(For the audio version of this post, please visit: https://brothersinchristcmf.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Mass-Blog-for-the-17th-Sunday-in-Ordinary-Time.mp3)
Our most beloved fairy tales teach lessons about the dangers of wishes. Stories like “Aladdin and his Magic Lamp” and “The Monkey’s Paw” involve people given three of them. Thanks to the original sin of selfishness, each wish these characters make necessitates using the next wish to fix the problems caused by the previous one.
In Sunday’s first reading (1 Kings 3:5, 7-12) God offers Solomon ONE wish, so he had to make it good. He does so by asking for the one thing that would have saved those fictional characters from their selfish wishes. Wisdom.
“Because you have asked for this—not for a long life for yourself, nor for riches, nor for the life of your enemies, but for understanding so that you may know what is right—I do as you requested.”
By seeking wisdom, Solomon showed God he already had a strong foundation on which to build the beautiful life intended for him. That one wise wish for understanding also earned unlimited blessings for others in Solomon’s life.
Where we go wrong is substituting wishes for prayer. Too often we see God as a genie who acts like Santa Claus instead of a God who acts as our Father. That turns faith into superstition. Even Stevie Wonder could see that, and he made that the core message of his song “Superstition”:
“When you believe in things that you don’t understand then you suffer.
Superstition ain’t the way.”
People in positions of responsibility, from parents to CEOs, would be wise to pray as Solomon did, seeking the same understanding for which others in their lives come to them. Writers since the age of Solomon have laced their work with the understanding they store in their mental vault after prayer. In Sunday’s gospel reading, when his disciples assure Jesus they understood the morals of his parables, he offers this timeless advice to them and us:
“Then every scribe who has been instructed in the kingdom of heaven is like the head of a household who brings from his storeroom both the new and the old.” (Matthew 13:44-52)
Life lessons that inspire wisdom improve with age like fine wine. If we are wise enough to live the word of God, we serve the purpose for which our author created us. Paul explains the purpose and the moral of our own stories:
“To be conformed to the image of his Son, so that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.” (Romans 8:28-30)
We are among a succession of heroes in our Author’s never-ending story. Live your story wisely.
–Tom Andel
One of Scripture’s great lessons is that wisdom leads us beyond ourselves. Solomon’s request for understanding was not merely a personal virtue; it enabled him to govern for the common good. True wisdom recognizes that we accomplish far more when we set aside self-interest and seek what benefits everyone.
The world often asks, “What’s in it for me?” Christ asks, “How can I serve?” When we follow His example, teamwork becomes more than a practical strategy—it becomes an expression of Christian love.
Blessed Michael McGivney understood this well. No one parishioner could meet all the needs of widows, orphans, and struggling families. But united in a common mission, ordinary men achieved far more together than any could have accomplished alone.
Wisdom, then, is more than knowing what is right. It is recognizing that God’s plan often unfolds through cooperation. The strongest teams are not those with the most talented individuals, but those whose members place their gifts at the service of others. When we set aside ego and the desire for recognition, we make room for God to work through us.
George, as you well know, the Knights of Columbus teach this value of unity in the ceremony welcoming new members. They present the candidate with a thread and a rope, The candidate is asked to break the thread, which they can do very easily. But when that thread is coiled in a rope made of many threads like it, that rope is unbreakable. This teaches us that while a single, isolated member is easily broken, when united with other members they become part of an unbreakable cord capable of doing hard and great work.
Love what you put here George! It stands out to me that Solomon asked for wisdom, not intelligence and there is a stark difference. And he used that gift in service to others as we are called to do!
As for me, the more I try to control and think I have the answers alone, the worse things tend to get. Through faith and obedience (and sometimes a swift kick), God brings me back.
Thank you God for not leaving my life up to me, and being there when I need you!
To kick me when I need kicking–but not kicking me out. (sorry for adding to your prayer, Mike, but you inspired me.)
Haha no sorry! It’s an honor to pray with you anytime!
Toward the end of this blog you write the life’s lessons inspire wisdom. I would submit that without life’s lesson there is little chance that we will attain it. There is a vast difference between intelligence and wisdom. Some of the “smartest” people I have met are the dumbest.
In fact most intellectually gifted people end up being clueless because they often think that their gift is self derived. That is really dumb.
There is but one giver of all gifts, and the truly wise understand where that comes from. Jesus said we need the faith of a child to enter his kingdom. With meekness and humility we follow the master.
A recent article in the National Catholic Register told the story of film maker David Rolfe, a former atheist who converted to Christianity after originally intending to debunk the Shroud of Turin as a medieval forgery. He became convinced of its authenticity and of Christ’s resurrection after studying the shroud’s complex photographic and forensic properties. Blessed are those who believe in Christ through the simplicity of his truth.