deeper happenings of ordinary life and what food to restock the fridge with.
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