Gospel (Mt 13,44-46) - At that time Jesus said to his disciples: «The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field; a man finds it and hides it; then he goes, full of joy, sells all his possessions and buys that field. »The kingdom of heaven is also like a merchant who goes in search of precious pearls; having found a pearl of great value, he goes, sells all his possessions and buys it."

The commentary on the Gospel by Monsignor Vincenzo Paglia

The Gospel that was announced to us is a pressing invitation to welcome the mystery of the kingdom of heaven into our hearts. The evangelical message is very clear: nothing is worth as much as the kingdom of God, and it is worth leaving everything for it. It's a smart choice, too. How many times are we ready to sell everything, even our soul, just to possess what interests us and is worth even little! The problem is whether we are really interested in the Lord and his friendship, and whether we are able to understand the joy and fullness of life that is "unexpectedly" presented to us, as it was for that farmer and that merchant who today effectively show us the way to follow. We often think that the Gospel imposes a renunciation, a sacrifice, which is a heavy and not very personal request. In reality it is exactly the opposite: it is finding in our life, through God's providence, the most precious thing for which we joyfully and quickly go and sell everything we have. We are scared of losing the treasure and we willingly do anything to have it, because it is exactly what we were looking for and we need that treasure. Behold, this is the joy of Jesus' "follow me", the most precious treasure, which brings us a full life and gives us everything we need!