You are my treasure, Lord

by Fr. Jerome Cayetano  |  07/26/2026  |  The WORD in other words

I have an uncle who is/was obsessed in searching for the infamous “Yamashita treasure.” He spent a lot of money in the process of his search. Until now, he was not successful. Today’s gospel tells us of two parables. A man in search of treasure in field and a man search of the finest pearl. Both were willing to sacrifice everything they had just to obtain the field with treasure and the finest of all pearls.

These persons describe aptly each one of us. We are all treasure hunters. We look for things that would make us completely happy. Certainly, there is nothing wrong with this. Christ understood our innate desire to search for happiness and meaning in life. But problems come because we don’t know where to find it or what the things that would really make us happy are. Jesus loves us when we try to search. He offers us the “Kingdom of God” as a treasure hidden in the field and finest of rare pearls. It is Jesus Christ in person. It is allowing Him to rule and reign in our hearts. It is having the knowledge that we are children of God, with divine dignity and eternal destiny. Those who find it are really wise and rich, though in the eyes of the world they are foolish and stupid.

Indeed, our chief task in this world is not to be successful to be fulfilled, but to be faithful to God. Finding the treasure in the field and the finest pearl is finding God. He is the source of unrestrained joy and happiness. He brings us peace, joy and happiness. To taste the joy of having the “Kingdom of God” in our hearts or the joy of having Jesus in our hearts would spur us to sacrifice and give up everything we have. As humans, we still need money, security, success, recognition, and stability. But we should not be entirely dependent on them. You would all agree with me that our life would be unbearable without God. Our life would be pointless and meaningless without God. He is the reason why we live. To have a close relationship with God or with Jesus is to have a treasure in a field or to have the finest pearl of great price. He gives us a sense of who we are and what we are. He gives us a sense of purpose, direction and meaning. Thus, to have Him means to have it all. But mind you, having the Kingdom of God here on earth is just a foretaste of what it means to enter it. It is when we enter God’s Kingdom that we would experience its fullness, a life full of happiness, which I suppose beyond human description.

As St. Augustine says: “You have made us for yourself O Lord, and our hearts will never rest until they rest in you.” The question we must ask ourselves today is “Are we fools for Christ? Or are we wise enough to have Jesus in our life?” Our saints are examples of people who are “fools for Christ.” They too are wise for having Jesus in their life.