“Rare Stamp Collections” by Brian Flanagan

“Rare Stamp Collections” by Brian Flanagan

Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

My sister recently sent me a link to an article entitled “32 Of Your Childhood Toys That Are Worth An Absolute Fortune Now.”  Among the items listed were Power Rangers action figures valued at $4,000 each (mint condition in the box of course).  By the way the original Power Rangers series is currently on Netflix if anyone is interested…

Also listed were a holographic Charizard Pokemon card at $5,500 and a mint condition 1^st edition Princess Diana Beanie Baby at $350,000.  That tells me two things; first, that I never should have opened any of those three things, and second, that people are nuts.

Seriously? $350,000 for a Beanie Baby?  That means there’s someone out there crazy enough to buy it.  I’d like to think that such a person has boat loads of cash on hand and already donates a good chunk to charity after paying the electric bill from their mansion, but who knows?  The person might just be a really passionate collector.  And what would they even do with this newly acquired exhibit?  Sell tickets to come and see it?

The rest of the world might balk at the idea, but to these avid collectors, the items are worth the price.  Perhaps in order to purchase them, they might even have to sell a few collectables of lesser value.  But a holographic Snorlax card wouldn’t even be missed in light of obtaining greater prize.

This week’s Gospel gives us a very similar situation; “The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls.  When he finds a pearl of great price, he goes and sells all that he has and buys it.”

Once we start letting our faith have an influence over every aspect of our lives, we might appear to others to be like the crazy collectors.  And our sacrifice as Christians is greater even than the merchant selling “all that he has”; we are called to sacrifice our very selves, receiving the life of Christ within us in return.  St. Paul says, “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives within me.”  Jesus himself says, “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”

It sounds like a tall order, but it’s completely worth it!  Look at the 2,000 years worth of Saints of the Church.  Any one of them would tell you that both the life in Christ they lived on earth and the eternal life they currently enjoy in heaven far outweigh a self-seeking life.

The rest of the world doesn’t see it that way, but that doesn’t mean they’re right.  They just need to see someone like you go sell all that you have and buy the pearl of great price; to see someone sell all their Rubbermaid bins full of Beanie Babies (and possibly their house) to buy the 1^st edition Princess Diana.  Show them this, and they’ll be right behind you, rare stamp collections in hand.