The joy of the hidden treasure

The short parable is today's gospel of the man who found a treasure in the field has always been one of my favourites. It is a story of total honesty and dedication.The man was working in land that belonged to someone else when he found the hidden treasure. Jewish law said that what a person finds belongs to the finder but the treasure gave the man so much joy that he wanted to be doubly sure of his ownership, so he sold everything he had to buy the field with the treasure. (Matthew 13:44-46) The story reminds me of people whom I have known whose similar dedication has led them to a treasured life. First I remember my own mother who was left a widow with three young children. She did not fall into depression or self pity but simply saw that life for her was to bring us up. I can't say that we were always little treasures but to our mother we were. So many parents, missionaries, honest workers and charitable people have discovered that doing the job they have been given has been a treasure to them. In the first reading Moses came down from the mountain with his face radiant from speaking with God. Is it too far fetched to ask that we be radiant? Psalm 34:5 tells us to ''Look to the Lord and be radiant.'' The dictionary says that to be radiant is to have a face beaming with joy, hope or love. I have had the privilege of seeing people on their death bed saying as their final words, ''May God have mercy on my soul,'' and dying with a radiant expression on their face. They were already in the next life. May we be radiant in those moments of self giving in family or community when we feel that we have found the joy of the hidden treasure.