Gospel of Matthew, chapter 13:43
If you had one wish, like Solomon in the Old Testament, what would it be? This is not a trick question, so be honest. Solomon was born to be a king but he wished for wisdom and he got it.

What would you wish for? Or to put it another way, what would you treasure more than anything else? Do not wish for something utterly unattainable that would be a fantasy and not a true wish. Wish for something which will be a true treasure, worth more than anything in your life. Truly, what would it be?

Today’s Gospel (Matthew 13:43-52) speaks of a great treasure that God has in store for us. All we need to do to accomplish our hearts desire is to actively seek this treasure. What is this treasure that’s worth wishing for above all else? It is none other than the reign of God.

Today’s Gospel is made up of three stories or parables about the reign of God. The first two liken the reign of God to a Hidden Treasure or a Fine Pearl.

We must be willing to risk everything to possess this treasure that is the kingdom of God. It is ours for the taking but we must be careful about how we go about it. The third parable about the fisherman’s net shows us how to go about finding the kingdom or the reign of God.

In the third parable of today’s Gospel we are cautioned about taking the reign of God for granted. There’s no such thing as window shopping. We must decide on what’s worth keeping and stick with it.

The reign of God is like “ a dragnet thrown into the lake which collected all sorts of things .” Not everything in the dragnet is going to be valuable, what is “worthwhile” has to be separated from what is “useless.” So it is with the reign of God. We must decide on what is worth keeping and what must be discarded. Too often people choose the good with the bad, but the Lord reminds us that we need to be discriminating. Not everything that people accept as the kingdom of God is for real. Only that which Jesus teaches us about His kingdom in the gospel if for real. Blessed are those who hear His word and keep it for theirs is the kingdom of God.

Fr. Hugh Duffy