Finding the Treasure God has prepared for you!

Vocation Series: St. Mary's in New Bedford
17th Sunday
By: Rev Fr. Ronnie P. Floyd

When I was a young boy, not all that long ago, I used to be convinced that buried treasure lay around every corner and under every rock. The result of this thought was that I always kept my eyes open looking for the treasure that I was sure I was destined to find one day. I even dug a few wholes in our back yard much to my mothers dislike—looking for that treasure. Though my attentiveness did reward me, over the years, with the discovery of a few dollars of lost change on the street, I never did find the treasure that I had imagined.

Today the Lord too speaks of treasure, of pearls and gold found in a field. Of course he is not speaking a physical treasure, which elsewhere in the Gospel he warns will corrode, tarnish, and be left behind when we die, rather he is speaking of the Kingdom of God. And while the Kingdom of God—often refers to Heaven that is ultimate reality beyond our wildest dreams; the Kingdom of God is not just the resurrection, the eternal reward we pray for after death. The Kingdom of Heaven is also a reality here and now. In the Gospel of Mark our Lord declares: The time is accomplished, and the kingdom of God is at hand.

You see the kingdom of God is nothing less than true happiness, the true happiness that can only come from our eternal relationship with the Father .

The kingdom of God is the realization that we are sons and daughters of God by virtue of our Baptism; that our Father has his hand on us; that our life matters because our God has a unique plan for me; and most importantly, that we are loved by our creator. To love and be loved by our God and to become co-workers, cooperators in the work of God this is the Kingdom of God, available to us even in this life. On Heaven or on Earth—this relationship with God promises and truly is the only way to Happiness!

That’s why our Lord tells us today that the Kingdom is like a treasure found in a field. If you found a great treasure buried in a field, he tells us, you would trade all that you have to possess it. However, the problem with a buried treasure is not obtaining it once we have found it, the problem is finding it! People hide and bury treasures in the hope that distracted by other things no one will notice the great wealth hidden beneath your feet in the simple earth of a field.

This is true in life too! The great treasure of the Kingdom of God—that is given to us at baptism is too often buried and forgotten under the sands of time lost in our every day mundane life. And when we realize that our happiness is missing, and we start to look for it, we are too often distracted by lesser treasures

It’s like the math brain teaser that many of your kids bring home: Offered a million dollars or a penny doubled for a month which would you choose?

Many of us choose the lesser treasure of a million dollars over the seemingly insignificant treasure of that first penny. But like the treasure of Heaven—the penny bears with it a promise of things to come. For those of you taking notes for Math class a penny doubled for a month is worth almost $11 million dollars in an average month and $2.6 million in the month of February!
Which sounds better to you 1 or 11 million?

Sadly, offered the choice between the immediate gratification of a Megabucks win and true happiness with God now and forever most people today would choose the Megabucks. That’s where the disappointments begin! First you will find that whatever your winnings might be Uncle Sam always gets his cut. And even with the seemingly endless money that remains; the odds show that most end up less, not more happy.

And its not just money that people choose over a right relationship with God: Sex, Drugs, Power, Fame, Popularity—all fading, all short-lived, are all frequently chosen before that Treasure in the field.

This was my own experience in life. Born a Catholic, and raised in a devout family I grew up taking my Catholic faith for granted. I allowed my childhood thoughts of becoming a priest to be eclipsed by thoughts of lesser treasures.

At 12 I wanted to become a doctor—because doctors where rich. When I learned that I didn’t care for the sight of blood my mind turned to law and government. At the age of 16 I had worked on my first campaign and by the time I was 20 I had begun to be paid for my efforts. Volunteer work quickly landed me a position working for the US Senate, as one of the youngest paid staff members. I was living in Washington, DC, working closely with members of Congress on Legislation and by the time I graduated college I had already been offered a mid-level job in the executive branch of Government. This was my dream, my goal in life thus far, I had my foot in the door, and was ready to begin the life of public service that I had mapped out for myself.

None of these goals were bad, immoral, or sinful in themselves and yet having attained so many of my goals and being on track for fulfilling my dreams I found my heart heavy I wasn’t satisfied by the treasures that I had chosen. It was at this time in my life that the Lord brought a saintly priest into my life. A priest who helped me to see that we can never be happy if we are not doing the work that God made us for. Examining my life more closely, I began to rediscover
The treasure of my vocation, that had been hiding all along beneath the surface of my heart.

Today I have found that treasure and sold all of my possession, all of my old plans and goals, to obtain it. Since I enter seminary five years ago I have found that peace, contentment, and happiness that can only come from doing God’s will. And I am hear to tell you that despite the sacrifices and difficulties, it is great to be a priest.

And so today I have been sent here today by the Bishop of Fall River to preach to you the good news about vocations. So here it is!

God has a plan for you, [and you, and you]! He has a unique vocation for all of us! It doesn’t matter if you get married, or become a priest, or dedicate your life to God as a single person. What matters is that you listen to the voice of God speaking to you in your heart, showing you the way he has planned for you. Your happiness depends on it because your vocation is the gateway to holiness, it is the entrance into the Kingdom of God, and the map to that Treasure God has buried just for you.

Please God, some of you young men will be called to the priesthood of Jesus Christ, God knows how much the world needs good men to teach, sanctify, and govern His people; andto heal the wounds of the world, with the blood of Christ that comes to us through this Altar! But, what’s most important is that you seek and do God’s will. This is the sure path to the treasure of eternal happiness.