1 Kings 3:5, 7-12 / Romans 8:28-30 / Matthew 13:44-52
There are many things in life that we are busy with. And these are not trivial things. They are important and they require our attention.
So, we are busy with work, and we do spend a lot of time at work, and also with our work.
And we also busy with family matters. We need to look into our parents’ welfare and well-being, as they will need more attention in their senior years.
We also need to look into our children's development and nurturing, and so we have to arrange tuition, enrichment classes and weekend activities for them.
So, we are busy, weekdays as well as weekends, and at times we wish that there are more than 24 hours a day.
Yes, we are busy with so much to do that we feel so tired and worn out.
With all that busyness and tiredness, we may not have much time or energy to deepen our faith and for prayer.
But we know that the seed of faith that is planted in our hearts needs attention and nurturing before it can bear fruit in our lives.
And we can also hear the soft and gentle voice of Jesus calling out to us to come to Him and find rest for our souls.
Yes, we know that faith and prayer are important, but there are so many things that call out for our attention.
So, as much as we want to pray, we just can't find the time, or the energy, to be at prayer.
And here is where king Solomon has something to teach us in the 1st reading.
He succeeded his famous father David as king of Israel. But he knew he was young and unskilled in leadership to govern the people that was entrusted to him.
So he prayed to the Lord to grant him a heart of understanding and wisdom to be the king of God's people.
King Solomon could have asked for intelligence, so that he could be a shrewd ruler and be able to outwit and overcome his enemies.
So, what is the difference between intelligence and wisdom then?
Intelligence may help us to understand what the problems are.
Wisdom helps us to know what are the problems to understand.
So, king Solomon prayed for a wise and understanding heart.
And the Lord God was pleased with his prayer and granted him what he asked for.
So, whenever we have time to pray, what is it that we pray for, or what is it we pray about?
Following king Solomon's example, let us pray for a wise and understanding heart to know what God wants to give us.
God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding to rule and govern his people.
God will also grant us wisdom and understanding to know what is really important in our family, in our work and in our life.
Prayer is the treasure that we have, a treasure that brings peace and joy in our lives and in our relationships.
St. Francis de Sales said this about prayer: Usually, half an hour of prayer a day is sufficient. But if you are busy, then make it one hour.
We may be surprised at that, but when we make time for prayer, God will help us to know what are the problems to understand.
Then we will be able to separate the necessary from the unnecessary, and our hearts will be at rest, and we will have peace in our lives.