Cheddar Roman Catholic Church Homily

Sunday 17A, 2008

Solomon was the third king of Israel.
He inherited the throne from his father the great king David even though he was not the eldest son.
He was around twenty years old at the time.
He was young but he was wise enough to know that he lacked the necessary wisdom to be a good king
so he prayed for a discerning heart, for wisdom to know what was good and what was evil.
It is refreshing to hear about a powerful young man who does not think that he knows everything.

God blessed Solomon and he became famous for his wisdom and the riches of his court.
His name became synonymous with wisdom.
People would come to him or judgement and his most famous decision was over the baby and the two women claming to be the mother and demanding custody of the child.
Solomon was unable to work out who the mother was so he decided that the baby should be divided between them and ordered it to be cut in half.
One of the women begged him to spare the child’s life, renouncing her claim rather than seeing it killed.
But Solomon gave her the child saying that her love for the child was greater, therefore she must be the mother.

He went against God’s counsel in some things like marrying foreign women who brought their religions with them and to please them Solomon worshipped their gods.
So in his old age he became disloyal to God despite having been given everything he ever desired.
His son became an arrogant young man and when he took over the throne he caused a civil war splitting the country into two and putting an end to the great kingdom.

When we are at a new beginning in our life or facing a major crises, we ought to pray for those gifts that would both help us and enable us to carry our God’s plan.
Solomon needed wisdom and discernment so he asked for that.

Wisdom is one of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, the other six are, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety and fear or owe of the Lord.

The fruits of the Holy Spirit are twelve in number among them charity, peace, patience, and self-control.
Great things to think about and pray for.

There are two interpretations for the parable of the man finding a treasure in the field and the merchant finding a fine pearl.
One is that once we have found the kingdom of God we should not let it go, but rather give up everything else for it.
The other is that when Jesus saw our faith and how fundamentally good we were he gave up even his life for us that we may be with him in happiness and glory for ever.

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