“A jewel demands a setting of gold, and a pearl should only be placed in precious necklaces. Be, then, the finest sort of gold! Be a precious necklace so that the spiritual pearl can be set in you! For Christ the Lord is the pearl that the rich merchant in the gospel hastened to buy.”
Maximus of Turin (c. 380-465) bishop and theological writer, in Voices of the Saints: A Year of Readings by Bert Ghezzi (New York: Doubleday, 2000) 523.