These reflections are a result of more than 40 years of ministry as a Roman Catholic priest. Most of these years I spent in the Diocese of Charlotte which covers Western North Carolina. Now I am retired, and live in Medellín, Colombia where I continue to serve as a priest in the Archdiocese of Medellín.

XVII ORDINARY SUNDAY

The LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream at night. God said, “Ask something of me and I will give it to you.” Solomon answered: Give your servant, therefore, a listening heart to judge your people and to distinguish right from wrong. (1 Kgs 3:5-9)

What would you ask for if you got a blank check from God? That happened to Solomon. And what did Solomon ask for? A listening heart, literally a “heart with ears.” Perhaps in a world like ours a “heart with ears” is just what we need so that we can listen to others with understanding and compassion.