Reading 1
Ex 34:29-35
As Moses came down from Mount Sinai
with the two tablets of the commandments in his hands,
he did not know that the skin of his face had become radiant
while he conversed with the LORD.
When Aaron, then, and the other children of Israel saw Moses
and noticed how radiant the skin of his face had become,
they were afraid to come near him.
Only after Moses called to them did Aaron
and all the rulers of the community come back to him.
Moses then spoke to them.
Later on, all the children of Israel came up to him,
and he enjoined on them all that the LORD
had told him on Mount Sinai.
When he finished speaking with them,
he put a veil over his face.
Whenever Moses entered the presence of the LORD to converse with him,
he removed the veil until he came out again.
On coming out, he would tell the children of Israel
all that had been commanded.
Then the children of Israel would see
that the skin of Moses’ face was radiant;
so he would again put the veil over his face
until he went in to converse with the LORD.
99:5, 6, 7, 9
Responsorial PsalmR. (see 9c)
Holy is the Lord our God.
Extol the LORD, our God,
and worship at his footstool;fa
holy is he!
R. Holy is the Lord our God.
Moses and Aaron were among his priests,
and Samuel, among those who called upon his name;
they called upon the LORD, and he answered them.
R. Holy is the Lord our God.
From the pillar of cloud he spoke to them;
they heard his decrees and the law he gave them.
R. Holy is the Lord our God.
Extol the LORD, our God,
and worship at his holy mountain;
for holy is the LORD, our God.
R. Holy is the Lord our God.
Gospel
Mt 13:44-46
Jesus said to his disciples:
“The Kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field,
which a person finds and hides again,
and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
Again, the Kingdom of heaven is like a merchant
searching for fine pearls.
When he finds a pearl of great price,
he goes and sells all that he has and buys it.”
Meditation: Matthew 13:44-46
“The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure.” (Matthew 13:44)
Can you imagine selling everything you own? What could possibly motivate you to make so drastic and radical a trade? Jesus described a treasure buried in a field and a prized pearl. But beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Gems are just pressed rocks. Pearls are just irritants to oysters. In the eyes of some beholders, Jesus was just a Jewish teacher who caused a minor stir in first-century Palestine.
But we know different. Throughout the ages, people have left everything to follow Jesus, the “pearl of great price,” and they have all been rewarded beyond their wildest dreams. We too have seen glimpses of the treasure of Jesus. Think of the different ways in which your heart has been touched and your eyes opened. Let all these moments of grace, all these miracles—both great and small—reassure you that God has a plan for your life and that he wants to give you his wisdom and guidance. Let them prove to you that even in his glory Jesus humbles himself to speak to you. He even wants to give you his body and blood to nourish your spiritual life!
For some, Jesus has been a source of deliverance from patterns of sin with which they struggled for years. For others, he may have healed a marriage or restored a relationship between a parent and child. He may have physically healed someone of illness or depression.
What could possibly be more attractive than Jesus, our Savior, Redeemer, and Deliverer? The unconditional love he lavishes on us, the freedom from sin, the fellowship of his Spirit, the promise of eternal life in heaven with him: All of these promises, all of these gifts are eternal, secure, and totally trustworthy. Every day, he is reaching out to us, offering us his treasures. And for those who have received them— for those who have experienced his touch in their lives—there is no question at all: Jesus really is worth everything!
“Jesus I love you! You are the most precious treasure I could ever have. I surrender my life to you. I let go of everything so that I might have you fully.”
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