Word to the Wise
Thursday, November 12, 2015 - Thursday in the 32th Week in Ordinary Time
[Wis 7:22b—8:1 and Luke 17:20-25]And passing into holy souls from age to age, she produces friends of God and prophets, for there is nought God loves, be it not one who dwells with wisdom. [Wisdom]
NOVEMBER 12, ST. JOSAPHAT
It's a favorite story of mine, but the Book of Wisdom reminds me of it. I was once invited to talk to a group of third grade school children on the subject of wisdom. Before bestowing my treasures of "wisdom and knowledge" on them I decided to ask a simple question: "Who can tell me what wisdom is?" A forest of hands rose and I picked one little guy on the front row and said, "OK, what is wisdom?" He stood up and piped: "Knowledge gained from experience." There went all my "treasures!" What else could I have said? The wisdom to be gained from that experience was to never underestimate where God may live in wisdom! On another occasion, a little girl said to me, "I should never have said that about her (an acquaintance), I don't know what is going on in her life!" All I could say was, "You are a very wise young lady!"
After reading the long and beautiful hymn to Wisdom's attributes in today's first scripture, we might be left wondering if anyone could be wise. The description seems almost ethereal and too celestial for us weak and limited mortals. Yet, it is clear that we can "dwell with wisdom" and become "friends of God and prophets." What is required is a life lived as intentionally as possible with the love of God and neighbor in mind. At the end of the day, can we ask ourselves in God's company, "What was this day like? What did I learn that taught me about myself and about others?" "What could I have done better?"
Those school children taught me to respect the wisdom of the child that refuses to be complicated by our adult "what if's" and goes right to the heart of things. When Jesus tells us that we must accept the kingdom like little children, he is not asking us to be childish and immature, he is asking us to be wise. AMEN