In the Spirit of Tempora: Feria Tertia infra Hebdomadam IV post Octavam Pentecostes
On this Tuesday of the Fourth Week after the Octave of Pentecost, Holy Mother Church sets before us two seemingly distant, yet intimately related readings: the description of the valiant woman in Proverbs 31:10–31, and Our Lord’s parables of the treasure, the pearl, and the dragnet in Matthew 13:44–52.
These texts, when contemplated together within the spirit of the traditional liturgical calendar, unveil profound truths about the nature of wisdom, virtue, and the Kingdom of Heaven—especially as these are embodied in the life of the Church, the soul, and the Blessed Virgin Mary.
“Who shall find a valiant woman? Far and from the uttermost coasts is the price of her.” (Prov. 31:10)
The Church has long read this passage as an allegorical description of the soul perfected in grace, the ideal Christian wife, and above all, the figure of Holy Mother Church herself. But within the context of today’s Gospel, it is also fitting to see in the mulier fortis—the valiant woman—a type of the one who seeks the Kingdom of Heaven as a hidden treasure or a pearl of great price.
St. Jerome, in his Letter to Eustochium, extols the virtues of this woman as the image of the chaste and wise virgin who dedicates herself to Christ, saying:
“Lay up, then, for thyself treasures in heaven, where no thief draws near, nor moth destroys. Let thy face be a pale one, and thy food not too dainty, lest with the devil thou lose paradise.” (Epist. XXII, 25)
Each line of Proverbs 31 paints a picture of diligent, hidden labor: rising while it is yet night, extending her hands to the poor, weaving garments with care and strength. This is not idle symbolism. It mirrors the hidden work of grace in the soul and the vigilance required in pursuing the Kingdom. Just as the man in the parable sells all to buy the field containing treasure, so too does the valiant woman pour out her life, holding nothing back from her Lord.
St. John Chrysostom notes the intensity of effort involved in living the Christian life:
“The kingdom is not simply given, but it is bought at a great price, with one’s very life.” (Hom. in Matt., 47.2)
This passage from Proverbs culminates with the declaration: “Give her of the fruit of her hands: and let her works praise her in the gates.” (v. 31) Here, one sees an echo of the final judgment image in the parable of the dragnet, where each soul is sorted according to the fruits of their life.
“The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field…” (Matt. 13:44)
Our Lord, the divine Wisdom incarnate, presents the Kingdom in parables that require attention and spiritual hunger to grasp. The treasure and the pearl are not immediately accessible; they are hidden, and require a willing renunciation of all else.
St. Gregory the Great, in his Homilies on the Gospels, reflects on this passage:
“The treasure in the field is the desire for heaven hidden in the sacred Scriptures. He who buys the field is the one who gives up the pleasures of this world to possess the joys of the spiritual life.” (Hom. XI on the Gospels)
This desire, like the industry of the valiant woman, is not passive or sentimental. It requires the total reorientation of one’s life. The man in the parable sells all that he has—not simply because he values the treasure, but because his heart has been reordered. The Kingdom is not an addition to his life, it becomes his life. And such is the nature of true Christian conversion.
The parable of the dragnet that follows warns us that the consummation of all things involves separation. Just as the valiant woman is praised at the gates, the wicked are cast away at the end of the age. The true treasure-seeker must live in anticipation of this sorting, examining his conscience, adorning the soul with the virtues described in Proverbs, and preparing for the judgment.
Conclusion: Mary, the Valiant Woman and Image of the Church
In Mary Most Holy, the Virgo prudentissima, we see fulfilled both readings. She is the valiant woman par excellence, clothed in strength and beauty, feared by the enemy, and praised by all generations. She is also the one who treasured all things in her heart (cf. Luke 2:19)—a living icon of one who finds the Kingdom and gives all to possess it.
St. Ambrose sees this connection beautifully:
“Mary is the pattern of the Church in the order of faith, charity, and perfect union with Christ.” (De Virginibus, II, 2)
Thus, as the Pentecost season draws us deeper into the life of the Spirit, let us imitate the industry, vigilance, and wisdom of the valiant woman, seeking the treasure of the Kingdom with single-hearted zeal. May our works praise us not in the gates of men, but at the gates of the Eternal City, where Christ, the Pearl of Great Price, reigns forever.
Suggested Prayer for Today:
O Lord Jesus Christ, who dost reveal the Kingdom in parables and show forth wisdom in hidden treasures, grant us hearts to seek Thee above all else. Strengthen us by the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the valiant woman and Queen of Heaven, that we may find our joy in Thee alone, and be gathered among the just at the end of the age. Amen.