What Do You Want The Most Of?

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."

Brothers and sisters: We know that all things work for good

 for those who love God, who are called according to His purpose. 

"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."

Okay, I am walking along the street one morning and a truck goes through a large muddy puddle and splashes me.  Do you know what my first thoughts are?  Of course, I am thinking on how all things will work for good and I whisper a prayer of thanksgiving as I attempt to wipe the muck from my glasses so I can see and include the truck and the truck driver in my prayers.  Right!   What I need here is a bit of Solomon to be added to the mix.  When God told him that He wanted to give Solomon a present, Solomon asked for something that was very valuable indeed, wisdom. God was very pleased with Solomon's request and He immediately granted it and he became a wise and powerful ruler over all Israel. Solomon could see outside of himself and was cognizant of what was in his heart and what he needed to fulfill his duties. He also was humble and that made bestowing of the gift easier for God. 

When we last looked at me, I was standing there, looking like a fool and praying for nasty things to happen to a certain truck driver as I scraped the muck from my clothing and turned to head back home to change clothes. I could not see how being drenched in mud furthered the kingdom of God. That itself is a lesson.  Whatever happens to us, God is aware of it.  He knows fully how this will help get this muddied, drenched, upset, ignoramus into heaven and I have to have the wisdom to trust God for that.  He does not expect me to say "Alleluia! I am soaked to skin and caked with holy mud." But, He does expect me to accept these little things in life as they come and to trust in Him to see me through.

I have to say I am truly blessed because of our faith community, St. Mary of Vernon, has a gang of good preachers. This Sunday proves this point very well.  Our pastor's homily was very good.  It dealt with the treasure found in the field and the pearl of great price. The men that found these treasures went and sold everything that they had to acquire these things.  They had to give up something to get something more valuable.  It hurt to give up absolutely everything but in the end, it was worth it.  That is the same as it will be for us in obtaining heaven. We will give up everything but in the end, it will be worth it.  Thank you, Father Joe. 

This week our teens returned from their yearly mission trip.  They spend a week in the field helping the less fortunate with different things and they come back and share their youthful exuberance with the parish.  I look at these young people and I see the future of our Church. It was not so long ago that I was a teen, well it was a long time ago, but what the heck?  Anyway, when I was young I remember how wise I was. As I got older, the wisdom of youth dropped away and was replaced with the wisdom of experience. I pray that for our youth, that the energy and love that they expressed to others this week will follow them and re-energize the Church in the coming years.  

Repeat After Me: "I will pray for the Holy Souls in Purgatory today, an Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory be takes only a few moments of our time but it means so very much to them."  

Pentecost - The Church is Born

In an organization, when you have no idea on what to do next the next best thing to taking action is to take a meeting.  That was what the Apostles were doing now that Jesus had ascended back to the Father.  After all, just a short time ago Jesus met them on the shore and they ate fish together and He told Peter for feed His sheep.  So what a better subject for a meeting that this!   This idea then that was proposed and then then dismissed. Hours passed in delightful discourse. In the back of their minds, unspoken was the fact that they had to be careful, they were on the high priest's hit list and that is why they were meeting in secret behind locked doors.  It had gone on for a couple of hours and idea after idea was discarded because it would expose them to too much danger. Then there came a mighty wind and tongues of fire came and settled above each of the Apostles. Their souls were filled with courage and they remembered in great detail the things Jesus had said to them.  Peter went to the door and threw off the plank that was keeping the world shut out.  He left and the other eleven went with him.  They began to preach and teach about Jesus but what was amazing was that there was a crowd of people from all over the known world, some from far away as Rome. Each of the people present heard the Good News proclaimed by the Apostles in their own language.  The tower of Babble had been reversed!  Where once they depended on a strong door and lock to keep them safe, now they depended upon the Lord. 

Today we Christians are very much like the Apostles before the Spirit descended upon them.  We hem and haw, discuss and plan, have meeting after meeting, but we do nothing to point out where our world is going wrong.  We do not shout the good news to the people in a dying world that needs it. Instead we go along quietly while one step at time our culture moves away from Christian values and moves toward the rule of the mob.  

Christian values we are told are out of date, out of touch, with the way things are today.  You know what? We Christians are out of step with the pagans. Are we ready to give a reason for the hope we carry? Are we willing to be scourged with ridicule and scorn? Are we ready to take the fight out of the darkness and into the light? 

On this Pentecost Sunday, I challenge you to become the soldier for Christ you were meant to be. The Spirit will guide you and will tell you what to say when you are carried into court to answer for your beliefs.  Be brave Christian man, Christian woman, Christian boy, or Christian girl.  May the Lord be with you.