“If God appeared to you tonight and said, as He did to Solomon, “Ask something of me, and I will give it to you,” what would you ask for?

Many of us would probably ask for good health. Others would ask for financial security, a successful career, a happy family, or a long life. None of these is wrong.

But Solomon surprised God. He did not ask for riches, power, or a long life. He asked for wisdom—a heart that could recognize what truly matters.

That is exactly the lesson that unites all three readings today.

The greatest challenge in life is not simply to get what we want. It is to recognize what is truly worth wanting.

Jesus illustrates this beautifully in the Gospel.

A man finds a treasure hidden in a field. Another discovers a pearl of great price. Both sell everything they own—not because they are foolish, but because they have finally discovered something infinitely more valuable.

Notice that Jesus is not emphasizing what they gave up. He emphasizes what they found.

When you discover something truly valuable, sacrifice no longer feels like sacrifice.

A young man who has found the love of his life no longer complains about the expenses of courtship. Parents gladly lose sleep for their children because they know their children are worth it.

When we discover Christ as our greatest treasure, prayer is no longer a burden. Forgiveness is no longer impossible. Honesty is no longer a disadvantage. Serving others is no longer a waste of time.

The problem today is that many people have reversed their priorities.

We spend years accumulating things that one day we must leave behind, while neglecting the treasures that will accompany us into eternity—our faith, our love, our relationship with God.

Many people know the price of everything but the value of nothing.

Saint Paul reminds us in the second reading that “all things work for good for those who love God.” Even our sufferings, disappointments, and failures can become part of God’s beautiful plan—provided that we never lose sight of the greatest treasure, which is Christ Himself.

So perhaps today we should ask ourselves: What is the treasure that my life is really chasing? Because whatever you treasure will determine how you spend your time, your money, your energy, and eventually your life.

Worth the risk

Let me end with a simple story.

A fire once broke out in a family’s home. Everyone rushed outside safely. The father suddenly realized he had left behind a small metal box. Risking his life, he ran back into the burning house and emerged holding it tightly.

People praised his courage, thinking it contained a fortune.

When they opened the box, they found not money, but old photographs, handwritten letters, and the baptismal certificates of his children.

Someone asked him, “Why did you risk your life for those?”

The father smiled and said, “Because everything else in the house could be replaced. These could not.”

Final Words

Brothers and sisters, each of us is carrying a treasure. The question is whether we are carrying the right one.

May we ask today for the wisdom of Solomon: the wisdom to recognize that Jesus Christ is the treasure worth giving everything for. If we possess Him, we may have little in the eyes of the world, but we already possess the greatest wealth that will last forever.”