Word to the Wise
Saturday, May 29, 2021 - Saturday in the 8th Week in Ordinary Time
[Sir 51:12cd-20 and Mark 11:27-33]When I was young and innocent, I sought wisdom openly in my prayer. I prayed for her before the temple, and I will seek her until the end,.....My feet kept to the level path because from earliest youth I was familiar with her. In the short time I paid heed, I met with great instruction. [Sirach]
The Old Testament contains many treasures. The "wisdom literature" always appeals to me. It includes the Books of Sirach (Ecclesiasticus), Proverbs, and Qoheleth (Ecclesiastes) as well as Job, Psalms, etc. The first three, however, are tributes to Wisdom and contain reflection on experience and life. The surrounding cultures such as Egypt and Syria, etc. also had books of this kind. It all reminds me of Robert Fulghum's popular book years ago, ALL I REALLY NEED TO KNOW I LEARNED IN KINDERGARTEN! Today's passage seems to echo that.
One of the things I try to do when meeting with an overwhelmed student is to help him or her find the resources that are already in them but seem to be lost in the fire-hydrant flow of exams, relationships and lifestyle choices! The four-year freedom of undergraduate years can be overwhelming if the wisdom of common sense is cast aside to embrace unhealthy adventures. Yes, these mistakes are part of student life, but not all mistakes are equal! I say, "If you have faith in God, put that faith to work for you!" Recalling basic Christian teaching straight out of the Sermon on the Mount is a good start. "Recalling" is the important part because those teachings are instilled in one way or another early on.
Wisdom is always modern. God's Spirit is ever with us. Humans do seem ever eager to repeat mistakes that were made when Sirach was written! But God has kept the remedies in front of us and inside us if we reach out for them in wise persons and in scripture. AMEN
Comment on Reflection
<< Previous Date [Back to List] Next Date >>