July 28, 2021

Mt 13:44-46

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which someone found and hid; 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; on finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.

New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989, by the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. USCCB approved.

The Kingdom of heaven is like… 

Jesus’ parables offer images to help us see, hear, and understand in our hearts his desire to heal and reconcile us to himself (cf. Mt. 13:13-17). Jesus is the one who sows seeds of potential anywhere and everywhere, content to cultivate wheat and weeds until harvest.  He is a tiny seed, transforming a scrawny bush into a huge tree strong enough for everyone to find a branch on which to roost.  He is yeast (microscopic member of the fungi family) worked into flour and water, consumed in rising, becoming our daily bread. 

Jesus delights in discovering his siblings hiding under layers of dirt or concealed by a lustrous shine.  He gives everything, his very life, with joy and without hesitation that we might be with him in his Kingdom forever. 

How can I ever repay this love Jesus shows in finding, feeding, sheltering, and patiently accompanying me through a lifetime of growth? 

—Jenéne Francis serves as the Midwest Jesuits’ Associate Provincial Assistant for Pastoral Ministries.  She is also a regular contributor to Into the Deep, contemplating life through the lens of Ignatian Spirituality. 

Prayer

This is to ask for what I desire.  Here it will be to ask for an intimate knowledge of the many blessings received, that filled with gratitude for all, I may in all things love and serve the Divine Majesty. 

—Spiritual Exercises, #233, Second Prelude for the “Contemplation to Attain the Love of God” (Puhl translation)