The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field, which a person finds and hides again, and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
Matthew 13:44
In this parable, Jesus tells of a man finding a treasure in a field, burying it, and then joyfully selling all he has so that he can own the field and, hence, have the hidden treasure for his own. The treasure can be interpreted as eternal life. Some would call heaven a priceless gift, but there is a price. Just as the man in the parable sells all he has so he can own the treasure, our path to heaven requires we follow a map (the Bible, the wisdom of the Church) and then rely on Jesus as our compass.
Lent is an ideal time to ask ourselves: Are our worldly pursuits bringing us closer to the reality of our eternal citizenship?
Our God is a loving, merciful God. He longs to welcome us at his eternal banquet. All we have to do is repent, and then try our best to be as prepared as we can to one day bask in God’s holy presence and feel peacefully at home in the glory of heaven.
Dear God, help me to turn away from the pull of superficial, self-indulgent whims and look toward you and the eternal.
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This is an excerpt from A Path To Hope, by Living Faith writers. Copyright 2025 Creative Communications for the Parish. Used with permission.
