What are we willing to give up for the kingdom of heaven, and what path should we take to get there? This week’s reflection reminds us that we don’t have to discern alone – we can always ask God for an understanding heart.

July 26, 2026: Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A
1 Kings 3:5, 7–12
Psalm 119:57, 72, 76–77, 127–130
Romans 8:28–30
Matthew 13:44–52

A Pearl of Great Price

A reflection by Carter Fahey

Do you know how a pearl forms? Some tiny bit of matter – a grain of sand, a bit of dirt – gets trapped inside an oyster. Irritated by the foreign body, the oyster slowly coats the particle with nacre (also called mother of pearl) to protect itself, building up layers until a pearl forms. The resulting pearls are both beautiful and precious; each one is unique and carries its own individual features and charm that might not be recognizable to the untrained eye.

For many, conversion starts the same way. Something small – a prayer, a bit of scripture, an icon – sticks in your head and won’t leave, no matter how hard you try. Slowly, imperceptibly, other thoughts, words, and images build up until you can no longer ignore the beauty that’s been developing. Your only choice is to recognize the precious jewel of truth that’s grown. This process can occur in anyone – whether cradle Catholic or adult convert, quickly or over a lifetime – but the resulting pearl of truth is always priceless.

That truth, as we hear in this week’s gospel reading, is Christ and the kingdom of heaven: “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls. When he finds a pearl of great price, he goes and sells all that he has and buys it” (Mt 13:45). We have seen the fine pearl. What are we willing to give up to acquire it?

In the gospel, the answer is everything. One person sells all he has to purchase the field containing treasure, and the merchant does the same to buy the pearl of great price. To everyone around them, this must have seemed completely ludicrous. From the outside, the choices they make are totally irrational – who can guarantee that the field will produce a bountiful harvest that can support you, or that there will be a buyer for the precious pearl? If they’re wrong, the consequences would be dire – a pearl makes for a rather unsatisfying meal.

But for both individuals, nothing else would do. They knew the true worth of the field and of the pearl, and nothing else could possibly matter. They had to have them at the cost of everything else, even if everyone around them thought they were making a devastating mistake.

Vocations can sometimes feel the same way. Whether it’s joining a religious order, working to reform unjust legislation, or remaining in the Church as a witness even when it feels like the Church is pushing you away, all vocations will require some sacrifice, and there will always be people who question your choices. They may not see the beauty that is calling you down that road – they may even question your sanity, at times – but if you persevere, you can follow the path to the kingdom of heaven.

How can we recognize the path we should walk and the treasure we are offered, though? To the untrained eye, there might not be much to distinguish the common pearl from the pearl of great price. People train for years to be able to recognize the traits that make one pearl a common beauty and another fit for a queen, after all.

Luckily, we do not have to discern by ourselves (humankind is not made to exist alone, after all). We have God to help us discern, and can pray like Solomon, asking God to “Give your servant… an understanding heart” (1 Kings 3:9). We can rely on our communities and those who love us to help us find a path forward. Ultimately, God ensures that “all things work for good” in the end, and any choice we make in good faith, any path we walk in love, will bring us to the treasure we seek (Rom 8:28).

Carter Fahey (he/him) is the Associate Editor of Breath of the Spirit and studied at Oxford. He is a convert and has an interest in doing outreach work to Catholic communities to combat misinformation and create opportunities for community among LGBTQIA+ people.

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