The Wisdom of Solomon in the Temple of God

Today's first reading of the Mass (1Kings 10:1-10) is about the world renown of Solomon's wisdom. The queen of Sheba comes to him with the greatest abundance of gifts because of his superior refinement. One of the areas of his great magnanimity was building the great and magnificent Temple of Jerusalem: "The House of God." It would be the principle place for the praise and honor of God until the coming of God in the flesh: Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ is the true temple of God, not made by human hands but eternally begotten of the Father and born of the Virgin Mary. So that the house of God is God Himself (cf. Rev. 21:22). God's house is not a place, therefore, but a Person. The circumstance for the encounter with God is not a matter of going to some special here or there but to the living Person of the Only Son who is eternally face to face with the heavenly Father.

We may, furthermore, speak of the house of God as being the one who conceived and bore Him and gave Him birth and created with Him and Saint Joseph the holy and chaste home of Nazareth. The true house of God is Mary, His Mother. Her Blessed womb is the Golden House of the great Messiah. Therefore, Saint Francis of Assisi wrote a prayer to Mary, the Mother of God as the House of God.

Greeting to the Most Blessed Virgin Mary

Hail, Lady, holy Queen, holy Mother of God, Mary, who are the Virgin made Church and chosen by the most high heavenly Father, who has consecrated you together with His most holy beloved Son and with the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete; you in whom was and is every fullness of grace and every good. Hail His palace, hail His tabernacle, hail His house, hail His vestment, hail His slave, hail His Mother.