Reflection: A Vessel of Love

2 Cor 4:7
“But we hold this treasure in earthen vessels, that the surpassing power may be of God and not from us.”

I thought this verse from today’s reading was a precursor to Sunday’s Gospel readings. These readings are about treasure and pearls.  They tell the faithful about the treasure available to those who give all to God.  With that in mind, I would like to retell a story I heard.

A young man meets a young lady and asks her out on a date.  They decided to continue to date and after the second or third date the young man gives her a small gift. It is a small inexpensive locket that locks with a key.  The young man tells her that he will give her the key later. It not too expensive and she likes him, so she says “OK.”  

After a year of dating, the young man plans a romantic evening and gives her the key to the locket.  He says, “Here is the key to the locket, why don’t you open it now?”  Inside the locket is a scrap of paper that he placed there after their first date with the question, “Will you marry me?” 

She said “yes.”

That locket was an earthen vessel that carried the treasure of that young man’s love from the very beginning.  It was a symbol of his patience as the young lady fell in love with him. The apostle Paul writes to Timothy about Jesus Christ having a perfect patience to those who believe in him. God’s patience with humanity and each of us is like the locket in this story. It holds the story of Christ's love. 

God has known us and loved us from the beginning. God treasures us. All we have to do is unlock the locket of his love and say “yes.”

Prayer
Lord Jesus, we are only earthen vessels. Empty us of things that keep us from you and fill us with the treasure's of the Kingdom of God. Amen