Sometime ago, a poor-looking, nervous man called on the services of a famous London doctor. The doctor said to him: “You need to laugh. Go down and hear Grimaldi, the famous clown. All London is holding its sides laughing at him.” But the visitor straightened himself and said, “Doctor, I am Grimaldi.”
We can find joy and loveliness in many worldly things such as art, music, literature, knowledge, etc. Most of the time, this kind of joy remains artificial and has only peripheral impact. Such a joy cannot be compared with the Christian joy.
Joy of the Gospel
Joy and amazement are what the Christian feels when faced with God’s revelation and love. Pope Francis emphasizes the fact that no Christian can exist without joy, because the joy of the Gospel is the identity card of the Christian. Fredrich Nietzsche once said that for him to believe in the Redeemer, his disciples would have to look more redeemed. What is the key to the Christian joy?
Today’s Gospel presents the Kingdom of Heaven as being analogous to a man who finds a treasure and to a merchant who finds the finest pearls. Both gave up everything to be able to possess this treasure and pearl, respectively. They were motivated by the joy of their discovery. Here we see the strength in being joyful. Both made wonderful discoveries: the kingdom of Heaven. In his book “Church. The Human Story of God,” Edward Schillebeechx defines the kingdom of God in the light of the foregoing as, “the saving presence of God, active and encouraging, as it is affirmed and welcomed among men and women, which takes concrete form above all in just and peaceful relationships among individuals and peoples.” Hence, the “kingdom of God” is not something spacial or territorial but refers to the precious presence of God, which in the fullness of time was made manifest in the Person of Jesus Christ.
Human Contribution
Though it is Christ who normally finds us and endows us with the gift of the kingdom, this parable remains committed to the significance of the human contribution. Hence, the men were both engaged in a diligent search. This search stands for the attitude of being receptive and open to promptings of God’s Spirit in us. It is in the measure that we are open to this divine presence, that we believe in Jesus as the Son of God (Jn 20:13) and consequently allow ourselves to be shaped by this truth, that the kingdom of God (our precious pearl) begins on earth and shall be fulfilled in heaven.
Searching for this pearl of great price does not only take open eyes and appreciative heart, but also time. Pope Francis says that “time is greater than space.” This time factor reminds us of the need to be patient. It takes time to strike gold, to find the pearl of great price. It takes time to search for the truth, to build trust, to cooperate in making God’s kingdom come. It also takes time to get detached and to remain detached. The truth is that the more we come to know God, the more we seek Him and the more we seek Him the more we realize we do not fully know Him. We should not be discouraged when the process is taking long. The pearl of great price or the hidden treasure is worth the wait.
Embrace Detachment
Not being patient and seeking happiness in the many earthly things can be saddening. We see this in the story of the rich young man (Mk 10:17-27), who did not see meaning in embracing the detachment process. But the truth is that when we embrace detachment, we know true joy, because nothing again can take the joy away from us. Moreover, detachment preserves us from distraction and from serving God for the wrong reasons. Detachment remains the means of preserving the Christian joy.
Thanks alot my dear for the Kind words. Remain ever blessed.
Fr John
Thank you, Father, for this insightful reflection and the call to authentic joy. Appreciated the anecdotes and quotes. God bless.