Men Without Chests

Homily, 7-31-23; Memorial of St. Ignatius of Loyola:

“There is something greater than Solomon here.” Young King Solomon prayed for wisdom as he took over the reins from his father, King David. And God answered his prayers. He made wise decisions for the people. He built the great temple with the supplies left to him by his father. He entertained the Queen of Sheba who traveled from the south to gain knowledge from him.

But the people had something greater than Solomon. We have something greater here, Jesus Christ, present in the tabernacle and soon to be made present on the altar. Jesus is the Lamb, but He is also the GOAT—G-O-A-T, the greatest of all time.

Solomon was very wise, but despite that wisdom, he ultimately was led astray by his many wives who worshiped false gods. He was a bit like the seed that grew among thorns that we heard about last week in the parable of the seed and the sower. Men, even good wise men can, can go astray, especially with the social pressures that exist today. It can be difficult to stand firm in our troubled world. And so we must be careful not to put blind trust in anyone, except in Jesus.

There are many voices out there now with prophetic messages. And we need to have ears to listen and hear and understand. But we also must test what we hear and pray for discernment and not accept everything we hear because it agrees with what we want to believe. If there is any doubt to the authenticity of purported message, rely on Jesus, the greatest of all time, and on the Church He established to guide us until He comes again, We have something greater than Jonah or Solomon here.

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