Who is your treasure?

​Rome, Monastery of the Annunciation
A few years ago I met a woman at a parish where I was doing ministry. I was not an ordained priest at the time but learning about pastoral ministries.
I met this woman at the parish who had been invited by her sister to one of the ministries; this sister attended Mass and parish functions. These two women lived comfortably -- we could say they seem to lack nothing, and had plenty financial security to enjoy their lives.
The woman visiting the parish, told me she did not believe in God.
And I asked her: Why don’t you believe in God. Her reply: I have everything; what can God give me that I don’t already have?
I was surprised with the bluntness of her answer, and I was shocked that God had no place in her life.
In the First Book of Kings 3:5ff when God asked Solomon what he wanted, Solomon replied, a gentle heart, that he may know how to govern, and distinguish good from evil.
What Solomon sought was wisdom.
How many people would ask God for wisdom, if God had asked us what we wanted from Him?
The Lord was pleased with Solomon’s reply because he could have asked for a long life, health, wealth, to have his enemies punished, but instead, Solomon asked for wisdom.

​This is the wisdom we find in Saint Matthew’s Gospel 13:44ff. I’ll focus on the first parable:
The kingdom of heaven is similar to a hidden treasure: one finds the treasure in a field, then, full of joy, all possessions are sold and that field where the treasure lies is bought.
Discovering Jesus, His love in the absolute sense of love, brings such joy that everything is sold, everything is left behind; this treasure is hidden because we do not want it stolen, or to lose it.
The joy of discovering this treasure -- we want to keep it always with us; everything we have we realise is of little worth compared to this treasure.
When I come here, to this Dominican monastery of the Annunciation, I see the Gospel unfold in front of me -- following Jesus in this radical call -- letting go of everything to keep Jesus, our treasure.
The things of the world -- the distractions that rob us of our attention and our time -- displace Jesus -- not at the centre of our lives.
True wealth, unlike what this woman visiting the parish had claimed  -- she believed she had everything -- true wealth is this treasure, Jesus, who fills us for more than a weekend or a month, but for a lifetime, as He prepares us for Eternity.
The radicality that the cloistered nun have chosen, the call to which you have responded, reflects the discovery of this treasure -- Jesus -- where you have separated yourselves from the world to remain with your treasure -- testified by the monastic grill in front of me that separates you from the world.
Yes, this treasure -- Jesus --is the One who gives meaning to life -- who gives us true joy -- the One who saves us.
This is the woman I mentioned at the beginning of my homily  thought she had everything. Without God, she had really nothing; and without Jesus, she did not have a Saviour.
The testimony of the Gospel lived in its radical depth -- is letting go of the world to keep Jesus at the centre of our lives. This treasure is the centre of our existence.
Let us ask the Mother of God to intercede for us so we can grow in wisdom and not let worldly distractions clutter our minds and our hearts -- so we can keep Jesus, our Saviour, our treasure, at the centre of our lives. Amen.