HOW MANY PEARLS
DO YOU HAVE?
INTRODUCTION
The title for my homily for this 12th Tuesday in Ordinary Time is, "How Many Pearls Do You Have?"
In today’s gospel, Mathew mentions pearls - and not
throwing them to the pigs. In a few chapters later - Matthew 13:46 - he’ll
talk about a pearl merchant - looking and searching for the pearl of great
price. Those are only 2 places in the gospels that we find mention of pearls.
The Book of Revelation mentions pearls once - Revelation 21:21 - where we hear
of the pearly gates. We’ll have to die to find out if they are pearly or golden. That’s it for the New Testament with regards pearls.
The title of my homily is, “How Many Pearls Do You
Have?”
Not being a woman - not being married - I don’t
know a thing about pearls - other than I don’t see them worn by women in
t-shirts and jeans. I could be wrong about that - you tell me. And I understand
there are real pearls and fake pearls - and I don’t know if women and jewelers
can tell the difference. In this homily I’m talking about the expensive ones -
the real ones.
TWO QUESTIONS FOR THIS HOMILY
My two question for this homily would be: 1) What would be your pearls? 2) How many do you
have? Perhaps better: Name them. List them. Figure them out.
FOR EXAMPLE
For example in the Sermon on the Mount we have a
whole list of Jesus’ Pearls of Wisdom. Some of them I assume you already own. You wear them. You use them. Without knowing it, you flaunt them because you put them into
practice.
For example, in today’s gospel we heard Jesus’
famous rendition of the Golden Rule: "Do to others whatever you would have
them do to you. This is the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 7:12. Some people own that text. Some people try to live
that. I know when I visit my sister Mary, there is always veal Parmesan. I’ve heard her from time to time name the favorite meal of each her own family
- including sons-in-law. She likes weird stuff - veggie diet stuff. Ugh! In confession, if a father says he yelled at
his kids or was neglecting them, I’ll sometimes say, “For a penance and for a joy, choose one of your kids and
do something for that kid that he or she loves to do with you so that you will make their day.”
So a scripture text could be one of your pearls -
or a saying on your kitchen wall. By pearl of wisdom, I mean something you look
to and put into practice. It’s you! You own it.
Or it could be a spouse or a grandchild or a memory
of your mom - a gift you picked up from her - that without knowing - she gave
to you - and you picked it up. You live by it. As a result, it has made this world
a better place because of your mom - and/or whom she picked it up from, etc.
etc. etc.
It could be the Mass. You’re here. Better it could be Christ - at this Sacred
Meal called, “The Mass.” It could be Christ who is with you then while you're driving or while you're praying in the Eucharistic Chapel. It could be Christ whom you're with in visiting the sick or volunteering at the Light
House or during St. Vincent de Paul work or in your own little service of others
systems. I don’t know how many times I’ve experienced Jesus in nursing homes
or while sitting with someone in trouble. I keep hearing Paul’s words of
wisdom: "You are the body of Christ - member for member" - or Jesus’ words in
Matthew 25: "I was sick or in prison and you visited me...."
CONCLUSION
The title of my homily is, “How Many Pearls Do You Have?”
Have you ever said to a woman wearing pearls, "Pearls are you!” [1]
Have you ever said to yourself, “This is me! I have
to do this. I have to help this person or be there for this person.”
Or it could be your garden or playing cards or a
cocktail or a lunch or a call on the phone with a friend or a brother or
sister.
In other words, what makes you, you - even when you’re in a t-shirt and jeans? These are your narrow gates that you have
discovered, entered, and they have lead you to life - a much more expensive and
elegant life.
NOTE
[1] Oooops! What about guys with pearl handled pistols?
