HOMILIES

Dear Audience,
For better understanding of the spiritual message behind this homily I kindly remind you to first read and contemplate the biblical texts before reading or listening to my preaching - a human reflection on the Word of God!

Seventeenth Sunday of Ordinary Time (Year A)

Jul 27, 2014

3016

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First Reading

A reading from the first Book of Kings (3:5, 7-12)

The Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream at night. God said, "Ask something of me and I will give it to you." Solomon answered: "O Lord, my God, you have made me, your servant, king to succeed my father David; but I am a mere youth, not knowing at all how to act. I serve you in the midst of the people whom you have chosen, a people so vast that it cannot be numbered or counted. Give your servant, therefore, an understanding heart to judge your people and to distinguish right from wrong. For who is able to govern this vast people of yours?"

The Lord was pleased that Solomon made this request. So God said to him: "Because you have asked for this - not for a long life for yourself, nor for riches, nor for the life of your enemies, but for understanding so that you may know what is right - I do as you requested. I give you a heart so wise and understanding that there has never been anyone like you up to now, and after you there will come no one to equal you."

(P) The word of the Lord.
(R) Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalms of David (119:57, 72, 76-77, 127-128, 129-130)

(R) Lord, I love your commands.

I have said, O Lord, that my part is to keep your words. The law of your mouth is to me more precious than thousands of gold and silver pieces. (R)

Let your kindness comfort me according to your promise to your servants. Let your compassion come to me that I may live, for your law is my delight. (R)

For I love your commands more than gold, however fine. For in all your precepts I go forward; every false way I hate. (R)

Wonderful are your decrees; therefore I observe them. The revelation of your words sheds light, giving understanding to the simple. (R)

Second Reading

A reading from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Romans (8:28-30)

Brothers and sisters: We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. For those he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, so that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined he also called; and those he called he also justified; and those he justified he also glorified.

(P) The word of the Lord.
(R) Thanks be to God.

Gospel

A reading from the Gospel according to Matthew (13:44-52)

Jesus said to his disciples: "The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field, which a person finds and hides again, and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like merchant searching for fine pearls. When he finds a pearl of great price, he goes and sells all that he has and buys it. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net thrown into the sea, which collects fish of every kind. When it is full they haul it ashore and sit down to put what is good into buckets. What is bad they throw away. Thus it will be at the end of the age. The angels will go out and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.

"Do you understand all these things?" They answered, "Yes," And he replied, "Then every scribe who has been instructed in the kingdom of heaven is like the head of a household who brings from his storeroom both the new and the old."

(P) The Gospel of the Lord.
(R) Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Homily

One day three women walking down a street, found a bottle lying on the side of the road. They picked it up and a genie popped out. The genie said, "You will each get one wish." The first woman wished she was 20 times smarter. The genie made her 20 times smarter. The second woman wished she was 30 times smarter. The genie made her 30 times smarter. The last woman wished she was 60 times smarter. The genie turned her into Salomon.

Friends, God asked a man who lived around one thousand years before Christ "What he wanted most". He asked God to bless him with an understanding heart to judge people and, to differentiate between good and evil. God indeed gave him great wisdom and insight. His name is Solomon about whom we read in today's first reading from the first Book of Kings. The name Solomon is derived from the Hebrew word shalom which means "peace". And the Lord loved him even at his birth, 2 Samuel (12:24). He was the second son of King David and Bathsheba who had been the wife of Uriah, the soldier in David's army. David had Uriah killed in a battle and then took her as his wife. David had reigned as king of Israel for forty years. As he was nearing his death, he wanted Solomon to become king. Whereas Adonijah, Solomon's half-brother and who was older than Solomon, saw the physical weakness of his father as an opportunity to overthrow him and become king. Once David became aware of Adonijah's plot, he had Solomon anointed as his successor and transferred power over to him. Since Adonijah posed a continual threat to his kingdom Solomon eventually was forced to have him executed. Solomon also saw Joab, the commander of David's army as a threat to his kingship, and hence he got him killed as well for having taken the lives of two innocent men. So the transition of power from David to Solomon was not very smooth and peaceful. On the whole, Solomon being young and inexperienced, began his reign in suspicion, fear and hostility.

At this point, in his desperate journey, God appeared to Solomon in a dream and asked what he would like to receive. Solomon could have asked for anything - riches, long life, power or victory over his enemies, but he did not ask for any of these things. Instead he asked of God something precious. This is how and what Solomon prayed. First he remembered what God had done for him. He said, "Give your servant, an understanding heart to judge your people, and to distinguish right from wrong." He gratefully recognized that it was God who had put him on the throne, and that he was only a servant of God. In other words, he humbly acknowledged his unworthiness, his inability to understand and to rule well and, therefore he asked God not just knowledge but also wisdom. God was so pleased with the request that he granted it to him, along with great riches and power. Yes! God gifted Solomon with unsurpassed wisdom witnessed by friends and enemies for over forty years.

He did many great things as king of Israel. Saul, David and Solomon were the first three kings of Israel. All three of them reigned for forty years and were known for their greatness even though they differed in character. Solomon is said to have written the Book of Proverbs, the Song of Solomon, the Book of Ecclesiastes and two Psalms. He built the first temple on Mount Moriah in Jerusalem. He accumulated thousands of horses, chariots and great wealth. True to his name, he made treaties and alliances with many nations that brought peace, security and prosperity to his kingdom. He became greater than all the kings of the earth. And yet, tragically, he threw it all away for worldly pleasures instead of the pursuit of God. The wisest and wealthiest king was led astray by the temptations of wealth, sex, and power. He started out loving God and following his commandments. But in his old age he turned away from the true God. He married many foreign women and began to worship their false gods and idols. He was not loyal to God as his father David had been. The Lord was angered by Solomon's idolatrous practices, and punished Solomon by splitting Israel into two separate kingdoms after his death. The northern ten tribes retained the name Israel. The other two tribes of the Southern Kingdom became Judah. It is said they became one again 2900 years later on May 14th, 1948.

Friends, we can be very well-educated and full of knowledge, but still lack wisdom. God wants all believers to possess the Spirit of wisdom. We all need wisdom to combat the challenges of life. We need wisdom to be a good priest, parent, husband, wife, child and good person. Clearly God takes delight in giving us wisdom when we are confronted with difficult choices. But wisdom does not come unless we see the need for it and seek it. Therefore first and foremost, like Solomon, we need to be humble too to see our need for God's wisdom. Speaking of the power of wisdom Solomon says in the Book of Proverbs (4:7-8), "Acquire wisdom; at the cost of all you have, acquire understanding! Hold her close, and she will make you great; embrace her, and she will be your pride."

Secondly, we must gratefully remember what God has done for us and where he has placed us. The people for whom God has chosen us to serve could be in our own family, work places and communities.

Thirdly, we must ask God for the gift of wisdom. James in his letter (1:5-6), "Any of you who lacks wisdom must ask God, who gives to all generously and it will be given to you." One of the basic requirements for having our prayer answered is faith. James says "But the prayer must be made with faith, and no trace of doubt, because a person who has doubts is like the waves thrown up by the buffeting of the wind." That is to say, we have to ask for wisdom in faith; we have to believe that God will actually give wisdom as generously as He has promised. God gives us the wisdom we need at the particular moment.

Lastly, we must courageously follow wisdom.

Friends, let us pray today that God may give us wisdom for every situation we are in - whether it is for what to say or what to do. Let us remember the one who is greater than Solomon - Jesus wisdom himself. He is at the Father's right hand and He is ready to become our wisdom for every crisis in our life, in every situation we face. Let us pray to Him, before everything else, today and every day, for wisdom.

(P) Amen.

God Bless You!

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