At that time: Jesus said to the crowd: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
  ‘Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.
  ‘Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and gathered fish of every kind. When it was full, men drew it ashore and sat down and sorted the good into vessels but threw away the bad. So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
  ‘Have you understood all these things?’ They said to him, ‘Yes.’ And he said to them, ‘Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house, who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.’

Selling Everything for the Kingdom

Living the Kingdom of Heaven here on earth, in this life, is difficult to sum up in just a few sentences. But we could say that it means living the Beatitudes by fulfilling God’s will in every aspect of our lives, doing what is called for, when it is called for, and surrounding it all with love. Then you begin to experience peace, joy… all the gifts of the Holy Spirit. And once you begin to experience this, the result is that everything the world has to offer starts to lose its attraction. You sell it, you leave it behind, in order to live true life. You do not leave everything behind for an idea, a belief or a conviction, but because you have discovered a true treasure.
Marriage as God intended it is a true treasure. In the words of Pope Francis, it is the most beautiful thing God has created. Couples who discover this begin to live in a different way. They look at their spouse with new eyes and experience the joy of self-giving and welcome as the means by which they are conformed to Christ, living with a peace and joy that cannot be found anywhere else in the world. It is then that they begin to sell everything, to leave everything behind, in order to possess the treasure that God has prepared for each one of us.

Applied to Married Life:

Stephen: Joanna, while praying this morning, I found myself wondering whether our marriage really is the most beautiful thing God has created.
Joanna: And what answer did you come to?
Stephen: At first, I focused on how far we still have to go and how much we still have to grow. But then the Lord enlightened me and showed me just how beautiful our marriage is through its fruits—our children, our grandchildren…
Joanna: Yes, but I’d go even further. For me, it’s discovering how beautiful your heart is, my husband, through our prayer together as husband and wife, where the Lord reveals the intimacy He desires between us and with Him.
Stephen: Yes, the treasure we’ve found is truly wonderful, and I also find your heart so beautiful, my wife. That’s why I’d give up everything just to be by your side.
Joanna: Oh really? It didn’t seem that way the other day when the football was on! Haha.
Stephen: Well, that was just one day—and we shared it with the boys as well.
Joanna: Of course. I love seeing you enjoying yourselves and spending time together, even if it’s something a little worldly.
Stephen: Thank you, my wife. You’re always thinking of everyone, and I could see how happy you were too.
Joanna: Absolutely. But we do have to stay alert, because the world slips into our lives through the simplest of things.
Stephen: Yes, we’re certainly not going to lose the treasure of our marriage now that we’ve truly discovered it.

Mother,
Carry us in your heart, so that we may never become attached to the things of this world, but may instead place our hearts entirely in the Lord. Blessed and praised be God!