TOPIC: THE PEARL OF GREAT PRICE
1. STORY
Edward was single and about 36 years old when he met a woman named Wallis.
Though she had been married and divorced
twice, he continued to see her. Eventually
they came to love each other deeply. When he was 42 years old, his father died.
His father was not an ordinary man as he
was the King of England. In January of
1936, Edward became Edward VIII, the King of England. He declared his intention to marry Wallis, his
pearl of great price. His family, the
Church of England, and the British Parliament opposed this. King Edward VIII had to make a choice; either
be king or marry Wallis. He could not
have both. I n December of 1936, Edward made his choice. He chose to marry
Wallis and submitted his abdication which was accepted by Parliament the next
day. He became the only British monarch
ever to resign voluntarily. He chose his
pearl, Wallis, over everything else.
2. GOSPEL, MATTHEW 13:44-46
A) THE PEARL OF GREAT PRICE
There was a merchant who loved pearls and searched high and low for fine pearls. To his great joy, he found one of great beauty which was so beautiful that he decided that he must buy it no matter what the cost.
B) HE SOLD ALL HE HAD AND BOUGHT IT
He had to make a great sacrifice. He sold all that he had to have enough money
to buy his precious pearl. He considered
himself very fortunate in having the opportunity to buy what he so desired. This purchase brought him great happiness.
3. APPLICATION TO LIFE
A) MY PEARL OF GREAT PRICE
For some, health is the most important thing. They eat carefully, exercise faithfully, and get enough sleep. For others, money is most important. They work hard, spend their money carefully, and save faithfully. For others, happiness is number one. Happiness for themselves, their family, and friends. In this parable, Jesus tells us that God should be number one in our lives, our precious pearl. Why? The reason is that it is only God who can give us health. He alone can give us strength to make money.He alone can give us happiness. So in making God all important, we gain health, wealth, and happiness.
B) WHAT MUST I DO WITH THIS GREAT TREASURE?
First, we must love God. We must
pray each day, both in the morning asking for help during the day and in the
evening thanking him for his blessings. We
must be faithful in attending Sunday Mass where we hear the word of God and are
able to receive the Eucharist. We must
read the bible or some spiritual book when time permits. Secondly, we must love our neighbor. We must be kind in our speech, patient in our
attitude, and helpful in our actions. We
cherish this great treasure by loving God and by loving our neighbor.
4. CONCLUSION
Edward VII, king of England, discovered that his pearl of great price
was his friend and future wife, Wallis Warfield Simpson. The price he had to pay was to give up the
British throne and no longer be king. The
merchant in the parable sold all he had to purchase the pearl he wanted. The parable teaches us that God should be our
greatest desire and we show this by loving Him and our neighbor. We pray for the grace to discover that
God is truly our pearl of great price.
