32nd Week, Monday, November 10; Saint Leo the Great
Wisdom 1:1-7 / Luke 17:1-6
Wisdom is a kindly spirit; God's wisdom pervades everything.
***
To what extent do we try to see things, like disappointment, through God's eyes? "God chose the foolish of the world to shame the wise. ... Christ Jesus ... became for us wisdom from God.” 1 Corinthians 1:27, 30
***
The First Reading in Year I will be taken for a whole week from the Book of Wisdom. It was written in Greek in Alexandria, the century before the Christian era. Although he hopes non-Jews to read it too, the author advises mainly his co-religionists to seek wisdom in their faith in God rather than in the surrounding philosophical culture of Alexandria.
***
The examination of conscience is a spiritual exercise in which we examine ourselves before the Lord in prayer and see how we had been in union with God and what sins we have committed. One question that we have to honestly ask ourselves is this: How many lies am I living out today? Yes, lies. Not just spoken lies, but also lies in actions, e.g., hypocrisy, craftiness, being cunning, being scheming, etc.
More importantly, we need to ask ourselves: How did my life get so cluttered with so many lies? The answer, simply is that, we deceive ourselves into believing that one little lie will be alright for just this once. But the truth is that one little lie will begin to complicate our lives. And it will multiply until our whole life becomes one big lie.
Essentially, that is what the 1st reading is saying: that Wisdom will never make its way into a crafty soul, nor stay in a body that is in debt to sin. Yes, the Spirit of the Lord shuns a person of deceit and lies and deception. The plain truth is this: if we can live with one sin, then we can live with many sins.
And Jesus warns us in today's gospel that an unrepentant sinner is an obstacle to others and we have to watch ourselves of the sins we commit. So, if we really desire to be truly wise, then inevitably we must be at odds with sin.
Because true wisdom, the wisdom that comes from God is at odds with sin and deceit. It is only with divine wisdom that we can see that virtue, honesty, faithfulness and humility is truly the way of life.
***
There have been many incidents of scandal in the history of the world and the Church. Jesus warns his followers against causing scandal to others, especially to the little ones. Who are these “little ones”? The little ones are those who approach us in their dire and extreme need; they are those who lack knowledge and look up to us for inspiration; they are people who are vulnerable to our promptings and suggestions; they are people who have no human support. In short, they are vulnerable people who can easily be manipulated and exploited. Scandal is caused not only by what we do (commission) but also by what we fail to do (omission). Our very presence, words and silence can either be scandal or inspiration.
***
Prayer
God of mercy and compassion, your Son Jesus Christ, has brought us together as a community of sinners that knows that you have pardoned us. When our weaknesses threaten our unity, remind us of our responsibility for one another. Let your unifying Spirit give us the strength to care for one another and to do all we can to remain a living, forgiving and welcoming community. May we meet in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen
***
Saint Leo the Great
Feast day November 10
Only two popes have earned the title Great—Gregory I and Leo I. Leo was born in the beginning of the fifth century, probably in Rome. When he was a deacon, other church leaders looked to him for advice and for explanations of the faith. Leo was sent to settle arguments between leaders. He was on such a mission in 440 when he was elected pope. He helped the Church stay united when it was being attacked inside by false teachers and outside by warring tribes.
In 452, the Huns, led by Attila, marched toward Rome to destroy the city. Pope Leo went out to meet Attila and was able to stop him by agreeing to pay tribute to him every year. Three years later, another tribe marched on Rome—the Vandals, led by Genseric. Again Leo went out to meet the enemy, but this time, Leo was only able to stop the tribe from burning the city. For two weeks, the Vandals pillaged and looted Rome while the people sought shelter in the churches. Leo helped rebuild the city after the invaders departed, and he then sent missionaries to Africa to minister to those who had been captured and taken there by the Vandals.
Leo is often remembered for his writings and explanations of the faith, especially during the Council of Chalcedon in 451. His words were so powerful that the 600 bishops gathered there felt they had heard Saint Peter speaking through Leo. Pope Leo the Great died in 461.
