Have you ever confused the price of something? I have done this a few times. The first time that this happened to me was when I went
to Texas to meet some friends there. I was in my middle 20’s at the time. When we were there we took a trip down into Mexico for that
day. It was my first time south of the border. I remember being in the market place. I spotted a ring I really liked, even though I was not
much of a ring wearer. I found myself really wanting it but the price was $400 plus. I was very torn, until my friend informed me that it
was 400 ‘Pesos’ and was only about $20. I got the ring and had it for many years.

The other time this happened was when I was in Nicaragua seeing a friend there. As many of you know I enjoy Antiquing and looking to
rescue Catholic Church things. We had gone out Antiquing. It was nice because I knew I could not let myself get anything BIG. As I
was looking around I found 2 priest stoles. As I was looking at them (they were not in very good shape), the shop keeper went into the
back room and came back with a black Fiddleback vestment. It was in very good shape. My friend asked how much she wanted for it.
I heard hundreds. And my friend was talking them down a bit. The shop owner clearly asked (in English) “Is he a priest?” When she
found out I was the price was agreed about at 100 Cordoba’s. I still did not know what a I was paying. It was $20 US. Another person
in our group was trying to get her to go down on a table. She told the shop dealing, “You came down for him!” to which she said, “He is a
priest, that should go with him.” I was touched.

I say this not to brag about a couple of deals I have gotten. I say it for 2 reasons. 1) I have had a few people recently talk to me about
wanting to get to know me better. Who I am, what I like to do, etc. So I want to share some of who I am with you. 2) I think we often
think some things have great value and they don’t. Or we give great value to something that we ‘want’ badly. Often times we can be
confused or mislead as to what has the greatest value.

If we were asked what has the most value in your life? Would we think of something we have or own? Or would we think of a member
of our family or a friend? Where would our relationship with Jesus fall? How much do we value that? Often times we do not know the
‘true’ value we give something until it is taken away. I have no clue where that ring is now and it does not matter at all. My mother
passed away about 6 years ago, yet I miss talking with her almost every day.

Since I have never had to give up my relationship with Jesus, I can sometimes forget how great the value of that is. I have heard POWs
speak about having everything taken away from them and then locking them in a small cell. When asked how they survived they would
speak about ‘Hope’ or ‘Faith’ or ‘Jesus’ saying, “These things they could not take away from me.” It is only when we give them up, when
we lose all hope, when we walk away from Jesus, that our life has very little meaning.

We have a great treasure in the Eucharist. Better than anything we could own. And we do not even need to go and sell everything we
own to buy it. Jesus Body and Blood has been given to us. It has been given to us at a great price!!! But that price has been paid by Jesus
for us.

What is that saying? “Our life is a gift from God, what we do with it is our gift to God.” Let us give God the greatest gift we can.

Blessing,
Fr Backer