by Fr. John Martin Shimkus, O.S.B.

       In the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less, a 10-year-old boy entered a coffee shop and sat at a table.  A waitress put a glass of water in front of him. “How much is an ice cream sundae?” he asked. “Fifty cents,” replied the waitress.  The little boy pulled his hand out of his pocket and carefully studied the coins in it. After several moments he asked, “Well, how much is a plain dish of ice cream?”  The waitress was growing impatient as more people were now waiting for a table. “Thirty-five cents,” she brusquely replied. The little boy again methodically counted his coins. “I’ll have the plain ice cream,” he said.  The waitress brought the ice cream, put the bill on the table and walked away without saying a word.

     The boy finished the ice cream, paid the cashier and left.  When the waitress came back, she was moved with emotion as she wiped down the table. There, placed neatly beside the empty dish, were two nickels and five pennies – fifteen cents. You see, the reason why the little boy opted for the plain ice cream in place of the sundae was because of his appreciation for the waitress and his desire to leave a generous tip.

     This story demonstrates to us that the value we place on something is related to what we give in exchange for it.  If we must part with a sum of money, or give of our time, or surrender something else of value in order to have it, than we are indicating that whatever it is we desire has a value to us, a value that is determined by how much we had to give in its place.

     In this Sunday’s gospel two of the parables Jesus tells are about what people were willing to give in order to possess God’s kingdom: a person searching for buried treasure sells everything he has in order to buy the field where the treasure is; and a merchant discovers a pearl of great price and gives all his possessions in exchange for it.  Notice that neither of these people is coerced to behave this way.  Neither is forced to give up their property, but rather they are inspired by the joy of having something that to them is more highly valued, a true treasure; and in return for that treasure, no price is too great to pay.

     For many, the demands of God’s kingdom are difficult to accept; many of the requirements of the gospel require painful sacrifices in order to put it into practice.  And we are not always sure that it is worth it.  Unlike the little boy at the ice cream counter, many of us would much rather have the ice cream sundae than show kindness to an impatient waitress.  So in order to make any sense of God’s kingdom, we have to listen to God with the ear of our heart.  In order to tap into the desire to really live for God’s kingdom, we must let him change our ways of thinking, of living, of loving . . . one day at a time.

     In his Rule, our Holy Father St. Benedict assures us that this is possible to one who believes; this is possible to one who is able to “hear the Lord’s voice calling” him or her and “showing us the way to life”.  If we have heard that voice calling us to God’s kingdom, may we also come to see that kingdom as the most valuable, the most meaningful of possessions, and may we be willing to offer all we have in exchange for its worth!     

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