From Our Pastor: The Pearl of Great Price

In this Sunday’s readings, Solomon stands before the Lord with the opportunity to ask for anything, yet he asks not for riches, power, or a long life, but for wisdom. What a beautiful reminder that the greatest gift we can seek is a heart that knows how to listen to God.

In the Gospel, Jesus compares the Kingdom of Heaven to a treasure hidden in a field and a pearl of great price, something so valuable that a person gladly gives up everything else to possess it. These parables challenge us to examine our own priorities. What do we treasure most? Too often our hearts become attached to things that cannot truly satisfy, while the Lord patiently invites us to discover that lasting joy is found only in Him.

As disciples of Jesus, we are called to seek the wisdom of Solomon and the wholehearted commitment of the merchant who found the pearl of great price. Faith is not simply one part of our lives; it is the lens through which we see everything else. When Christ becomes our greatest treasure, sacrifices become opportunities, generosity becomes natural, and service becomes a privilege rather than a burden. May we ask the Lord this week for the grace to recognize the priceless gift we have already received in our Catholic faith, to cherish the Eucharist as the greatest treasure entrusted to us, and to live each day with hearts that gladly choose Christ above all else. When we do, we discover that the Kingdom of Heaven is not merely a future promise, it is already taking root within us.

This weekend we welcome the Missionaries of St. Francis de Sales for their Missionary appeal. The second collection this weekend will go to their community, unless the envelope it is in states the gift is for Alaska. Otherwise the second collection will be for the Missionaries of St. Francis de Sales.

This weekend we also celebrate Sister JoAn Schullian, OSF’s 70th anniversary of religious profession. Sr. JoAn grew up here at St. Francis Solanus and we thank her for her many years of religious life as a witness to the Gospel in a Franciscan way of life. God bless you Sister and thank you for all you have done for the Church. Pray for more religious sisters.

Also a reminder that August 1 will begin the new Mass schedule. After August 1, there will be no more Tuesday and Thursday evening Mass at 5:30 because we are picking up the Masses for QND as chaplains. We will still have the 5:30 p.m. Wednesday Mass with confessions before. We will still have 6:30 a.m. Mass Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. Mass Saturday with confessions after. Thank you for your understanding with this change. Pray for more priests.

Father Arisman