Fr. Jacobi's Homily Message

“Ask something of me and I will give it to you.” If today we heard God’s voice booming down from heaven, saying, “Ask something of me and I will give it to you,” what would be our response? Would we ask for a long, vibrant life? Millions upon millions of dollars? Revenge upon enemies?

Solomon’s response to the request of God is simple and direct: “Grant me an understanding heart.” Solomon desires an understanding heart in order to know God’s will and thus be of service to the people he will govern.

Solomon requests the pearl of wisdom, the treasure of understanding. The greatest desire of the new king of Israel is a wise and understanding heart.

Our prayer is for the same great gift of wisdom, so we will not waste our life. With the gift of wisdom, we can discern what is of lasting value. Gifted with a wise and understanding heart, we know how to spend our life.

We sell ourselves short by giving our life to those things, which at first glance sparkle and gleam, but in the long run are dull and lifeless. We need insight to know what to treasure, to know what is of lasting value. For some of the things that our culture places a high value on are actually worthless.

So, we have to ask ourselves: “What really counts? What is really valuable? To what or to whom shall we give our life?” In today’s gospel, Jesus maintains that the kingdom of heaven is what really counts. Jesus characterizes the kingdom of heaven as a treasure in a field or a pearl of great price – something that is worth our wholehearted commitment, everything we have to give. But what does the kingdom of heaven look like? It is a way of living life here and now, not merely a state of being that will unfold after death.

The kingdom of heaven shines forth in a life of faithful commitment. When we buy into our consumer culture’s warped notion of freedom and love, that we should not tie ourselves down to anyone, when we buy this bill of goods, we find ourselves lost and without direction. Only by faithfully committing our lives to others do we discover the treasure of lasting love and the pearl of true joy.

The treasure of God’s reign is uncovered in a life lived with integrity. When we are tempted to be only what others want us to be, when we are tempted to be untrue to self or to others, wisdom reminds us that living with integrity makes for a life that is whole and complete.

By placing our trust in God and not in the princes of this world, we are able to enjoy the pearl of great price which is the kingdom of God. We put our trust in so many things that do not warrant our trust. When we place all our trust in military power, in money, or in self, we spend our life on those things which betray our trust. The Lord God is worthy of our trust; God is worthy of the complete gift of our life.

The kingdom of heaven also glitters and gleams in a life lived in service to others. So, instead of sitting around reading self-help books, we reach out to help others and stumble upon a surprising treasure called “joy.”

With the gift of an understanding heart, we learn to spend our lives for the reign of God. Gifted with wisdom from on high, we know how to spend our life – in service of God’s kingdom.

Ultimately we discover the riches of God’s kingdom in a life conformed to the image of God’s own Son. As our lives conform more and more to the One who initiated God’s reign, we find ourselves rich in mercy and peace, compassion and kindness.

In joining our lives ever more closely to the Lord Jesus, we discover that the Kingdom of Heaven is found in him. The Reign of God resides in the very person of Jesus Christ, God’s love enfleshed. In the field of our lives, we are surprised as we stumble upon the buried treasure who is hidden just beneath the surface, Jesus the Lord. As we search the marketplace of our lives for something of lasting value, we discover Jesus Christ to be the pearl of great price for which we long.