We have been hearing different parables in our Gospel readings this week. It is striking to me that the treasure in the parable is found by accident. The person was probably not even looking for that treasure when he found it. Our life of faith is that way as well. We can have a plan for how we want our faith life to unfold, but then Jesus can come to us in very unexpected ways. Perhaps those surprise visits from Jesus are the greatest treasures we can have on our faith journey. As a priest, I can make a “to do” list with everything I want to get done on a certain day, but then, many different things can happen to wipe away my plans. On the web forum for the pilgrims going to the Camino of St James in Spain, many who are planning their pilgrimage don’t want to leave anything to chance. They try to plan each little detail of their pilgrimage to the greatest extent possible. The trouble with that is that sometimes it does not leave much opportunity for God to interact with us in those unexpected ways. A big part of pilgrimage is being open to God in unexpected ways. Even if we are happy and content with our lives, Jesus can come to us out of the blue, changing our plans. Let us try to open up our hearts to those unexpected ways God speaks to us in our daily lives.
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