Reflection with Canon Pat Browne - The Pearl of great price

Canon Pat Browne

There's an ancient legend that tells the story of a jeweller who had a precious pearl he wanted to sell. In order to place this pearl in the proper setting, he conceived the idea of building a special box of the finest woods to contain the pearl. He sought these woods and had them brought to him, and they were polished to a high brilliance. He then reinforced the corners of this box with elegant brass hinges and added a red velvet interior. As a final step, he scented that red velvet with perfume, then put in that setting the precious Pearl.

The pearl was then placed in the store window of the jeweller, and after a short period of time, a rich man came by. He was attracted by what he saw and sat down with the jeweller to negotiate a purchase. After a while the jeweller realised that the man was negotiating for the box rather than the pearl. You see, the man was so overcome by the beauty of the exterior that he failed to see the item of greatest value at the centre - the pearl.

And we too can and do make the same mistake with our faith.

The box is the church in all it's visible forms. Some of us love it for its architectural heritage, the amazing churches and cathedrals the world over. Some of us for its music, Gregorian chant, polyphony, the Masses of a Haydn, Mozart, or in more modern times, Duruffle or Faure or more simply the popular folk music we hear in our churches today, or maybe it is the philosophy for life that our faith gives us, a good ethic by which to live, clear guidelines for right or wrong, for others it is the Mass in English or the vernacular of whichever country you are in, or the traditional Mass in Latin. We all have our preferences and that is okay as far as they go. But they are only the box.

It is what is in the box that is most important. Concentrating on the box …the language, the music, the architecture…..we commit the sin of idolatry.

We have to look and see what is at its centre. The Pearl of great value is ….Jesus.

Too many Catholics today have never moved beyond the box. They not only express their preferences but sit in judgement with a sense of superiority and condemn those who don't agree with them. The precious Jewel is forgotten while they squabble and cause division in the church about the trimmings, the box.

The precious Jewel for which the church exists is The Lord Jesus …..and if you do not posses him the rest is all chaff, hot air and is useless for your salvation.

Years ago in the 80's when I was at Westminster Cathedral It was a great joy to celebrate the 10.30 Mass in Latin with that beautiful choir singing behind me, with incense and formality and then at 5.30 that same day leading a folk choir singing at that evening Mass. Whatever helps people to pray and puts them in touch with God is what matters.

And the Mass said with dignity and prayerfulness whether in a great basilica or under a tree in a dried out riverbed in Kenya that links me to the greatest treasure of all…our Lord Jesus is what it's all about.

The language, the music, the formality or lack of it is simply the box. The jewel contained there inside it is Jesus and that is whom we seek. He invites us today to find him through our worship. I-am the bread of life he tells us, he who comes to me will never be hungry, he who believes in me will never thirst.

So let's focus on him and his message of love, take him into your heart and especially at that solemn moment of the consecration at Mass when the bread and wine is held up to you, look at it and say something from your heart like - My Lord and My God or simply Jesus I love you.

When you enter the church genuflect mindfully to him in the tabernacle as a real act of adoration and worship. It is for him we come to Mass wherever it is, whatever language it is in, whether it is said or sung.

In the Mass he is giving me the gift of himself. He is the Pearl of great price. The precious jewel in the box.

(This is the text of a sermon given by Fr Pat on Sunday 1 August 2021)

Canon Pat Browne is Parish Priest at Holy Apostles, Pimlico, and Roman Catholic Duty Priest to the Houses of Parliament.
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