Today’s readings are universally needed but woefully unappreciated,  especially at this interesting time in human history.  Important for we homeschooling moms & dads, as well as traditional and distance learned ones.  Realize God gave David’s son, Solomon, the lottery opportunity, revealing to him the five numbers and the bonus to win! My beloved daughter, Amanda, is quick to point out the IFs, ie “if and when we win the lottery!”  But you ARE blessed beyond measure already if only you look closely…

Are we slaves or free people of God, free to seek wisdom and not the misdirections, the whims of doctrines of a dying culture and society?  YOU, yes YOU are the building blocks of the up and coming Renaissance as the Dark Ages pass away.

“The LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream at night. 
God said, “Ask something of Me and I will give it to you.” 

Solomon was young and following in the greatest King in the Davidic line except for Jesus; yet, he did NOT ask  for the Powerball or California (for the children) lottery numbers:

His answer: ““O LORD, my God, you have made me, your servant, king
to succeed my father David;
but I am a mere youth, not knowing at all how to act. 
I serve you in the midst of the people whom you have chosen,
a people so vast that it cannot be numbered or counted. 
Give your servant, therefore, an understanding heart
to judge your people and to distinguish right from wrong. 
For who is able to govern this vast people of yours?”

Wow!  one simple response from humility by the son of a king, thrust into the limelight to lead the chosen people.  Solomon asked for wisdom, an undeniably important gift of the Holy Spirit.  Our confirmandi (confirmed young people) learn about the gifts and the fruits of the Spirit.  Davidson chose wisdom WITH 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. 
I give you a heart so wise and understanding
that there has never been anyone like you up to now, 
and after you there will come no one to equal you.”

The wisest man of all time. Pretty impressive result.  Many of you know the story appropriate to today’s world, in which two mothers brought their pleas to King Solomon. Do you recall how it turned out?

I I now do as you request. I give you a heart so wise and discerning that there has never been anyone like you until now, nor after you will there be anyone to equal you. In addition, I give you what you have not asked for: I give you such riches and glory that among kings there will be no one like you all your days. And if you walk in my ways, keeping my statutes and commandments, as David your father did, I will give you a long life. Solomon awoke; it was a dream! He went to Jerusalem, stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, sacrificed burnt offerings and communion offerings, and gave a feast for all his servants.

Parents and young readers: seek wisdom; the Scripture says to “ask and it shall be given unto you.  Seek and you shall find.  Knock and the door shall be opened unto you…”  God wants to bless you mightily.  Solomon’s time was an incredible time; so is our!  Just because mayhem is around us, does not mean we have to adopt anarchy or even buy in.  We have free will to do good, seek truth, separate right from wrong and reject evil.

  Evidence that God kept His promise to Solomon follows: the highest virtue is love, but do not neglect to pray that the Spirit will guide you and give YOU wisdom to pronounce right judgement.  Our nation, our culture, our world desperately needs men and women of God, willing to seek right over wrong, to do the honorable and honest and right thing.  Rioting, looting, anarchy are NOT from God but from the father of lies, lucifer/satan/devil.   We honor God when we do charitable works for the less fortunate and tell the truth.  Do NOT bear false witness against your neighbor, your parents or children, your president, yes your president even your “enemies”.  Truth can win them over if done properly.  The Story of Two Moms could be a news report in 2020: 

Later, two prostitutes came to the king (Solomon) and stood before him.

17One woman said: “By your leave, my lord, this woman and I live in the same house, and I gave birth in the house while she was present.18On the third day after I gave birth, this woman also gave birth. We were alone; no one else was in the house with us; only the two of us were in the house.19This woman’s son died during the night when she lay on top of him.20So in the middle of the night she got up and took my son from my side, as your servant was sleeping. Then she laid him in her bosom and laid her dead son in my bosom.21

I rose in the morning to nurse my son, and he was dead! But when I examined him in the morning light, I saw it was not the son I had borne.”22The other woman answered, “No! The living one is my son, the dead one is yours.” But the first kept saying, “No! the dead one is your son, the living one is mine!” Thus they argued before the king.

23Then the king said: “One woman claims, ‘This, the living one, is my son, the dead one is yours.’ The other answers, ‘No! The dead one is your son, the living one is mine.’”24The king continued, “Get me a sword.” When they brought the sword before the king,25he said, “Cut the living child in two, and give half to one woman and half to the other.”

26^* The woman whose son was alive, because she was stirred with compassion for her son, said to the king, “Please, my lord, give her the living baby—do not kill it!” But the other said, “It shall be neither mine nor yours. Cut it in two!”  What did Solomon do?

27The king then answered, “Give her (the real mom) the living baby! Do not kill it! She is the mother.”28When all Israel heard the judgment the king had given, they were in awe of him, because they saw that the king had in him the wisdom of God for giving right judgment.

Do not be a slave to evil, nor to the father of deceit.  600,00 died to end one kind of slavery 155 years ago.  Learn that lesson well.  But, other forms of slavery persist.  Truly OUR nation needs our prayers, reform and actions. 

Note that, this is the 17th sunday in ordinary times but nothing is ordinary about these morsels of Truth.

The number 17 is used in the Bible to signify victory; there are numerous examples.  In the physical world, it was the 17th step to the entrance in the Giza Pyramid.  The other pyramids were poor copies of the original; discussion for another time about the Christ Angle and Giza.  But, wisdom and common sense are not valued in today’s world.  Parents: your kids need you to practice sharing your wisdom.  Don’t wait until they are grown, asking for the keys (not to the workshop) to the car or telling you “Daddy, i think i like this boy”   Tempus fugit; time IS short but always remember; it IS a great day to be alive.  

The 2nd reading is important, too:  “Brothers and sisters:
We know that all things work for good for those who love God,
who are called according to his purpose.”   believe it or not, God has known YOU from all eternity and known that YOU will live forever with Him.  He has CALLED you to follow Him, His Son Jesus and the Church Jesus founded.  Think about this carefully:  everyday you wake up, you are a day older.  But you remain in the exact middle of eternity.  Eternity past   Eternity future.  Pray for wisdom, the Rosary IS your weapon & tool of choice.   And remember, God sees your heart: a sharp knife in the hands of a criminal is a weapon; in the hands of a heart surgeon, a tool to give life. 

You probably are sensing it: good and evil, right and wrong, are becoming obvious, like black and white.  Some people, who have evil intentions, are being forgiven, repenting, reconciling, seeking forgiveness and forgiving others. Like your president, who may not be to your liking in all things, but then, before you throw a big stone on the St Mary Magdalene week, look at yourself deeply in the mirror.  What log must you remove before you despise or hate another?  Before you remove the splinter or sawdust from his or her shoulder, remove your forest first.

 Multiple choices are quickly becoming binary choices, like a polarized magnet with north and south ends.

The Big 4: 

BKind   4Give   B4Given    Help1Some1~2day…or more if you can.  Practice these four wise maxims and see what happens.

Thank you again; you’ve been “homeschooling Grandpa Len”.  He learns as much as he shares with you.

Len is a realtor/broker helping people sell and buy homes; a 30 + year homeschooling veteran with 11 awesome kids and blessed to work with amazing people in the homeschooling, public and private education realm.  When someone asks you what day it is, you simply shout “It’s a great day to be ALIVE!”