“We leave something or someone good in order to possess someone better: Christ Himself, the pearl of great price.” The Gospel of Matthew, chapter 13, features Jesus using everyday imagery to reveal the nature of the Kingdom of Heaven, emphasizing a critical moment of decision. In the first two parables, the hidden treasure and the pearl of great price represent the ultimate value of God’s reign, demanding immediate action [Mt 13:44-46]. The Greek text emphasizes the joy (chara) of the finder, driving them to sell all they have to secure it. This demands total renunciation; temporary earthly security is traded for an eternal, supreme reality. The third parable shifts focus to the dragnet (sagēnē), which catches all types of fish [Mt 13:47-50]. It highlights the present, inclusive reality of the Church, where good and bad coexist until the final judgment. Together, these parables show that while the Kingdom invites everyone, it demands a deliberate, costly personal choice and commitment.

These parables offer a deep look at human desire and divine grace, exploring how we encounter God. The treasure stumbled upon and the pearl found through diligent searching show that grace operates both in unexpected moments and through intentional spiritual seeking. Human beings are inherently spiritual, and worldly substitutes like material wealth or ambition always leave the soul restless and unfulfilled. True conversion acts as a divine organizing principle, reordering priorities so that external realities—success, honor, and even tragedy—fall into their proper perspective [Mt 6:33]. Finding the Kingdom is a radical awakening that breaks with the past, reorienting the human heart toward its Creator. It proves that our deep inner restlessness is actually a disguised longing for God, who guides our search all along. As St. Augustine famously said, “Our heart is restless until it rests in Thee.”

The final parable of the net provides an ecclesial and eschatological framework for understanding the Christian journey. Growing into God’s embrace within the life of the Church is a gradual process of sanctification, where believers mature from baptism into making Christ their true center. This communal dimension ensures that the Kingdom is not just a private experience, but a shared reality that prepares the soul for final accountability. Choosing God’s reign above all else brings profound spiritual freedom, anchoring the believer so they are never enslaved by modern idols like power or greed. True spiritual wisdom, like the discerning heart of King Solomon, rests in recognizing that investing everything in Christ is the only way to experience abundance [1 Kgs 3:9]. Ultimately, the Kingdom of Heaven transforms the soul, proving that those who surrender everything to live under God’s reign are the ones who truly strike it rich. May we never be afraid of losing something good or valuable in order to possess someone better: Christ Himself.

~ REV. FR. BRYAN MA. EALA, OSM

Stray to be found: A life journey

Why “stray to be found”? First of all, the phrase came from an album title by the band True Faith (the composer of “Dahil Ikaw,” one of my absolute favorite songs). Throughout my journey from late adolescence to early adulthood years, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, I encountered many hardships that definitely altered the way I initially envisioned myself: a person wandering into the unknown.

I know that this cuts deep in our hearts and brings struggles, especially when we are forced to do the things that we don’t really want to do. But if there is one very important lesson I learned from all of this, it is that not all who stray are lost; some are simply meant to be found.

Looking back, perhaps this was God’s way of telling me why I couldn’t take the exact path I wanted. Maybe He led me through unexpected paths because He knew a much better plan for me. Maybe He allowed me to stray from my own plans so that I could truly find myself. Accepting this redirection can be too overwhelming as it takes time and patience, but in the end, the transformation is always worth it.

Now that I have graduated from college and am stepping into the professional world, the anxiety is there—but I am ready to be a stray all over again, just to be found doing exactly what the Lord God wills for me.

~ BRYAN C. ACOSTA

PRAYER TO START THE WEEK
Lord Jesus, You are the greatest treasure and the pearl of great price, worthy of all my love and devotion. Give me the courage to choose Your Kingdom above everything else and to live each day according to Your will. Help me remain faithful until the end, so that I may joyfully share in Your eternal Kingdom. Amen.

Originally published in the Neo Jeremiah Voice of the Young Prophet Newsletter (July 26, 2026 issue).