Many of us remember this question: “Imagine for a moment that by some mysterious power you were able to change the world. What would you change? How would you change it?” (The Four Signs of a Dynamic Catholic, 143). End poverty, disease, war? “But changing the world is an inside-out job… When God looks to change the world, he looks deep within us, driving straight to the heart of the matter: human behavior.”
Three times in the Gospels, Jesus asks people, “What do you want me to do for you?” (Mt 20:32; Mk 10:51; Lk 18:41). He asks because He wants us to desire the gifts He wants to give us. For example, who here wants more patience? That means we’ll have to smile more when things don’t go well; we’ll no longer raise our voice unnecessarily. So, do we really want more patience? God wants to give it.
The First Reading is a fascinating event. In the year 967 B.C., Solomon is around 20-years-old, has been appointed king by his father, David, and, “at Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, ‘Ask what I should give you’” (1 Kg 3:5). Solomon won’t treat God like a genie, so his response will show a love for God, and it covers the past, present, and future: “Solomon said, ‘You have shown great and steadfast love to your servant my father David, because he walked before you in faithfulness… And now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king… although I am only a little child… And your servant is in the midst of… a great people, so numerous they cannot be numbered… Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, able to discern between good and evil; for who can govern this, your great people?’” (3:6-9). Solomon could have asked for anything, but chose to ask for wisdom. This is a virtue our society never discusses, which may explain why we’re so foolish.
The entrepreneur and orthodox deacon, Michael Hyatt, wrote this book Living Forward, a guide towards creating what he calls a Life Plan, where you write down what you want for nine domains of life, e.g., physical, spiritual, family. You also have to write your own eulogy, to clarify the kind of person you want to be and how you wish to be remembered when you die. Last year, while on vacation, I started my Life Plan, and, though it wasn’t easy, it gave me clarity on what I’m asking God for. When I die, Deacon Andrew is going to read this eulogy so that he has to say something nice about me. When I die, will I have been a man of wisdom? I won’t have this virtue unless I ask the Holy Spirit for it.
In the book, a woman named Rachel included this in her eulogy: “Her love for Jesus was also exemplified in the missions work she participated in over the course of her life. For as long as I remember, Rachel served in the local church in some capacity. In her thirties, after completing many mission trips domestically, she opened her heart to a country in Central America desperately needing the hope and love only Jesus can bring. Rachel fell in love with Guatemala and served many missions here” (177). Opening our heart to a country that needs Jesus is very wise.
In the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola, nine times he tells the person making the 30-day retreat to ‘Ask for what I desire.’ It’s never for more money, better health, etc., because, while those things are good, they’re not the best. In the meditation on hell, he tells the retreatant to “Ask [God] for what I desire. Here it will be to ask for an interior sense of the pain suffered by the damned, so that if through my faults I should forget the love of the Eternal Lord, at least the fear of those pains will serve to keep me from falling into sin” (Translated by Fr. George Ganss, SJ., 65). Every so often, when we’re trying to overcome our repeated sins, the sins that are offending God, hurting others and ourselves (our pride, unjust anger, lust), it’s helpful to pray about what would happen if we were to choose hell. The thought of terrible pain without any relief for all eternity and with no way out should scare us, and should motivate us to go to Jesus for mercy. (Apparently, there was a priest who, on a hot summer day, gave this one-sentence homily, ‘And you think it’s hot here?’ then walked back to his seat.) Jesus was so concerned about our choosing hell that He died on the Cross to offer us forgiveness. Asking for a fear of hell makes sense!
More positively, towards the end of the Exercises, you’re supposed to imagine yourself standing before God, with the angels and saints interceding for you. Then, “ask [God] for what I desire. Here it will be to ask for interior knowledge of all great good I have received, in order that, stirred to profound gratitude, I may become able to love and serve His Divine Majesty in all things” (233). You spend one hour thanking God for all He’s given us: our life, our family, our talents, Redemption, the Sacraments, forgiveness, guidance! When we ask the Holy Spirit for gratitude, He gives it, and we act more like Christ.
After Solomon asks for wisdom, it says, “It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this. God said to him, ‘Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches, or for the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, I now do according to your word… I give you also what you have not asked, both riches and honor all your life… If you will walk in my ways… then I will lengthen your life’” (3:10-14). Does this mean that if we ask for wisdom, God will solve our financial and immigration problems? No. Because if we ask for wisdom hoping to get financial help, it means we’re not really asking for wisdom. Wisdom knows that suffering was part of Jesus’ life, it’s how He proved His love for us and overcame our sins, and it’s how we grow in love.
So, if we could change the world, what would we change? Jesus wants to give us wisdom. For the rest of Mass, perhaps we could ask: What do I want? Why do I want it?
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