This weekend the Church draws from Matthew 13 where Jesus gives seven different parables that give us glimpses into the nature of God’s kingdom, including how it grows (13:1-9, 18-23), how the good will be separated from the wicked (13:24-30, 36-43), and today, the great value of the kingdom that is akin to a hidden treasure in a field (13:44).
I would like to look at this parable in a creative way by looking to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Think about the twists and turns, the many things out of her control, and the tremendous path of suffering that she traveled.
In Sacred Scripture, Mary is introduced as young girl, likely to be quite misunderstood with the hidden circumstances of her pregnancy. A Roman census uprooted her from her home in Nazareth and from her friends. In Bethlehem, she had no idea where she would stay and ended up giving birth in unimaginable circumstances.
Shortly thereafter, there was tremendous violence, including the taking of innocent lives of children under the age of two (Mt. 2:16-18). Again, Mary was uprooted and with St. Joseph, fled to Egypt, and ended up in a culture very different from her own. In this foreign environment and culture, she had the task of raising baby Jesus.
During Jesus’ public ministry, Mary took a backseat, quietly praying for her Son and supporting Him, knowing that she was not in control. Finally, we are all aware of Mary’s suffering at the foot of the cross where a sword passed through her heart as she gazed with a mother’s love on her Son hanging on the cross. All throughout her life, Mary had to let go and let God lead. In short, she remained an island of peace in a chaotic world.
Have you ever wondered how Mary was able to maintain such peace? How she was able to be a source of consolation, a beacon of hope, and an inspiration of charity for others? Obviously, Mary was given a special gift in that she was conceived without sin and given special graces in life. I suggest that one of those graces (a grace we also have) is that she knew the treasure of Jesus Christ hidden in her heart. She embraced this treasure and out of joy, she let go and let Him lead.
As a Mother, this treasure was conceived in her womb by the Holy Spirit. She knew, as 1 John reminds us, that “the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world” (1 Jn 4:4). And she also knew intimately those comforting words from her Son, “In the world you have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world” (Jn 16:33).
I wonder how we might identify with our Blessed Mother and the troubles that she faced? In our time, we wrestle with a cacophony of opinions, international unrest, political infighting, as well as personal and family struggles. If you are a person who hungers for peace and tries to find your security from being in control, it is not a pleasant time for you!
As the Lord’s Church, we turn to Mary who was aware of uncertainty and unrest. She was not only a woman of action but also a woman of deep prayer as Luke tells us twice that she pondered or treasured things that she did not fully understand (Luke 1:29; 2:19).
Additionally, Mary always knew that He who lived in her was greater than who he was in the world (1 John 4:4). Mary is blessed above all women in that she was given the privilege of carrying the treasure of all treasures in her womb. Mary’s Son was her great love, and she joyfully renounced everything to embrace Him.
The great treasure who lived in the Blessed Virgin Mary also lives in you! At every Mass, you not only hear God’s Word, the voice of all voices, but you also receive Him in the Eucharist. As Catholics, the Eucharist is our great treasure hidden under the appearance of bread and wine. As the treasure is buried in the field, Jesus is hidden in the Eucharist. The Eucharist is the fullness of love, the joy of the saints, and the source of our unity as Catholic Christians.
May our Blessed Mother, the bearer of the greatest treasure the world has ever seen and ever will see, pray for you and help you to know that He who lives in you is greater than He who lives in the world!
~St. Thérèse, pray for us!