32nd Week, Thursday, Nov 11
Wisdom 7:22-8:1 / Luke 17:20-25
In her book, A Grandma's Letters to God, Ruth Youngdahl Nelson tells this story. On a hill overlooking Weinsberg, Germany, is a huge fortress. One day, in feudal times, the fortress was surrounded by an enemy. The enemy commander agreed to let all women and children leave the fortress. He also agreed to let the women take with them one valuable possession.
You can imagine the consternation of the enemy commander
when he saw the women leave the fortress with their husbands on their backs. The
secret to wisdom is love. Love gives us an insight that nothing else does.
***
Have we ever experienced the insight that love alone can
provide? Speaking to the Little Prince about love and life, the Fox says:
"'It is only with the heart that one can see rightly.” Antoine de
Saint-Exupéry
***
The author of the book of Wisdom gives high praise to
wisdom. She is personified, she is like a spirit that moves. She is like the
breath of God that orders all things well.
***
The author enumerates here 21 qualities of wisdom. The ancient
writer believed that numbers have a hidden meaning. Three refers to the divine,
seven expresses perfection. When reading the twenty-one adjectives, stop a
moment after each and think: Does this apply especially to God? Holy, almighty,
she (wisdom) can do all, herself unchanged, more splendid than the sun and so
on. It is certain that the Old Testament author did not think of the three
divine persons. But after the mystery of the blessed trinity had been revealed
in the New Testament, theologians readily found in this passage access to the
understanding of the mystery. "Sanctifying spirit," "the
inspiration of the prophets," "the Spirit that leads us into all the
Truth," ordering all things for good, not only every adjective but every
sentence helps us to understand God better. St Augustine said: In the Old
Testament the New is already hidden. In the New Testament, the Old is fully
explained. God like a good teacher opens the truth for us gradually. Through
Christ and the Holy Spirit we are led into the fullness of Truth.
***
Books and movies about prophecies and predicting the future
are usually of much interest to people. Maybe because it is our human tendency
to want to have a hold on the future in order to have a sense of security. Yet
we may get so engrossed about the future that we may lose hold of the present.
Our present situation and circumstances may not be very
rosy. We may be struggling with our difficulties and worries. Yet it is in
those difficulties and worries that God wants to make Himself present and to
reveal to us His saving power. It is only when we walk with God in the present
that we can have the hope and the courage to walk into the future.
***
To the Pharisees and perhaps to the disciples too, anxiously
looking for signs, Jesus says: The kingdom of God is among you, right in your
midst. It is already present in our lives. In other words, be wise and be
committed to the present, to building up God’s kingdom now. Seek eternity and
eternal life in the present, and God’s good day will come in God’s good time.
***
Prayer
Lord our God, your kingdom is not an established order but
something that is alive and always coming. Make us aware that it is to be found
where we let you reign, where we and the kingdom of people give way to your
kingdom, where we let your justice and love and peace take the place of our
fumbling and stumbling. Lord, establish your kingdom among us through Christ
Jesus, our Lord. Amen
