Word to the Wise
Wednesday, July 15, 2020 - Wednesday in the 15th Week in Ordinary Time
[Isa 10:5-7, 13b-16 and Matt 11:25-27]At that time Jesus exclaimed: "I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike. Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him." [Matthew]
JULY 15 ST. BONAVENTURE, ofm
There are moments in the gospels when the day to day preaching and healing actions of Jesus pause and a curtain is briefly lifted to show the full identity of Jesus. The example many of us would immediately think of would be the "transfiguration" experience on Mt. Tabor. Another would be the voice at Jesus' baptism in Matthew 3:17. In both experiences we hear a voice that says, "This is my beloved Son...."The gospel scripture for today from the Gospel According to Matthew has Jesus himself speaking to his relationship with his Father. It is this relationship that underlies everything in the gospels. It is this relationship that keeps Jesus going to his death and resurrection.
The "wise and learned" is not meant to discourage us from study of Jesus' revelation but rather to emphasize that our faith comes first and foremost from an encounter with a God of love. Jesus invites us to this encounter. Today's passage will be followed by the words, "Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened...." [v. 28]. The encounter in faith must come before we can undertake a study of what it all means. That is the field of "Christology!" A relationship in faith, an openness to a love greater than any we could imagine, must come first. Can we accept this invitation? AMEN