Weekly Reflection 7/26/2020

WEEKLY REFLECTION

FOR 7-26-2020

What would you wish for?

In today’s first reading, God appears to Solomon in a dream and tells Solomon to ask God for something.  Solomon asks for an understanding heart so that he can be a good king over Israel.  God is pleased with Solomon’s request and bestows great wisdom upon Solomon.

What about you?  What would you wish for?  I’m sure we’ve all dreamed of finding that magic lamp with the genie inside who grants three wishes.  And I’m equally sure that the things we would have wished for ten years ago are different than what we would wish for today.

The obvious choices don’t seem so appealing when you really think about them.  Many people with loads of money don’t seem happy at all.  Some have even taken their own lives.  Famous people seem to spend a lot of time dodging the paparazzi and longing for some privacy.  Good health is a wonderful gift, but eventually even that will fail.

So, what could we wish for that would make a permanent difference in our lives?  What gift brings joy for a lifetime?  I propose that a closer relationship with God is the most rewarding and life-sustaining gift we could wish for.  After all, the purpose of our lives is to attain eternity in God’s presence – heaven – no more tears, no more pain, eternal bliss.  So, the closer we get to God, the closer we are to heaven.  The deeper our relationship with God, the better able we are to cope with life’s difficulties and find the peace that surpasses all understanding.

The Baltimore Catechism asked the question:  Why did God make me?  And the answer was:  God made me to know, love, and serve him in this life and be happy with Him in the next.

What more could we wish for?