In Search Of: A Wise Heart

Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Reflecting on the Word

By Rev. James A. Wallace, C.Ss.R.

If God were to offer you your heart’s desire, what would you ask for? Solomon  did not request health or wealth. Nor did he ask God to remove his enemies— either those inherited from his father or those acquired when he was given the  crown at a very young age. Solomon asked for wisdom, for a heart that understands or listens. Such wisdom included the ability to judge justly and to distinguish right from wrong. God was pleased. 

The gift of wisdom allows the heart to see; the letter to the Ephesians refers  to “seeing with the eyes of the heart.” And wisdom brings the ability to hear the  word of the Lord even when spoken in the sound of silence, as Elijah did. Such  seeing and hearing lie at the heart of the first two parables. Seeing God’s reign  is likened to finding a treasure in a field or seeking a most valuable pearl—when  one sees where it is hidden or hears where it can be found, one gives all one has  to make it one’s own. 

The heart can spend many years and look in many places for happiness. We  can bypass the kingdom again and again, going off into various dead ends, cul  de sacs, and blind alleys. Paul reminds the Romans that all things work for good  for those who look to God. God, who has predestined us to share the image of  the Son, wishes to give us the wisdom needed to discover where the kingdom  is hidden. 

Consider/Discuss

  • What is your heart’s desire? 
  • Have you asked for that wisdom that is a gift of the Holy Spirit?
  • Of the different parables you have heard these last three weeks,  which one speaks most to your heart? 

Responding to the Word

Remembering that “the revelation of [God’s] words sheds light” (Psalm 119),  ask God to give you the wisdom needed in your life to seek out the divine presence and to respond wholeheartedly to that presence, so that God rules in your  heart, mind, and spirit as you grow into the image of Jesus Christ.

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