Tag: <span>wisdom</span>

June 1, 2021May 27, 2021

Better Than Good

This is a reflection on the Mass readings of the day.

In today’s readings, we see two just men beset by trials and tribulations.

We see a very human and relatable scene in the first reading; one we could imagine playing out in our own time, perhaps in our own homes. Poor Tobit, plagued by blindness for two years after having experienced the misfortune of taking some bird droppings in the eyes, is in an understandably bad mood–which perhaps leads him to see things in a dark light, so to speak. As such, when he hears the bleating of a goat brought in by his wife, one given to her as a bonus above her wages, he immediately suspects her of theft.

This suspicion, as one might well imagine, does not sit well with his hard-working (and no doubt exhausted) wife, who herself emits an exaggeratedly negative judgement and accuses poor Tobit of having a poor character all along, despite the charitable works he had performed when he could see.

Tobit was a good, just man. But like many just men, he was not immune to exhibiting weakness when the going got disconcertingly tough.

Then, we have Jesus in the gospel of today. Over and over again the Pharisees came after Him, and they wanted nothing short of killing Him, as Jesus Himself knew and openly pointed out (cf. Jn. 7:19). His life was continually in danger. They were continually trying to trap Him with His own words. It was enough to drive anyone mad–a little like having bird droppings in your eye.

But Jesus, the supreme Lord and Master, was more than a good, just man. He was God Himself, our indomitable Savior, and with supreme calm He fielded their questions and answered in such a way as both to lay bare their intentions, and express an important moral lesson to the listeners.

This sort of fortitude is not normal, even for good, just people. It does not come from human shrewdness or willpower. It is superhuman. This sort of spiritual stamina comes only from the Holy Spirit.

So it is that we see example after example among the saints of unbelievable virtue and fortitude–such as that of St. Maximilian Kolbe, who after unspeakable stresses and sufferings in a Nazi concentration camp, offered his own life without hesitation to save a fellow inmate.

Two of the gifts of the Holy Spirit are Wisdom and Fortitude. What the Holy Spirit can bring about in souls through these two gifts, along with the other five, is literally boundless. Observe it in the life of Christ; observe it in the lives of the saints.

Ideas for conversation with the Lord: Tell Jesus that you know you cannot be what He wants you to be through your own effort to be good. Ask Him to fill you bountifully with the Holy Spirit, until it is no longer you, but Christ who lives in you.

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May 29, 2021May 29, 2021

Wisdom

This is a reflection on the Mass readings of the day.

Jesus’ wisdom contains an element of sagacity when He’s dealing with those who have set themselves up as His enemies.

Throughout His public life, Jesus makes very clear in whose name He is acting and preaching, and who has sent Him: The Father.

Yet, when His enemies try to trap Him with a question about the source of His authority, He answers their question with a very similar question, which they are unable to answer, revealing the insincerity of their motives in questioning Him.

He does not attack them, insult them, or humiliate them; He merely allows their own insincerity to confuse them, and they fall by their own weight.

The Wisdom that is the gift of the Holy Spirit is not just about penetrating into the heart of things. It also enables us to handle very, very tricky situations, where evil seems to have the upper hand, in such a way that goodness comes out on top.

It is this Wisdom that the author of the first reading cherishes. Whereas the life goals of many are wealth, security, power, and pleasure, this author seeks above all else, exclusively it would seem, Wisdom. The reasoning? Undoubtedly, that if there is true wealth of heart and mind, happiness will follow.

The author reminds one of Solomon who, upon an offer from God for whatever he should wish, asks for Wisdom (cf. 1 Kings 3:1-15). God is pleased by this request, and in response He gives him Wisdom, along with many other gifts besides.

If we would like the same gift, the way to obtain it is not through years of study or analysis of reality–but rather through closeness to Him who is omniscience itself, to God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit–through constancy in prayer life.

Ideas for conversation with the Lord: Ask God boldly for the gift of Wisdom, and to lead you through this gift to make of your life what He wants.

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March 11, 2021February 24, 2021

Hardness of Heart

This is a reflection on the Mass readings of the day.

The hardening of the heart, as depicted in today’s readings, can be a mysterious thing. Yet, we have all experienced it.

We have all had moments when we know that a person, someone calmer than we are, is speaking the truth, but we are momentarily attached to an exaggerated view of reality that corresponds to the stirring up of our passions. We cling to that exaggerated view, even while knowing deep down it is just that–until our passions slowly dissipate, and we are able to acknowledge the more rational, balanced assessment.

This tendency starts to appear mysterious as we contemplate figures like the Pharisees in today’s gospel, stubbornly clinging to an irrational interpretation of Jesus’ actions. They want to see His miracles as coming from the devil, rather than accepting the obvious interpretation that these good works come from Him who is Good. It is mysterious, because this irrationality is not the fruit of a moment’s passion, but seems to follow the Pharisees throughout the narrative of Jesus’ public life, Passion, and death–and even through the event of the Resurrection, and thereafter.

Similarly irrational is the stubbornness of the people of Israel in the first reading, who persist in turning their back on God, despite all He has done for them in their history, and despite the fact that He is the obvious choice for their welfare.

And so, today’s psalm reaches forward in time to challenge us as well: “If today you hear His voice, harden not your hearts.”

As irrational and mysterious as are these behaviors that we observe in today’s readings, we can gain insight into them from our own experience. In our passionate moments, we cling to an irrational view, not just because of our emotions, but because we want that view to be right. We are attached to it, not with our understanding, but with our desire, with our will.

It is attachment to and stubborn desire for things that are not God that leads us to a warped view of reality.

Wisdom and perspective come, then, not from careful analysis, but from detachment from all that is not God. And in turn, this detachment comes from self-denial for the sake of God’s commands and of others–but especially, from increased attachment to God and love for Him, cultivated in daily prayer.

Ideas for conversation with the Lord: Beg Jesus to send His Spirit to give you the gifts of Wisdom, Understanding, and Counsel. But also, ask for Piety and Fear of the Lord–that is, those gifts that lead you to cling to God as your only good. Consider what your attachments may be–those things that you would give up for God only with difficulty. Ask Jesus to fill you with such a dose of His Spirit, that love for God crowds out all those worldly attachments.

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January 18, 2021January 8, 2021

Time

This is a reflection on the Mass readings of the day.

God lives outside time, in eternity. But like Michelangelo creating the pietà, God sculpts time lovingly, carefully, with the greatest of attention to the details of the rises, the peaks, the valleys He needs to chisel into it to accomplish His design.

Typically, we live on a rise, in a peak, or in a valley, and that is all we can see; we cannot see the holy image He is forming–only the ups and downs of our little piece.

In the first reading, we see that there was a time for the priesthood of Aaron, insufficient, but important and symbolic. Then, there was the time for the fulfillment in Christ of the one high priesthood, as He breathed His last on the cross and said, “It is finished.”

Sometimes we live our faith as if it were stagnant in time, like some sort of perennial rulebook. And certainly, some elements–for example, prayer and the sacraments–are virtually timeless.

But in today’s gospel, Jesus emphasizes the importance of listening to the Holy Spirit as He helps us to read God’s cues in the time that He is sculpting for us. What is the cloth with which He is calling us to patch today’s wineskins?

The Christian who lives the perennial Ten Commandments is faithful, but the Christian who develops a profound relationship with the Holy Spirit in His soul–and recognizes, follows His timely cues–that Christian is holy, and with that holiness sanctifies the whole Mystical Body of Christ that is the Church.

Ideas for conversation with the Lord: Tell Jesus that you yearn for holiness, for that holiness that can make you as effective as the Blessed Virgin in extending the effect of the infinite power of His Cross. Ask Him to send the Holy Spirit to sculpt your reactions to properly match the time and circumstances with which He has surrounded you.

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November 8, 2020October 21, 2020

Ready

This is a reflection on the Mass readings of the day.

There are few themes more prevalent in Scripture than life after death in eternity. And today’s readings are all about that.

St. Paul assures us that those who “fall asleep” in Christ will be brought into the presence of God.

The Church has always understood today’s Gospel passage about the ten virgins to represent mindfulness of eternity: That we need to be prepared for God to call us in death to eternal life at any moment.

This gospel warns us not to be presumptuous–not to assume mindlessly that we have a lock on Heaven, turning our thoughts only to worldly concerns. If we are brutally honest, Jesus’ unmistakable message in this passage is that if preparation for eternal life is not our focal concern, there is every chance in the world that we will not make it into Heaven, just as the careless virgins did not make it into the wedding feast.

If this message feels a bit dire, the first reading makes the goal feel more appealing, and more reachable. In the book of Wisdom, the personification of Wisdom is often understood to be the Holy Spirit. Wisdom, this reading tells us, is not elusive–not hiding from us, not some sort of puzzle to be figured out. Rather, Wisdom makes her rounds pursuing us. Wisdom is always hunting for someone who is on the watch for her, and hastens to make herself available.

Wise is the adjective applied to the virgins in the gospel who are ready for the bridegroom’s return. If we put the first reading and the gospel together, we must bear in mind on the one hand that those who unwisely focus only on worldly matters, neglecting their prayer life, sacramental life, and life of charity toward others which equate to preparation for eternity, will not reach Heaven. On the other hand, however, those who are seeking this preparation get a big boost. The Holy Spirit hastens to their aid and infuses them with strength and wisdom; they do not walk the road of preparation alone. His faithful presence and aid is our hope of success.

Ideas for conversation with the Lord: Praise Jesus full of gratitude for the gift of the Holy Spirit, who gives a guarantee of strength and wisdom to those who actively seek God; thank Jesus for being so trustworthy, and for not leaving us alone in our confusion and weakness as we strive to put our relationship with God and charity at the top of our priority list in preparation for eternity.

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August 29, 2020August 13, 2020

A Life “Wasted”

This is a reflection on the Mass readings of the day.

What a tragedy, the final days of St. John the Baptist. The life of the last and, if we are to take Christ’s words literally, the greatest prophet (cf. Mt. 11:11), was tragically and needlessly cut short on the ridiculous whim of a man utterly enslaved to his vacillating and nonsensical passions of lust, fear, and vanity.

How much John could have done to bring the nation of Israel to its true Lord, Savior, Messiah, Jesus Christ, if Herod had been even a slightly less absurd little man, and had pointed with honesty to John’s wisdom as a signpost for his nation.

Or at least, John’s death could have been itself more glorious and significant if Herod had opposed him publicly for his difficult stances, if John had been able to give greater testimony to the truth under persecution from a worthier opponent.

But no, a sniveling king puts him to death secretly in prison to please a dancing girl at one of his parties.

And yet, this is the wisdom of the Gospel, this is glory and power of the chosen of God of whom St. Paul speaks in the first reading, and whom today’s psalm sings as blessed.

It is time for us Christians to stop dreaming of Palm Sunday, and to embrace the glorious ignominy of the cross, where our true power lies. In our comfortable world of today, we must constantly remind ourselves that our joy and happiness do not lie here. Even if we are not imprisoned or suffering agony, we can live this wisdom by sacrificing ourselves for others in the state to which Jesus Christ has called us today, whether it is eminent or mundane, stimulating or tiresome, apparently important or apparently trivial. We can give our life as He did, as John did, today, and it is by this gift of self that we add actual grace, through the power of Christ’s own sacrifice, to the economy of salvation.

It is counter-intuitive. It makes no sense. And yet, it does; it is foolishness to the world, and yet it is the wisdom of God, who has chosen the foolish of the world to shame the wise.

Ideas for conversation with the Lord: Tell Jesus that you cannot adopt His mindset, His wisdom, on your own. Beg Him for the gift of the Holy Spirit that is the gift of wisdom, His wisdom. Ask Him to see how your life, today, can be glorious and fruitful in the light of that wisdom. And trust Him to make it so, even in the midst of your weakness.

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August 28, 2020August 13, 2020

Wisdom and Folly

This is a reflection on the Mass readings of the day.

Today’s readings, in a sense, are all about the radical difference between the view of things from the perspective of eternity, vs. the view of them from the perspective of earthly time.

Both the first reading from St. Paul, which is one of those great, moving, passionate Pauline declarations, and the gospel from today juxtapose foolishness and wisdom: The paradoxical foolishness of the earthly and temporal view, and the deep wisdom of the eternal view.

We can share St. Paul’s passion. Consider the time we are living in. The world is obsessed with “clanging cymbals,” “noisy gongs” (cf. 1 Cor. 13). People are running to and fro in fear of this and that, condemning on social media those whose views on rapidly passing realities is not their own, with a bitterness that implies that the definitive welfare of humankind depends on unanimity on these matters.

Noise, clamor, fear, angst, hand-wringing–these are the fruits of the wisdom of the world, which St. Paul describes in the first reading. For it is the wisdom of the world that seeks an earthly utopia, achieved through power and domination. And because earthly utopia, such a tempting objective, is perennially elusive, its advocates remain perennially bitter.

The crucifixion of Christ could not appear more foolish against the backdrop of this earth-centric view. It is the opposite of all that is needed to build the earthly utopia: Weakness, powerlessness, rejection, failure. And how Paul loves it, for all that; how beautifully he identifies its deeper wisdom.

For, if power and domination are the currency of the earthly utopia, love and self-giving are the currency of eternal life and happiness. Countless willing Christian martyrs, joyful and happy to sacrifice their lives for the eternal salvation of others in imitation of their Lord, put an exclamation point on the mute eloquence of a God who takes on flesh only to sacrifice Himself for the prize of eternal happiness for souls. Paul himself was ultimately one of these.

The superficiality of the foolish virgins in the today’s gospel mirrors the flesh-deep, utopian “wisdom” of the world. They brought their lamps, but no oil. Like the seed in the parable of the sower that fell on ground with no depth (cf. Mt. 13), they could not stick with it for the long haul. So it is with superficial Christians, who buy into a feel-good religion aimed only at a happy community of friends who like each other and do nice things, rather than fully and deeply buying into the wisdom of the crucified Christ.

Ideas for conversation with the Lord: Rather than taking the wisdom of the cross for granted, ask Jesus why–really, why–He opted for this path rather than bringing the earthly domination of God through the most obvious means: earthly power. Then, consider the concrete areas in which you yourself are perturbed by the way the powers of the world lean away from the Gospel. How does the crucified Christ answer these perturbations? Ask Him how you can conform your life more fully to the wisdom of the cross.

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