26/07/2026
WHAT IF Isn’t Calling Me There?
“The Kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field, which someone finds and hides again, and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” (Matthew 13:44)
This is a vocation often begins as pure grace. The man was not searching for the treasure. He simply found it. It came unexpectedly, changing the direction of his life in a single moment.
Many people experience their vocation this way. God breaks into their ordinary lives through a powerful encounter: a retreat, a moment before the Blessed Sacrament, the witness of a holy person, a personal suffering, or even what seems like a sudden call that they cannot ignore. Some saints received an unmistakable invitation from the Lord that transformed everything. Others describe a deep certainty that they could not explain but could no longer resist.
Like the man in the parable, they immediately recognized that what they had found was worth more than everything they possessed. They did not simply take the treasure and continue living as before. They willingly gave up everything to embrace the whole “field”—the concrete vocation, with all its joys, sacrifices, responsibilities, and hidden struggles. The treasure cannot be separated from the field that contains it.
Yet this is not the experience of everyone.
“Again, the Kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls. When he finds one pearl of great price, he goes and sells all that he has and buys it.” (Matthew 13:45–46)
For many of us, discovering our vocation is less like finding a hidden treasure and more like becoming the merchant.
The merchant does not stumble upon the pearl by accident. He spends years searching. He learns from experience, from mistakes, from disappointment, and from hope. He gradually develops the wisdom to recognize what is truly precious.
This is the path of discernment.
Many people do not receive a dramatic vision or an extraordinary call. Instead, they slowly discover God’s will through prayer, spiritual direction, Scripture, service, community life, study, and the ordinary events of daily life. Little by little, God forms their hearts until they are able to recognize the “pearl of great price.”
But what if, after giving up everything, I discover that I chose the wrong pearl?
The parable itself offers an answer.
The merchant is not reckless. He knows pearls. His decision is not based on a passing emotion but on years of searching and growing in wisdom. When he finally sells everything, he does so because he has become capable of recognizing genuine value.
The same is true of vocation. Authentic discernment is not about making a random choice and hoping for the best. It is about allowing God to shape our hearts until we can recognize where He is leading us.
Could we still make mistakes? Yes. We are human. But God is faithful. He is not waiting for us to fail because we misunderstood one detail of His plan. If we sincerely seek Him, remain open to correction, and choose with love, freedom, and faith, He continues to guide us even through our weaknesses.
In the end, whether we are like the man who unexpectedly discovers a treasure or like the merchant who patiently searches for the perfect pearl, the invitation is the same: when we recognize Christ and His Kingdom as the greatest treasure, we are willing to give everything in return.
The question is not simply, “What if I choose wrong?”
The deeper question is, “Have I truly sought the One who is calling me?”
For when we seek Him with an honest heart, we discover that He has been seeking us first.
