We gather today to celebrate with our beloved children who are to receive the Holy Eucharist for the first time. The readings concentrate on the events of God feeding his people with spiritual food to strengthen them in their journey on earth.
The first reading recounts the experience of the Israelites on their way to the promised land. At some point on their journey through the desert, they ran out of food and provisions because the food they had brought out of Egypt had run out. They cried to God, who came to their rescue by sending them manna (Exodus 16:4). The word manna in Hebrew simply means “what is it” because the Israelites did not understand what it was when they saw it for the first time. Moses had to explain to them that it was the food God sent to sustain them. Manna is also known as the bread from heaven. The manna which the Israelites ate in the desert is considered a supernatural food that God provided for his people. They survived on the strength of this food during their 40-year wandering in the desert. They continued to eat the manna until the day after they ate the fruit of the land of Canaan. Then the manna ceased (Joshua 5:12).
Moses recounts this experience to reassure the people that God will always provide for them, even by extraordinary means, so long they remain faithful to them. God is a loving father who cares for his children. He never leaves us unattended. As a matter of fact, he foresees our needs and plans ahead for our benefits. All that God requires of us is faithfulness to him. He knows each and every one of us, our strengths and weaknesses, desires and aspirations, hopes and fears, and indeed our purposes and goals in life. Faithfulness keeps us united with God who carries our burdens and sorrows (Isaiah 53:4), giving us the strength for life’s journey.
But God does not just want to be there, next to us. He wants to be one with us; he wants to be united with us. We read in John 3:16 that God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. There are many ways to show one’s love and care for the other. One can give tangible materials things like gifts and flowers. That is an easy one. There are also intangible gifts like time, attention, good advice, rendering help and services, and so on. But when one offers his or her own self for the sake of the other, then it is something on the high side. It is a sign of total dedication. The self-giving of Jesus transformed the human person laboring under the pain of sin, which Paul connects to the bondage of the law (Galatians 4:4-5). Jesus taught the love of the Father and brought that love to completion in the offering of his life on the cross. We know that Jesus did away with the consequences of sin that hung on the fallen humanity by his self-sacrifice on the cross. But he did more than just that. On the night before his crucifixion, Jesus instituted the Holy Eucharist that is his true Body and Blood and gave to his disciples (Matthew 26:26-27). That was when they received the Body and Blood of Jesus for the first time, just as you are going to do today.
Why does Jesus give us his Body and Blood? This question has been asked again and again. Even the Jews in today’s gospel had a similar question. But the answer is not far-fetched. Jesus gave the only accurate answer: “whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him.” Receiving the body and blood of Jesus is surrendering our entire self to God so that he can reign in our lives. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. He comes to walk with us on the path of life, to teach us the truth about the Father, and to give us life eternal. He simply wants to be part of everything that goes on in our life. When we receive him worthily in the Eucharist with faith and devotion, he becomes for us the source of strength, taking away all fears. Little wonder the bible says this about the children of God in 1 John 4:4: “Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world”. So, when Jesus warns the Jews in the gospel reading that unless they eat of his body and drink his blood, they do not have life within them, he is assuring them that eternal life is in him, and whoever fails to get united with him is lost.
Beloved children, today you join other Catholics all over the world to respond to this invitation of Jesus to be one with him in the Holy Eucharist. Paul reminds us in the second reading that though we are many, we share in the one bread – the Christ, indicating that we are united in the one body. Whoever, therefore, shares in the one bread is called upon to preserve the unity of the children of God, in the one love that joins us together. We need to live in the power and love of Jesus Christ who has become one with us. We have to give ourselves over to Jesus Christ and allow him to manifest his glory through us to all people around us. How do we do that?
We do that by letting every part of us to glorify God. Let our hands serve as if Jesus was serving; let our mouths speak words of goodness and care as Jesus would; let our minds think wonderfully good things that will make the world a better place like Jesus did; let the people around us experience Jesus through us. By receiving the blood and blood of Jesus, we have become ambassadors of Jesus. We are his image and likeness.
There is this short prayer that captures the response Jesus wants from us as we receive Him in the Holy Eucharist. It is not just a response that we verbally give, but something that we must translate into action. It goes this way:
Jesus, I love You
All I have is Yours
Yours I am and Yours I want to be
Do with Me whatever You will.
We pray that today will be the beginning of a more glorious life for you and your family. Congratulations on your first holy communion.
We are conversant with such sayings as these: A man’s worth is not measured by what he says but what he does; Talk is cheap; Making promises is not the same as fulfilling them; Action speaks louder than words, and so on. Such sayings point to the fact that for a speech to be meaningful and effective, it needs to be put into practice. We are also conversant with so many sayings about change, especially the famous saying by the Greek philosopher, Heraclitus, that “The only thing that is constant is change.” Whether we talk about change or about actions, one important component that determines the effect of the change or action is its direction. A person’s action can change either from a negative direction to a positive direction or vice versa. Whichever direction a person decides to focus his action determines the person’s destination, goal, or end.
The Christian life is not shielded from this reality. We are either moving forward, growing in our faith and Christian practice or we are moving backward and losing out on the great vocation that cost the life of Jesus on the cross. Similarly, it is becoming common practice to identify with the Church, publicly profess the faith, only to turn away from it. The readings of today warn that God assesses people based on their present actions, and therefore demand change of heart to focus on living the teachings of Jesus in the present. They re-echo the closing words of Jesus on his ‘Sermon on the Mount’ when he said, “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.”(Matthew 7:24).
Prophet Ezekiel warns, in our first reading, that “If a righteous person changes his mind and turns away from righteousness and commits sin, he dies because of his sin. While on the other hand, if a wicked person turns away from the sins he commits and does what is good and right, he will save his life.” In other words, the punishment for sin is the poison of the sin itself. Our selfishness, for instance, begets distressing isolation. And, as a violation of our life-giving relationship with God, sin begets nothing but pain and loss. Thus, it is not God that punishes the sinner; the punishment for sin is self-inflicted. When we have a change of heart and repent, God does not keep a record of our past. That’s why a convicted criminal who made a last moment act of faith got the promise of paradise (cf. Luke 23: 40-43). What matters in life therefore is not how we started but where we are at the present and how we finish. Yet, a person’s final choice is essentially not random. It has a history. During our entire life, we are consciously or unconsciously making choices that shape us or dispose us to be molded into a particular shape that only comes to full expression at the end.
This prophetic warning is invariably based on the possibility of changing one’s values in life. The famous philosopher, Socrates, is credited with the saying that “The unexamined life is not worth living”. This reading invites us to examine which direction our life is going and to determine if there is a need for change in direction. Self-examination is not something to be taken lightly given the scriptural warning in Proverbs 14:12 that “there is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.” Thus, objectivity, but also regularity, are essential elements to fruitful self-reflection. That is one of the reasons that the Church begins most of its liturgical prayers, especially the celebration of the Holy Eucharist with penitential service which gives us the opportunity to examine our lives, ask for forgiveness and resolve to move in the right direction as God desires of us.
Jesus extended this call for a change of heart, for repentance, in the gospel reading with a parable. In this parable, a man had two sons. He came to the first and said, ‘Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.’ He said in reply, ‘I will not,’ but afterward changed his mind and went. The man came to the other son and gave the same order. He said in reply, ‘Yes, sir,’ but did not go. And Jesus asks, ‘Who among the two sons did his father’s will? Certainly, it is the first one who carried out what the father wants of him, even though he had earlier objected but he later changed his mind and obeyed his father.
The first son exemplifies the action of God’s grace (which is continually extended to us) and human nature (original sin) which makes us lean towards selfishness. Change or having a rethink is the fruit of cooperating with that grace. On the other hand, the son who says “yes” and does nothing represents those who knew God and followed Him to a certain extent before dropping out. In the time of Jesus, these were the those that did not accept him as the Messaiah, as the fulfillment of the la wand the prophets. That was the religious establishment, the chief priests, and the elders of the people. Rather than the deep and personal conversion to which Jesus calls all, their religious behavior and relationship with God was usually self-serving and superficial, reduced to observing rituals and rules. Jesus concludes that the tax collectors and the prostitutes are finding their way into the kingdom before the self-righteous priests and elders.
The point Jesus makes in this parable is quite clear. Good intentions and promises don’t actually count unless they are carried out or kept. A person might say “Yes” to God and later lose his soul by disobedience. On the other hand, a person might say “No” to God, but later save his soul by repentance and act of obedience. Obviously, when the roll is called at the end of the day we shall all be examined on our actual obedience to what the Lord wants of us and not on our mere ‘Yes’ and promises to obey the Lord which never came true. Like the prophet Ezekiel said, “When someone virtuous turns away from virtue to commit iniquity and dies, it is because of the iniquity he committed that he must die.” It is the action that kills. And since every action begins as a thought in the mind, St. Paul earnestly admonishes us in the second reading to be of the same mind, with the same love, united in heart, thinking one thing.
St. Paul’s appeal touches on the very things that cause problems among people and eventually tempt mankind to walk away from God. Hear what he says: “Do nothing out of selfishness or out of vainglory; rather, humbly regard others as more important than yourselves, each looking out not only for his own interests but also for those of others. Have in you the same attitude that is also in Christ Jesus.” Paul understands the essence of conversion from personal experience. He was brought up in the strict religious practice of the Pharisees. So conversion for him was not just a mere emotional feeling but a deep change in everything: value system, commitment, direction, and goal of life. He found the life of Jesus as the only thing worth imitating such that he was bold to write in 1Corinthians 11: 1 “You are to imitate me, just as I imitate Christ.” The commitment of Jesus to his teaching, his humility up to the point of dying on the cross for those that even rejected him, are some of the things that strengthened the effect of Paul’s personal encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus (Acts 9).
Dear friends in Christ, Paul realized that the only way to fully commit to Jesus is by a conversation of the whole person that involves a deep change of mind. He set himself to work to become such a great apostle and recommend such renewal of mind to everyone who wants to do the will of God (cf. Rom. 12: 1-2). The same call for such transformative change in one’s way of life resounds in the three readings we have today. Lets, therefore reconsider our promises and professions of faith in the light of our present life situations and see what necessary changes and renewals we need accomplish the will of God for us. Let us, therefore, pray for the grace to heed this divine invitaion. Peace be with you.
September 5, 2020 marked another successful occassion for members of our Catholic Community in Gouda! The community has successfully held its second Holy Retreat despite setbacks caused by COVID-19 restrictions. This time. Rev. Fr. John Onoja, C.S.S.p led and facilitated the said holy retreat, which was held at Aalberseplein, Gouda.
Songs of praises made the occasion solemn but lofty! As usual, the occassion began with a prayer, whereby attendees were given a time to reflect and write their prayer petitions on a piece of paper, which was later blessed. Afterwards, Father John gave a brief discussion on the meaning and significance of having a retreat.
In his talk, Father John explained that the word ‘retreat’ is commonly associated with the military. The General or Commander of the troop or battalion calls for a retreat because the enemy is gaining the advantage! And in many cases, the general has to withdraw his men from the battle field not only to save his remaining men from further injury or death but most importantly to have to rest, recuperate, and regain the strength needed to live and fight the next day. In a spiritual sense, having a retreat connotes setting aside one’s everyday routine to reconnect in a deeper level with God through prayers. It is the time to re-collect, re-member and re-examine one’s self in the light of the questions, “Who I am?”, “Where I am?“ and “What I am?”.
But how do we pray? Father John tackled the aspects of Praying. Silenceis a one aspect. With our culture being addicted to the noises and distractions of our televisions, internet, radios, friends , work and family, praying in silence seems unachievable. Praying in silence means to be quiet in mind and heart and being in a state of meditation . Only through praying in silence will we hear God speak. Only in nothingness can God fill you!
“ Come to me, all you are weary and burdened and I will give you rest . Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Matthew 11:28-30.
Jesus calls for those who are weary and burdened. This means those who are physically or mentally exhausted from unmet dreams, financial burdens, sickness, guilt, regrets, trials and temptations to name a few. Some will seek a temporary solutions for the weariness by doing drugs , buying anti-depressant medicines, looking answers from fortune tellers, and many more unreliable ways of solving problems.
The Bible undoubtedly says follow Jesus. He is our perpetual and everlasting solution. He will want us to take his yoke for He will teach us and lift us up until we can find the inner rest we are seeking. But what is this “yoke” Jesus is telling us to carry with Him? Father John explained that back in days , farmers used a yoke, a wooden crosspiece that is fastened over the necks of two animals and attched to the cart that they are to pull. It is to bind an older cow with a young cow or donkey . Because of the yoke the young cow with learn from the older cow on how to plough the fields. Just like Jesus ,our teacher and us , His students. He promised us that his yoke is light and easy to carry!
After the first talk, Father John gave us a moment of silent and meditation. Then we sung beautiful songs of praise and worship. Right after we went to the Blessed Sacrament for silent adoration and an apportunity for confession.
The second talk was all about ,”Keeping the faith in times of a pandamic”. The corona virus temporarily halted our daily routines, our vacation plans, family or friends visit , church activities and so on. This pandemic is temporary but it may feel like a forever struggle to slowly find normalcy in our lives and in our society!!
Jesus did not abandon us during this times , He was always with us! This pandemic gave us the realisation of the things we took for granted before because suddenly our movements are restricted and we hate it. Now, we call Jesus more than before , we value church gatherings like this retreat , we feel more closer to one other and we lend our helping hands and ears to people around us! And the most important message amidst the chaos this virus engender is that Jesus wants us to keep the faith. Keep it burning for He alone is our light and hope!
To conclude, the retreat ended with a Holy Mass and with participants happy to go home with a clearer understanding of what a retreat means and what it does to our spiritual growth. Among the general feedback are as follows:
“I understand clearly the meaning of retreat. At first it’s like hard to explain pag me nagtanong. Now, i understand very well.”
“The retreat is very fulfillin. It’s a time well spent and happy I went. I love the atmosphere, love the preachings, and love the time spent on praying.”
The readings of today invite us to review the basic foundation of our stewardship. This is necessary given that stewardship in God’s household is a vocation. God calls and choses us for various functions in the body of Christ. Only when our stewardship is inspired by the knowledge and love of God rather than love of wealth and vain glory can we be true partners with God in fulfilling his desires for his people.
The first reading is a continuation of the prophecy of Isaiah concerning Jerusalem at a time it was facing possible external attack and internal corruption. The portion we read is a prophecy concerning the disgrace and replacement of Shebna, a great officer entrusted with the treasury and the management of the revenue, and the choice of Eliakim to take over the post of honour. Shebna was described as a man of boundless ambition and covetousness, proud and treacherous to the point of having secret correspondence with the enemies of Israel. Eliakim, on the other hand, was the opposite of everything that Shebna represented in his behaviour. He was God-fearing, humble and diligent. Having proved himself a faithful servant of God in other employments, God approved him for the high position of taking charge of his household. Eliakim did not undermine Shebna, nor made an interest against him, nor did he intrude into his office; but God called him to it: and what God calls us to we may expect he will own us in.
God will place the keys of David on the shoulder of Eliakim such that when he opens no man shuts, and when he shuts, no man opens. He will also fasten him as a nail in a sure place, not to be removed or cut down. These statements point to the vast extent and long duration of the authority that God was going to confer on Eliakim. By diligent discharge of his office, he will be a great blessing in his family, and a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. He shall take care not only of the affairs of the king’s household, but of all the public interests in Jerusalem and Judah. In Eliakim we see that the honour men reflect by their piety and usefulness is more to be valued than that which they derive from their titles. Indeed the glory of this world which Shebna sought in his covetousness gives no intrinsic worth or excellency, but hangs like a cloth which will soon be dropped. But that which God bestows is eternal.
Jesus confers similar, but even greater authority, to Peter in the gospel reading. In the account of the events leading to Jesus’ statement, Jesus sought feedback from his disciples regarding who the people say he is. Since there are usually as many opinions as there are persons, the people’s opinion regarding the identity of Jesus varied from being John the Baptist or Elija to one of the ancient prophets that has come back to life. Jesus then threw the question directly to his disciples, “But who do you say that I am?” There is a wide gap between knowing about a person and knowing a person. Knowledge about a person is based on available information, which could be false. A woman once heard a gossip about her husband. While the gossiper was expecting the woman to get elated and react furiously, she calmly turned to her and said, “I know him. You better go home and fix your family and stop spying on my husband.” Eventually, she was right because the gossip turned out to be false. Knowing a person is based on first-hand personal experience of the person. The woman in the story was unwilling to exchange her experience of her husband with rumours flying around about him.
Having been with his disciples for a long time, one would not expect Jesus to throw such a question to them. But there is more to it because it borders on the question of identity, and how we arrive at it. The people guessed the identity of Jesus based on what they saw: the authority of his teaching was similar to that of John the Baptist; the signs he performed likened him to Elija, etc. It was necessary for Jesus to know if his disciples trully understand who they were following and what they were doing by following him. Without such a knowledge, it would be nearly impossible for them to face the challenges that will follow.
Peter, guided by the Holy Spirit, spoke up, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” That was the first public proclamation of the identity of Jesus by his disciples. Such knowledge from on high cannot be mediated by information gathering without personal faith and commitment. We must realize that by this question Jesus is as well asking us individually today, who am I to you? Do you really know me? Why are you following me? It is not enough to have a knowledge of Jesus based on what other people say or write about him without having your own personal experience of who Jesus is to you. By building a personal relationship with Jesus, we grow in discovering who he is on first-hand bases.
In response to Peter’s declaration of faith, Jesus pronounces: “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church.” Of course the true rock, the “cornerstone” is, and remains, Jesus himself. But once he has risen and ascended into heaven, this cornerstone, though present and active, is invisible. It is necessary for a sign to represent him, a sign that makes Christ, who is the “unshakeable foundation,” visible and efficacious in history. This sign is Peter and, after him, his successor, the Pope, as head of the college of apostles.
Thereafter follows Jesus’ assurance that the Church will endure against all assaults of evil. This has been remarkably kept through twenty centuries down to our own day, a testimony to the firmness of a foundation whose strength basically comes from Truth and Love. As long as these divinely originating qualities are in the Church, and any part of it, there is nothing to fear. Peter is then given a special stewardship and responsibility for the community: “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be considered bound in heaven”.
The leadership of Peter and his successors is not one of dictatorship but of example and service. We see in the first reading the contrast between the stewardship style of Shebna who was dethroned and that of Eliakim whom God promoted to replace Shebna. Thus, the Pope is not a dictator. He is limited by the faith of the whole Church. He is thus the focal point of unity of that one faith, the unity in the Spirit. In our fragmented Church of today, with so many conflicting theologies and spiritualities, there has never been a greater need for a focal point of Christian unity as we creatively search for new understandings of what it means to be a disciple of Christ in a constantly changing world.
Though Eliakim and Peter were God-fearing, diligent and committed, the choice of them and the authority conferred on them came directly from God. Like Eliakim and Peter, each one of us has been chosen and entrusted with certain responsibility in the church community, family, work place or in the society. We need to recognize and appreciate the trust God has vested in us in calling us to his service, and allow it to inspire us to seek even deeper knowledge and commitment with him. Such personal experinces of God in our lives would help us to be good steawards in God’s household.
Wisdom makes a lot of differences in life. Wisdom enable us, not just to have knowledge and right judgement, but also proper understanding and right application of reason in every situation. The ability to understand and allign our reasoning or knowledge to the will of God is all that is needed to discover and possess the treasures of the Kingdom. Consequently, James 1:5 advises that “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.“ The readings of today invite us to reflect on the need for wisdom and its appropriate application in life matters.
The first reading presents King Solomon’s request to God. After Solomon was made a king in succession of his father David, God appeared to him in a dream and urged him to ask for whatever he desires. Being mindful of his enormous responsibility as a king, to judge and rule over the people entrusted to his care, Solomon decided to ask God for a heart of Understanding and Discernment to enable him decipher what is good and what is evil in discharging his leadership duties. God was so pleased that, instead of asking for long life, wealth or the life of his enemies, Solomon requested for understanding and a discerning heart that he gave him a heart so wise and understanding that it can never be equaled by anyone.
There is something about this request of Solomon. He did not ask for something that is solely for his personal benefit. He asked for something that will benefit the people he governs. He treasured good leadership above personal wealth and selfish desires. He, therefore realized that he needed wisdom to achieve it. When the opportunity came, he went straight to ask for it. There are three important points to be noted in the comment preceding his request. First, he recognized that it was God who placed him on the King’s stool, and not out of his own individual qualification. Secondly, he quickly acknowledged that he was a little boy, lacking experience. But the task before him, i.e. leadership, was great. Thirdly, he noted that the people whom he was chosen to govern were God’s chosen people, great and numerous, thereby expressing the need for vigilance and care in discharging his duties.
This humble attitude displayed by Solomon on ascending the throne is an example to all, whether called to take up leadership responsibility or not. Solomom’s request was informed by his lofty sense of duty and responsibility based on his love and regard for God. He got his priorities right. His primary preocupation at this point was to execute his duties with utmost diligence to the satisfaction of all. The love of God that was examplified in the life of his father, David, was still very much in him. We know that when Solomon got old and his value system changed, he married several wives and was led away to worship foreing idols. This points tot he fact that people could sheaply give away what was treasurable to them, just the way Esau gave away his birthright for a pot of porridge (Genesis 25: 29-34).
The gospel presented this theme with the three parables of the kingdom of Heaven as treasure buried in the field, as a fine pearl found by a marchant, and as a net thrown into the sea that collected all kinds of fish. A very important fact in the three parables is the choice made by the actors – the one who found the hidden treasure went and sold everything he owed and bought the field; the marchant who found the fine pearl sold everything he had and bought the pearl; and the fisher took his time to select the good fish out of the bad. They all gave away their time and treasure to acquire the kingdom which is of a higher value. The persons who sold the field with the hidden treasure and the fine pearl may not have known what value they were giving away. They may have made wrong choices out of ignorance.
Our everyday life is filled with the issue of making choices. We choose the cloth to wear, which food to eat, who to call, which friend to make, where to go, what to buy, which television channel or program to watch, how much to spend for what, etc. We also choose how and when to do what, what to believe, who to marry, what job to apply for, and so on. We could choose to live in the service of God and humanity or to be selfish; to live according to the values of the kingdom of God or to live as if God does not exist. Every choice is governed by what value we attach to them, and every choice has its own consequences.
It is not always easy making choices, especially among two apparant good options. Yet we must always strive to make right choices. One way to evaluate the value that governs our choices and set them right is to check the thought of our heart, because every other thing flows from it (cf. Proverbs 4: 23). What we treasure occupies our mind and influences our choices. Consequently, Jesus said to the crowd during his teaching on the mount, “…store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:20-21). If we treasure who we are and the things we have – like the grace of being a Christian, our Christian community, the family we have, etc. and work to uphold them, they will determine the direction of our future choices, and be the source of our happiness.
Paul clearly expresses this thought in the second reading when he says, “We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose” (Rom. 8:28). Hence, if we love God and seek to do his will; if we appreciate his invitation to serve him in the community we belong to, our daily choices would allign with that option. We would find ourselves desiring to grow in faith and service to God and humanity, and God would not hesitate to imbue us with his wisdom and graces.
Finding the treasure of the kingdom and giving everything away to possess it is what Jesus meant when he said, “seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matthew 6:33). The decisions of the person who found “treasure hidden in a field” the merchant who found “one pearl of great value” and those who put the good fish “into baskets but threw out the bad” were all motivated by wisdom and understanding. Without wisdom and understanding, it is difficult to appreciate the kingdom of God as a treasure of supreme value. That is why the world is filled with violence, crime and all sorts of evil because most people are busy seeking the kingdom of the world – material riches, power and fame. Paul’s missionary experience led him to conclude that preaching Christ crucified is a “stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God” (1 Corienthians 1: 23-24). The difference lies on one group relying solely on their own human reasoning and the other being guided by wisdom and understanding. Thus we need the wisdom that comes from above (cf. James 3:17) to guide us in our daily life choices.
The prayerful attitude of of the young King Solomon should guide us to ask for wisdom and understanding to always set our priorities right, give God the first place in our lives and allow His principles and values to determine our daily life decisions and choices. We could then appreciate the supreme value of the kingdom of God and be willing to forgo other distraction that seek to take out heart away from efforts to possess it.
