In today’s Gospel, Our Lord gives us two beautiful and short parables—each one revealing something profound about the Kingdom of Heaven.

“The Kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field…”
“The Kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls…”

Both men in these parables find something of immense value. And both are willing to part with everything else to obtain it. Why? Because they’ve discovered what matters most.

This, says Jesus, is what the Kingdom of God is like. It is not a distant dream or abstract concept—it is the living reality of God’s reign in our lives, and it is worth everything.

The man in the first parable stumbles across treasure hidden in a field. He wasn’t necessarily looking for it. But when he finds it, he recognises its value and joyfully sells all he owns to gain it.

This is often the experience of conversion. Sometimes God enters our lives when we least expect it. A quiet moment in prayer, a sudden return to Confession after years away, or an encounter with the beauty of the Mass—grace arrives like treasure in a field.

Notice: the man does not hesitate. He doesn’t ask, “Can I keep the treasure without buying the field?” No—he sells everything. Why? Because compared to this treasure, everything else is secondary.

The Fathers of the Church often saw this treasure as a symbol of Christ Himself, hidden in the Scriptures, in the sacraments, and most especially in the Holy Eucharist. He is the hidden treasure, present in our midst, often unnoticed, but infinitely valuable.

In the second parable, the merchant is actively searching. He is a connoisseur of pearls. He knows quality when he sees it. And when he finds the one pearl of great value, he sells all he has to possess it.

This is the image of the soul who seeks truth, who desires holiness, who perhaps has spent years searching through philosophies, ideologies, or even false religions—but finally finds in Christ and His Church the fullness of truth.

It’s a parable for the convert, the pilgrim, the catechumen. But it’s also for us, cradle Catholics: a reminder that the pearl we possess—our faith, our union with Christ through the sacraments—is the most precious thing we have. Have we forgotten its value?

Both parables include the same cost: everything. The men give up all that they have.

This is not an exaggeration. Jesus means it. The Kingdom of Heaven demands detachment—from sin, yes, but also from anything that rivals God in our hearts. As Our Lord says elsewhere: “You cannot serve both God and mammon.”

Now this doesn’t mean we all take vows of poverty. But it does mean we must put Christ first. That’s what the saints did. Whether rich or poor, learned or simple, they understood that nothing compares to the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus our Lord (Philippians 3:8).

If we want the Kingdom, we must loosen our grip on lesser things.

Let’s not overlook one key word: joy. The man who found the treasure “in his joy” sold all he had.

True Christianity is not a life of grim duty. It is the joy of the Gospel—the joy of knowing you are loved by God, forgiven, redeemed, and called to eternal life.

Our world often sells happiness cheaply: comfort, popularity, wealth, distraction. But only Christ gives joy that endures. A joy that’s still there when we suffer. A joy that remains even when we’re poor, or rejected, or alone. Because it’s the joy of belonging to God.

The saints saw today’s parables as pointing directly to the Holy Eucharist.

Treasure buried in a field: Christ, hidden under the appearances of bread and wine, waiting in the tabernacle.

Pearl of great price: the Most Blessed Sacrament, where Christ gives us not something, but Himself—Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity.

St. Thomas Aquinas wrote, “The Eucharist is the greatest of all miracles.” And yet how easily we forget. How many Catholics neglect this treasure! How many skip Sunday Mass, unaware that they are passing by the Pearl of Great Price?

May we never take this gift for granted.

6. So What Must We Do?

First: Rediscover the treasure. Ask the Lord to show you again the beauty of your faith, the power of the sacraments, the dignity of prayer.

Second: Make room. Ask yourself: what am I clinging to that keeps me from fully following Christ? What must I let go?

Third: Come to the treasure. Spend time before the Blessed Sacrament. Make Sunday Mass the centre of your week. Pray the Rosary. Read the Scriptures. Frequent Confession.

Finally: Choose joy. The joy of being Catholic is not found in ease or comfort, but in knowing Christ, loving His Church, and walking with the saints toward heaven.

Brothers and sisters, Jesus does not promise comfort. He promises the Kingdom. He doesn’t guarantee ease—but He offers Himself. And that is more than enough.

May we not walk past the treasure. May we not miss the pearl.
And may we have the wisdom and the courage to say yes to the One who gave up everything—for us.