Word to the Wise
Sunday, October 13, 2024 - 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time - B
[Wis 7:7-11; Heb 4:12-13; Mark 10:17-30 or 10:17-27]I prayed, and prudence was given me; I pleaded, and the spirit of wisdom came to me. ....Beyond health and comeliness I loved her, and I chose to have her rather than the light, because the splendor of her never yields to sleep. Yet all good things together came to me in her company, and countless riches at her hands. [Wisdom] Indeed the word of God is living and effective, sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating even between soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart.
One of the characteristics of our secular age is the passion for DATA. We seem to literally live in an ocean of it. Perhaps because there is so much coming at us everyday from every corner we may "tune" it out or select pieces that confirm our opinions. Conflicting data can leave one in a state of moral or spiritual paralysis because "the way forward" can be lost in the mass of data. "Wisdom," "prudence," and "discernment" are guides that often sit right outside all of this if only we lift ourselves above the warring messages that obscure the path forward.
Solomon prayed for wisdom to govern his people. In his last few years, he abandoned wisdom and his kingdom fell apart. St. Teresa of Avila once said she preferred a wise spiritual director over a holy one! As a matter of faith, we are promised by Jesus that we will receive the "spirit of wisdom that will guide us to all truth." [John 16:13-15].
Wisdom and prudence are often to be found in what we ordinarily call "common sense." But common sense has to be founded on values that our faith treasures, and we find those in the Word of God, as the Letter to the Hebrews tells us today. The "way forward" means taking time to place those values that we learn from scripture in the forefront of our discernment. In today's gospel, the man who asked for the way to eternal life is told that his belongings were the biggest obstacle. Jesus' advice ran against a common belief that wealth was a divine gift. But the real divine wisdom cut through that common belief and showed a way forward to the goal. Pointing to the path forward is the role of a wise spiritual director. Discernment and prudence are the tools that wisdom offers. These tools can help us make decisions that cut through the ocean of data. The Spirit of Wisdom is always ready to help. AMEN