Pearls! A fascinating fact about pearls is that they are the result of irritation. A grain of sand or some small foreign debris finds its way into the oyster and the response to this irritation is that the oyster literally forms a protective coating around the foreign object - layer by layer the irritating particle is coated over and over. A pearl is valuable not only because of its beautiful color but because of how long this coating process takes. There is a great insight here - how something beautiful and highly valued could result from what started as an irritation. The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls...and where do we find these pearls...where we least likely expect. God can take problems and difficulties and turn them to good for those who love God.

It is not possible to go through life without some painful things happening to us. Some of these painful things we bring on ourselves. Others are things we suffer at the hands of others. And others are things that happen through nobody’s fault. Whenever these painful and sometimes devastating things happen, they may bring us to a point of despair. We feel that there is no way out. We come to the conclusion that nothing can be salvaged - everything has gone down the river and is irretrievably lost. How easy it is to slip into a sense of hopelessness or self-pity. We begin to doubt ourselves, to doubt life and even to doubt God.

The words of our second reading from St. Paul are spoken to all of us who have ever felt this sense of loss or hopelessness. “Brothers and sisters: we know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.” God has a saving plan, a purpose which everything serves. God can turn everything to the benefit of those who trust in God. God can bring good out of our pain, even out of our sins. This is not to say that God wills bad things to happen to us. Absolutely not. But when bad things do happen to us, God helps us, not only to pick up the pieces but to reap a harvest from the wreckage. 

The pearl - a beautiful pearl has its origins in an experience of irritation. God can help us to transform our worst fault into virtue, our worst misfortune into our greatest blessing. Our troubles can ultimately bring about good. The obstacle of course is our pride, our fear, our foolishness or just our sense of hurt. We may throw away or walk away in despair from opportunities that can bring us closer to God and to a deeper understanding of life. But with eyes of faith we can see that painful experiences and difficult times show us a God who is faithful to us and can bring good out of anything. If we trust God and have patience, we will see with our own eyes the truth of what Scripture says: “God makes all things work together for the good of those who love Him.”