The Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream. God said, "Ask something of me and I will give it to you." If God were to ask you and I the same question, what would we ask for? I've asked this question several people over the last 10 days and I got many different answers. I had only one that had the same request that Solomon had requested from God, "Give me the understanding to know right from wrong." This is what Solomon had asked for and that pleased God. In the Book of Kings, Chapter 3: 5-12, we find that this understanding Solomon received is called Wisdom. And if we read on a bit further, lines 16-27, we read a story that we are very familiar with, the splitting in half of a baby.

Patience in the midst of Evil

Jesus preaches to the crowds a number of parables in today’s gospel reading. In the first parable, he tells a story of a man who planted good seeds in his vineyard and while everyone was asleep his enemy went and planted weed. The servants discovered it and requested they go and uproot the weed, Jesus tells them, “No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned but gather the wheat into my barn”.

Humility is the foundation of the spiritual life. Because of this foundation, the Lord God can dwell more fully within us. In today’s parable, “A sower went out to sow.” Now either this sower is foolish, or he knows something that we don’t know. If you were driving down a paved road, and came up behind a farmer driving his tractor, dropping seed for miles on the path, will you have concern for him? Doesn’t he know he’s wasting his time, energy and money? Why is the Gospel so slow in entering our hearts?

The sower in Jesus’ parable acts in a similar way: “…as he sowed, some seeds fell on the path, and birds came and ate it up.” Jesus explains the parable of the sower: “The seed sown on the path is the one who hears the word of the kingdom without understanding it and the evil one comes and steals away what was sown in his heart.” This parable is an invitation to a radical choice in which words are not enough, deeds are required.

In our gospel reading we hear Jesus say, "Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light."

A yoke is a piece of wood or metal placed over the necks of two animals walking side-by-side. It keeps them in line when plowing a field. Instead of being independent the animals become dependent on each other. They must depend on each other to save their own neck. If one of the animals runs ahead or sideways, then both get a stiff neck.

The woman in the first reading was open to life; she welcomed the prophet into her home, was aware that he was a holy man of God, and set about facilitating his mission.

The second reading could be seen under this light too since it speaks of entry into the new life of Baptism. This sacrament demands generosity towards those who have pledged their lives to the gospel.

At Baptism the grace of Christ is given to us and frees us from sin. This sacrament joins us to Christ; immersion in water symbolizes the burial, taking away our guilt; emerging from the watersymbolizes the Resurrection of Christ.