Word to the Wise
Tuesday, September 20, 2016 - Tuesday in the 25th Week in Ordinary Time
[Prov 21:1-6, 10-13 and Luke 8:19-21]All the ways of a man may be right in his own eyes, but it is the Lord who proves hearts. To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice. [Proverbs]
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2016 STS. ANDREW KIM, PAUL CHONG AND COMPANIONS, martyrs
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About 25 years ago, a minister named Robert Fulghum wrote a little book that became a best-seller. The book is still in print and is entitled, ALL I REALLY NEED TO KNOW I LEARNED IN KINDERGARTEN. One can go online and just look at the excerpts from that book to appreciate the Book of Proverbs in the Bible. That book and other books from the "wisdom literature" are providing much of the first scriptures for this week's Masses. I have taken the two quotes above from today's first scripture.
Lists like the Books of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Wisdom and Sirach were not unique to Jewish culture. They were a commonplace item in the Middle East. If we read books like Fulghum's, we resonate with the "wisdom" that we find there. It's like Mom and kindergarten teacher combined, but the truth of the statements cannot be denied. We pass such things on to our own children. And sometimes the children pass them on to us! The Holy Spirit finds a way.
Some years ago I was invited to speak to a class of third graders on the subject of wisdom. I walked into the classroom confident that I could do this. But first I asked the students if any of them could tell me what wisdom is. A forest of hands went up and I picked one litte boy in the front row. He piped up: "Knowledge gained from experience!" That took the wind out of my sails for sure! The Lord has many ways of teaching us. We learn from experience. If we do this with such things as holding hands when crossing the street, why can't we do it with the gospel on a daily basis? AMEN
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