COMMENT:Peter Chrysologus' gem.. William

Robert Natkin Farm Street Art

[The theologian's reply to the scientist!]

Dear William,

It is a joy to have your spotlighting of Peter Chrysologus' gem.

Thank you.

Meanwhile, I too had to study your exegesis of the metal  detector's of the Pearl of Great Price. More pondering ....

fr. Donald

Fwd: Pearl of Great Price

On Tuesday, 29 July 2014, 10:14, 

William ... wrote:

Dear Father R and D...

I am delighting in the treasure revealed in your homily! The iPad in Father Donald's hand has proved to be a metal detector!

The separation of the two parables, between the one who 'chanced upon' and the one who 'had been searching', is truly most enlightening, and as with all your homilies, it has set me thinking....I wonder...

 ... the someone who "sells all that he has AND buys that field" has a character fault about him that I don't quite like (!) with regard to the fact that he didn't tell the owner of his discovery and thus acknowledge what the field was really worth given its discovered treasure which he went and hid again (OK it had been hidden and we don't think it belonged to the owner), but buying it as just a field, thus in effect mighty cheaply, was that not just a little fraudulent (perhaps for him, the old adage applied, 'Finders keepers, Losers weepers?') Not a man filled with charitable virtue, but dishonourable! Perhaps Jesus was considering this to be the Pharisee, (mine all mine, let the publican forfeit) - alas, I became very embittered as I had these thoughts, considering the 'someone' a rogue! May he be exposed...or is that what Jesus is doing?

[This may be quite the wrong end of the stick! but it still bothers me]

... whereas, it seems to me, the pearl was acknowledged as a very fine one by both its owner and the merchant, changing the word 'and' to "in order TO buy it" - at its true value, its full cost to himself. This parable tells of the wonderful endeavour, and of the longing, the impetuosity and the excitement at its fulfilment - upon which the highest possible value is placed, its sheer expense acknowledged!

The moment of your Profession, and of your Ordination, these won't have been the result of an 'and' but of an 'in order TO'! 

I have much delighted in your homily, thank you.

With my love in Our Lord,

William