The hidden treasure

17th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Jesus tells some more stories to explain the Kingdom of Heaven to us. What does he say it is like? (Like a man looking for fine pearls, like a treasure found in a field.)

Let’s think a bit more about the first story Jesus tells. He says that the Kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which someone has found.

How would you feel if you found some treasure? What would you do next?

In Jesus’ story the person who finds the treasure hides it again, then goes away and sells everything that they own to buy the field that it is in. Why do you think they do this?

They are so excited by the treasure, and they know that it is worth more than everything that they own. It is the best thing that they can possibly have – nothing compares to it.

Jesus is telling us that the Kingdom of heaven is a treasure that we can reach if we live our lives as God asks us to.

We all have things we treasure in our lives. What treasures do you have? Why are they so special? You might first want to talk about something you treasure to give the children an example.

Among the greatest treasures we possess, we surely find our relatives, our friends, and all our dear benefactors who in some way or another, seek to help us live a good and healthy life. Furthermore, we also cherish other very important treasures such as peace, good health, justice, and the life we live day by day in our communities. When we leave room for God to be present in the midst of our families, our communities and our personal lives, there we have discovered the hidden treasure of the Kingdom of Heaven. This is the Kingdom of Heaven, not because it not connected to our earthly life or realities! To the contrary, it is the Kingdom of Heaven because notwithstanding the fact that we live in a challenging and imperfect world, it gives us here and now a foretaste of the heavenly peace which only God may grant us.

A reading from the Gospel of Matthew (Matthew 13, 44-52)

“The Kingdom of heaven is like this. A man happens to find a treasure hidden in a field. He covers it up again, and is so happy that he goes and sells everything he has, and then goes back and buys that field.

“Also, the Kingdom of heaven is like this. A man is looking for fine pearls, and when he finds one that is unusually fine, he goes and sells everything he has, and buys that pearl.”

“Also, the Kingdom of heaven is like this. Some fishermen throw their net out in the lake and catch all kinds of fish. When the net is full, they pull it to shore and sit down to divide the fish: the good ones go into their buckets, the worthless ones are thrown away. It will be like this at the end of the age: the angels will go out and gather up the evil people from among the good and will throw them into the fiery furnace, where they will cry and grind their teeth. “Do you understand these things?” Jesus asked them.

“Yes,” they answered.

So he replied, “This means, then, that every teacher of the Law who becomes a disciple in the Kingdom of heaven is like a homeowner who takes new and old things out of his storeroom.”

The Gospel of the Lord
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ

  1. Read the Gospel story so that you are familiar with it
  2. Reflect on what the Gospel story is saying to you. Which points would you highlight and how do they affect you now?
  3. Are you searching for something in your life? Do you feel that you need something which goes beyond what you already have?
  4. What are you doing in order to find the hidden treasure of the Kingdom of Heaven? How are you helping others so that they may also find this treasure?
  5. Together with your family find the right time to read this gospel. The environment helps, so before you start, prepare:
    a. The Bible reading from St Matthew (13, 44-52)
    b. A lit candle
    c. Cover the table with green cloth
    d. A computer/laptop with the reading and clips
  6. Go through the steps with your kid’s (2 age groups are being suggested)
  7. Feel free to adapt to your situation
  8. Be creative 😊
  9. Go to the Prayer Spaces section to continue praying as a family

“Read the Gospel. Read the Gospel. We have spoken about it, do you remember? To read a passage of the Gospel every day; and to carry a little Gospel with us, in our pocket, in a purse, in some way, to keep it at hand. And there, reading a passage, we will find Jesus. Everything takes on meaning when you find your treasure there, in the Gospel. Jesus calls it “the Kingdom of God”, that is to say, God who reigns in your life, in our life; God who is love, peace and joy in every man and in all men. This is what God wants and it is why Jesus gave himself up to death on the cross, to free us from the power of darkness and to move us to the kingdom of life, of beauty, of goodness and of joy. To read the Gospel is to find Jesus and to have this Christian joy, which is a gift of the Holy Spirit.”

In today’s Gospel, Jesus speaks to us about the Kingdom of Heaven, comparing it to a precious treasure which we ought to seek, being ready to forgo other things so as to find it and treasure it.

We will learn that:

  • Jesus wants to be with us and make us joyful people. This is the Kingdom of Heaven!
  • For this to happen, we ought to seek Jesus before everything else and he is our greatest treasure
  • At times, we have to suffer so as to seek this treasure, but when we succeed in finding it, we would have become truly rich
  • Objects which are considered precious by the children (toys, digital games etc.)
  • We should identify places where we can hide these objects (these places must be safe for the children!)
  • Signs which can help the children seek their treasured objects in the right direction

We ask: do know what the word Kingdom means? A Kingdom is a place which belongs to and is governed by a King. The Kingdom of Heaven is so called since the one true King is God. This Kingdom is not to be found in a specific place, which is far or near. This Kingdom is among us, within us, and in our hearts! Jesus thirsts for our love and he wants to talk with us and be our friend. He wants to take care of us and make us happy. 

Now, you may help the children to start seeking their hidden treasured objects. Let the children experience the difficulties and challenge until they have found the hidden objects. 

When the children succeed in their search, ask them: Do you remember the stories recounted by Jesus in today’s Gospel? (Remember the treasure hidden in the field and the precious pearl which was found and bought). 

When the children recall the Gospel stories, you can explain to them that as they have succeeded in finding their treasured objects, so they can also search for and find the Kingdom of Heaven. They may find Jesus and treasure Him as their greatest friend. 

We may ask them: was the search for their treasured objects always easy? Surely some difficulties cropped up. Likewise, for us to find Jesus and keep Him as our friend, we have to win over some difficulties and be persistent in our search (Help the children name some simple things which may distract their friendship with Jesus). 

We may likewise ask the children: Now that you have your treasured objects, what are you going to do with them? If you will try to keep these objects in a safe place, you need to do the same with Jesus. You have to do your utmost to be his friends. 

We may close the activity by asking the children to tell us what helped them or what might have hindered their search for their treasured objects. Moreover, we should help them identify what might help them or hinder them in their search for the Kingdom of Heaven. 

Sign of the cross 

We thank you Lord Jesus because your wish is to make us happy and joyful. We are thankful that you want to be with us and that you wish to stay with us without never abandoning us.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus speaks to us about the Kingdom of Heaven, comparing it to a precious treasure which we ought to seek, being ready to forgo other things so as to find it and treasure it.

We will learn that:

  • Jesus wants to be with us and make us joyful people. This is the Kingdom of Heaven!
  • For this to happen, we ought to seek Jesus before everything else and he is our greatest treasure
  • At times, we have to suffer so as to seek this treasure, but when we succeed in finding it, we would have become truly rich

We need:

  • Objects which are considered precious by the children (digital games, treasured personal belongings etc.)
  • We should identify places where we can hide these objects (these places must be safe!)
  • Signs which can help the children seek their treasured objects in the right direction
  • It is recommendable that the search, if possible, is carried by a group of children

We ask: do know what the word Kingdom means? A Kingdom is a place which is belongs to and is governed by a King. The Kingdom of Heaven is so called since the one true King is God. This Kingdom is not to be found in a specific place, which is far or near. This Kingdom is among us, within us, and in our hearts! Jesus thirsts for our love and he wants to converse with us and be our friend. He wants to take care of us and make us happy.

Now, you may help the children to start seeking their hidden treasured objects. Let the children experience the difficulties and challenge until they have found the hidden objects.

When the children succeed in their search, ask them: Do you remember the stories recounted by Jesus in today’s Gospel? (Remember the treasure hidden in the field and the precious pearl which was found and bought).

When the children recall the Gospel stories, you can explain to them that as they have succeeded in finding their treasured objects, so they can also search for and find the Kingdom of Heaven. They may find Jesus and treasure Him as their greatest friend.

We may ask them: was the search for their treasured objects always easy? Surely some difficulties cropped up. Likewise, for us to find Jesus and keep Him as our friend, we have to win over some difficulties and be persistent in our search (Help the children name some simple things which may distract their friendship with Jesus).

We may likewise ask the children: Now that you have your treasured objects, what are to going to do with them? If you will try to keep these objects in a safe place, you need to do the same with Jesus. You have to do your utmost to be his friends.

We ask the children what difference did the fact that they were searching for the treasured objects with the help of others, make in their search. Does this have anything to teach us in our common search for the Kingdom of Heaven?

We may close the activity by asking the children to tell us what helped them or what might have hindered their search for their treasured objects. Moreover, we should help them identify what might help them or hinder them in their search for the Kingdom of Heaven.

Listen to, I have found a treasure, because Jesus is our treasure.

Sign of the cross. 

We thank you Lord Jesus because your wish is to make us happy and joyful. We are thankful that you want to be with us and that you wish to stay with us without never abandoning us.

‘You have made us for yourself, O Lord,
and our heart is restless ot rests in you.’ – St Augustine

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God speaks to us in many ways, including through the Sunday Scripture readings. Here you will find useful background and activities to better understand the upcoming Sunday's Scripture readings, helping you to connect the Scripture to daily life in a meaningful way.