Ultimate Treasures

43. If a man desires something, he makes every effort to attain it. But of all things which are good and desirable the divine is incomparably the best and the most desirable. How assiduous, then, we should be in order to attain what is of its very nature good and desirable.

St. Maximus the Confessor Four Hundred Centuries on Love: #43

Within the lore of adventures and dreams of seekers, often exists a legend about a treasure that is by no means alike—a jewel so enormously valuable that it would eclipse all earthly riches. It is said to lie in wait at the end of a formidable journey, through treacherous lands and across daunting seas. Seekers of this jewel, through an insatiable desire, dedicate their very lives to the pursuit, for they know that to have this gem is to be content beyond measure.

It is the ultimate good one searches for—the most desirable of all treasures—a never-ending pursuit, like one's seeking the divine. Just as the treasure hunter seeks for the fabled jewel with all his might, so we are called to our own individual odyssey of spirituality in order to reach for the divine.

But our journey isn't of miles and maps; it's an inner voyage that asks for vigilance, commitment, and an unwavering desire toward the transcendent. It is more often characterized by the rigor of self-discipline, dedicated prayer, pursuit of wisdom, and cultivation of virtues. Every step on that path, every loving act, every moment of reflection brings us closer to that which is the source of all goodness.

It is not in the annals of the faithful, and the meditations of the saints, a pursuit for the fainthearted. It is a journey for the valiant, for those whose taste of the fleeting pleasures of the world have made them painfully aware of the futility it possesses. For they know that the divine is the pearl of great price, the treasure hidden in the field, and that for this treasure, all else that they have to give is welcome.

For theology, the divine is the ultimate end, the cause of causes, the consummate good to which all creation tends. Our souls are restless until they rest in the divine; they are filled with the holy longing to return to their source.

So let us make war upon this holy quest with great zeal, and take the chances of the gambler; let us approach it with the searching excitement of the lover. And let's be diligent in our spiritual endeavor, knowing that whatever we seek is worth every trial, every sacrifice, every moment of our lives. For in the pursuit of the divine, we do not merely find the ultimate treasure but our highest satisfaction, the completion of our heart's greatest desires.