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Our first reading has always fascinated me. God gives Solomon the opportunity of a lifetime; the chance to request anything, a blank check from the one who can offer everything. And because he is a king, I would have expected Solomon to ask for power and victory for him and his armies. I would have expected him to ask God for money and riches, so his kingdom and legacy would be legendary. If nothing else, I would have expected King Solomon to ask for the pleasure of enjoying himself during his time as king. Why wouldn’t he ask for plenty of food, drink, or whatever else his kingly heart desired? But look at what Solomon actually requests of God. It is not power, pleasure, or money. When God tells Solomon: “ask something of me and I will give it to you”, Solomon asks for knowledge and the gift of an understanding heart.
This answer pleases God, in fact, it seems like he was almost caught off-guard by Solomon’s request. The Lord promises to give him wisdom and understanding in such abundance that never again will someone be so wise. Even as a kid, I wondered what I would have said if God offered me anything. I suppose my answer to that question would have changed depending on my age and what was going on in my life. At different moments, I would have asked God for a bulldozer, the answers to my spelling test, or a mute button for my siblings! It is humbling to admit but if I were in Solomon’s shoes, our first reading would probably have been much less inspiring!
What about you? If God spoke to you tonight and said, “ask something of me and I will give it to you” What would be on the top of your list? Would you ask to be a better husband or wife, a better parent to your children, a better friend to your peers? Would you ask for an understanding heart to better live your Catholic faith? If God granted you one wish, would you ask for Godly wisdom or might you squander God’s generosity on something as transitory as power, pleasure, or money?
Real power, authentic riches, and lasting happiness all come to us if we acquire the Godly wisdom Solomon asked for. This is not a luxury only for biblical characters; Christ offers us this same knowledge if we are willing to humble ourselves and learn from him, who is meek and humble of heart. And far from being an extravagance, an understanding heart, like the one given to Solomon, is absolutely essential for us if we hope to enjoy the kingdom of heaven when we die. So how do we “get” this gift?
For you and me, we will likely receive this pearl of great price, this hidden treasure slowly, over time, little by little, through a consistent and quiet process of daily prayer. Probably not overnight like Solomon! Oftentimes, when we think of prayer, we imagine a list of wants and needs that we send up to God. Then, if He is in a good mood and we have behaved ourselves, perhaps some or most of those requests will come back granted the way we hoped. For many Christians, this is majority of their prayer. But in reality, there is so much more. Prayer is first and foremost, a relationship, a friendship with God. When we pray, we should be talking (AND LISTENING!) to Almighty God as we do with our best friend. We should be asking for things to be sure, but we should also be sharing our joys and sorrows, our hopes and fears, saying thank you for everything we have, apologizing for the times we have hurt Him, and also praising Him for his greatness.
Prayer is a relationship that transforms us over time if we stick with it. What we realize is that the point of prayer is not so much to change God’s mind as it does ours. As we grow in our friendship with God, we begin to trust Him more. We ask Him for the things we think we need and believe that whatever He gives, even if if is far different than what we requested, is exactly what is best for us. This trust, hope, and confidence in God is the foundation of wisdom, it leads to an understanding heart which knows how to prioritize the rest of our life. This God-given gift is what gives us the clarity to find the Lord in the toughest of circumstances and always choose what is best for ourselves and others from the perspective of eternity. The wisdom of prayer enables us to look beyond the instant gratifications and flashiness of this world and set our heart on the pearl of great price, which is eternal union with God.
One final observation: true wisdom and heavenly treasure are not possible without sacrifice. There are no shortcuts or life-hacks that allow us to get them easily or cheaply. When we think of treasure, we imagine gold; but gold has to be refined, purified by fire to remove impurities and contaminants. In a similar way, a pearl begins with an outside element that enters an oyster and first agitates and disrupts. Layer upon layer coats the irritant until it forms a beautiful pearl. Both are perfect analogies for the treasure and wisdom God desires to give us. They will require sacrifice, discomfort, and purification. But partnered with God’s generous grace and our willingness to let go of anything and everything to gain it, it makes what the world offers pale in comparison.
So let us ask God constantly for an understanding heart, just as King Solomon did. May you and I look for that priceless treasure, which is the kingdom of God, each and every day of our lives. And let us not be afraid to let go of whatever we have, whether it is material, spiritual, or psychological, that keeps us from obtaining the pearl of great price. For in the kingdom of heaven, we will obtain real power, authentic riches, and lasting happiness and we will rejoice in them for all eternity.
