Guided by the Holy Spirit, we seek our Lord Jesus, the concealed Treasure of Mercy. Upon discovering this valuable pearl symbolizing God’s kingdom, we will dedicate all our efforts to acquire that miraculous treasure.
If we make an effort, following Jesus’ command, to truly understand the meaning of God’s words, “I desire mercy and not sacrifice” (Matthew 9.13), we would realize that God’s kingdom and the beautiful pearl refer solely to Himself, the Heavenly Father, as St. Ephrem reflects in his hymns about the “Pearl.”
The gold seat on the Ark of the Covenant, covered by cherubim with their golden wings and upon which God sat, is called “mercy” (Exodus 25.17 and 22). It is no coincidence that God delights greatly in mercy (Micah 7.18).
Inspired by this same mercy, Paul the Apostle earnestly appeals to the Philippians, urging them that if there is any consolation in Christ, any comfort of love, any fellowship of the Spirit, or any affection and mercy, they should fulfill his joy by being united in Christ’s mindset, sharing the same love, and maintaining unity of spirit and thought, just as Christ Jesus exemplified (Philippians 2.1-2, 2.5). When we begin to think with a merciful mind, we align ourselves with God’s very own mind, embracing His way of thinking, as Jesus desires and expects from us (Matthew 16.23).
We will have discovered the treasure of mercy, and our only response will be to sell everything and surrender all to allow this precious treasure to take its place within us. We will no longer desire anything of lesser value—power, honors, or laurels. As St. Gregory of Narek notes, we will discard our own judgment and choices, since seeking God’s gifts will seem meaningless once God Himself resides within us, alive through His Holy Spirit and burning with His love.
We will never detach from His presence, for love will guide us, as Gregory of Narek reminds us. We will grasp the meaning of “pray always”–not through long-winded words that make us check the clock, but by immersing ourselves in God’s eternal love as His true children. This transformation into the Body of Christ-the Church happens through the Holy Spirit’s power.