Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
July 26, 2020 – Year A
Readings: 1 Kgs 3:5, 7-12 / Ps 119 / Rom 8:28-30 / Mt 13:44-52
by Rev. Salvador Añonuevo, Pastor

If you were here inside the church of Holy Name of Mary at exactly 11:00 AM—many of you were here earlier than that— you had a period of three and a half minutes of silence before Mass began. I presume you spent those three and a half minutes in praying, or at least being aware of God’s presence.

I would also like to add that the possibility is quite remote that you spent those precious minutes worrying about something while you were inside church, because worrying and praying just do not go together. If you’re worrying, you’re not praying. If you’re praying, there is no place for worrying then, because we have a God who is almighty.

Mark Twain was quoted as saying, “I’ve had a lot of worries in my life, most of which never happened.” The fact that we are all here inside the sanctuary of Holy Name of Mary instead of sitting on our couches watching the news on TV or reading newspapers, while at the same time worrying about the pandemic or many other things that bother us in this world, is a sure sign that we are making use of the gift of wisdom we received in the Sacrament of Baptism through the power of the Holy Spirit.

In the first reading, which was taken from the book of Kings, when the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream and said, “Ask something and I will give it to you,” King Solomon asked for the gift of wisdom. To use the exact words of the scriptures, he asked for “an understanding heart to distinguish right from wrong.” Because the Lord was pleased with Solomon, we now have the famous expression, “the wisdom of Solomon.”

Yesterday, during our men’s breakfast meeting, we talked about the love of learning. In today’s day and age, we can learn almost anything from the internet. But being informed is different from being wise. Having information about something doesn’t mean that we have the wisdom to make the right decision about anything. I know a lot of well-informed people who make wrong decisions most of the time.

Wisdom is a gift of the Holy Spirit. The good news is, we are temples of the Holy Spirit. If we continue to be aware of God’s presence, Who is not only with us but also within us, then we should be glad and rejoice, because we have found the source of all wisdom. If we continue to be aware of God’s presence in our lives, and talk to the Lord in prayer before we make decisions, big or small, then we have found the pearl of great price.