Without counting the cost
This Sunday’s Gospel is very apt to tomorrow’s feast day of the founder of the Jesuit Order, St. Ignatius of Loyola. In the saint’s Prayer for Generosity, an important line goes like this: “to give and not to count the cost.” The value of the line stems from that felt experience of being loved by the Almighty and the person’s attempt to reciprocate that love by doing one’s best in one’s day-to-day activities.
This reading of Matthew is also so meaningful as Jesus begins to talk to his disciples about the Kingdom of God. The reading is most especially for disciples – those who follow Jesus, those who learn from his ways! Jesus reveals to these “insiders” what the Kingdom of God is like. He touches their hearts by giving them parables that show how to follow our Lord. Jesus asks them to consider and discern the value of the treasure that they find. He challenges them to a full and committed reaction that only the finder can give. He uses two examples to drive home a point: the treasure in the field and the pearl of great price.
Seemingly odd at first glance, it is however commonplace to bury treasure or wealth underground. We have heard lots of stories about this. We hear of treasure maps that lead to where pirates have buried their loot. We also have witnessed how dogs even bury their prized bones under the earth so that they may be able to come back for these at a later time. The problem with this practice however is that sometimes we eventually forget where these buried treasures are or what these buried treasures are. And they may be lost for a long time, or even forever!
The point of the readings however is not in the burying of the treasure. It is rather in the finding of it. It is about experiencing the tremendous joy that one feels if the finder discovers something that is out of the ordinary. The finder is very much elated because of the fact that what is found is of greatest worth. This finding eventually leads the person to leave everything behind in order to follow through on his find. Sometimes the finder even sacrifices one’s very life for this great find. But in this, the disciple is only following the great example of Jesus. Jesus gave up everything, his very life, to make us completely his own. Indeed, we are God’s treasure of great price!
We have many human examples as well, of what Pope Francis recently revealed as a path to sainthood – “giving one's life in a heroic act of loving service to others.” People who have found the treasure of great price and sacrificed their lives in the process.
We remember the Jesuit Scholastic, Richie Fernando. When one of the students in the Cambodian Mission was asked to leave the school, the said student threatened the community by attempting to throw a hand grenade at the other students. Upon seeing this, Richie grabbed hold of the perpetrator so that he would not be able to continue his threat. Unfortunately, the grenade fell and the shrapnels fatally hit Richie on October 17, 1996.
We remember the Good Shepherd Sisters, Consuelo Chuidian, Concepcion Conti, Virginia Gonzaga, and Catherine Loreto who perished in the sinking of the M/V Doña
Cassandra on November 21, 1983. Seeing that their vessel was going down because of the strong waves, the sisters began to distribute life vests, assisted others in putting these on, and instructed others to move towards the life rafts. As they were doing these charitable acts for others, they were not able to save themselves in the process.
We remember our troops who continue to give of themselves during this difficult moment in our country. We remember our silent volunteers who give of their time and selves as they hopefully share the hope that equitable peace may eventually be seen in our beloved land. We remember and realize that there are a lot of anonymous people who have given of themselves quietly as they give witness to our God who loves us first.
Do you know where your heart is? Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.