Give it all to Him!

First Reading: Jeremiah 15:10, 16-21
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 59
Gospel: Matthew 13:44-46

Pirates.

When I mention this word what do you think of? Pirates of the Caribbean? Some guy with an eye patch, wooden peg leg and a parrot over his shoulder? While lots of images tend to come to mind, I always think of a group of rag tag guys traveling the globe looking for a great treasure. They always have a huge map with a giant X marking the spot of the treasure. I wonder throughout history, how many people not just pirates have searched high and low for a great treasure? I think that sometimes we go out searching for great things in our lives while ignoring the even greater things that are right in front of us. How many times do we seek great recognition at work or school, but ignore and sacrifice the relationships in our lives? How many times do we seek out what we want instead of what God is calling us to do?

From the gospel today we see that there is a great treasure right in front of us, it is the Kingdom of Heaven. According to the gospel the two men who came across the treasure and the pearl were willing to sell all that they had to possess it. This is what the Kingdom of Heaven is like. It is so important and so valuable that there really is no set price on it. It takes giving all that we have in order to acquire it. In the gospel today the two men sold all their possessions to purchase the items they came across. I believe that in order to come into the Kingdom, we need to give all that we have and all that we are to our Lord.

Our Lord Jesus suffered and sacrificed greatly for each of us so that we could have a way to enter the Kingdom. Jesus sacrificed for us, should we not also sacrifice for Him? Should we not completely surrender all that we have to Him, the giver of life? Remember, "whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. (Matt. 16:25)"

We live in a society that constantly tries to sell us on get rich quick schemes. How many of us have been suckered into an ad or commercial telling us that if we just call we will not have to do any work to get rich? Well, it has been my experience in life that the things that are truly worth it are worth working hard for. Do you want to be thriving in your home, career, school, family, etc? Then you have to give of your self and sacrifice some (but remember there has to be a balance!). Do you want to be thriving in your relationship with Christ? Then you have to give it all to Him. Everything that you have and everything that you are; surrender to Him and you will find your life and the Kingdom.

Lord Jesus we thank you and give you praise for the lives that we are each called to. Lord help us to be patient and to follow your will for our lives. Lord we pray for those who are turned away from you and we pray for the youth of our world, we pray for their struggles and for them to have a solid faith built around you. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.