St. Matthew gives us another three brief parables on the kingdom of heaven. He records that Jesus says that the kingdom of heaven is near and that we should radically change our lives (repent) in order to enter it. Jesus also says that the kingdom of heaven belongs to the "poor in spirit" and to those "who suffer persecution for justice's sake."
Perhaps Paul tells us best what the kingdom of heaven is like in today's reading from his letter to the Romans. The "pearl of great price" for the Christian is God's call to be who we truly are created to be: "confirmed to the image of his Son," that is, called to be images of Jesus in every thought, word and action of our life.
For the Christian disciple there is no getting away from the fact that Jesus is the pearl of great price. He is the only one worth our giving up everything. Our being Catholic Christian, as sons and daughters of God, is the greatest gift that we could ever be given, and maintaining that identity is worth everything.
Posted on
Fri, July 22, 2011
by Web Admin