What is wisdom? Besides being one of the books of the Old Testament it is “A spiritual gift which enables one to know the purpose and plan of God; one of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit.” [1]
In today’s readings (from the 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time), we read about God wanting to give His wisdom to us. In the first reading from the Book of Wisdom, King Solomon praises the value of wisdom of God over anything else in the world. Solomon understood true wisdom of God is the true light and “her radiance never ceases” [2]
How does Jesus fit in with wisdom? Jesus is the very embodiment of wisdom and also shows the wisdom of God the Father in the commandments. [3] A title for Mary is, Mary, Seat of Wisdom. Jesus Christ, who is Wisdom, sits within her womb, and all who truly seek wisdom are seeking Christ. For example, although ancient philosophers such as Socrates and Aristotle were pagans who lived before Christ, they DID know, love, and serve wisdom. In fact, we get the word “philosopher” from the Greek word philosophia, which means love of wisdom! The Church Fathers have said that if Socrates and Aristotle would have met Christ they would have recognized Him as the wisdom they knew, loved, and served. Therefore, philosophy (the love of wisdom) and theology (the study of God) go hand in hand. We can keep this in mind when we meet those that do not believe in God. If they do not believe in God, we can begin with wisdom. Does the person believe in wisdom, truth, virtue and if so what is the source of wisdom, truth, virtue?
Why does Jesus list off the commandments? Jesus restates the commandments because as He says in Matthew 5:17 that He came not to abolish the Law but to fulfill it. All persons are obliged to follow these wise laws of God out of love.
On Saturday Night prayer we read from Deuteronomy, “Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone! Therefore, you shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength. Take to heart these words which I enjoin on you today. Drill them into your children. Speak of them at home and abroad, whether you are busy or at rest.” [4] In fact, in Matthew 22: 37-40, Jesus reiterates and expands the command from Deuteronomy by saying, “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.”
If we strive to live our lives by these two commandments Jesus says, then we will live out all of the commandments. When we have the wisdom of God, we begin to love deeper and appreciate the love of God has given us. We are able to instill this wisdom and love into our children. God establishes the law and the wisdom to follow this. Through the Incarnation, we were given Jesus, the God-man, a physical person whom gives us wisdom and guidance. Truth, wisdom, and virtue are not just a thing, but a person, the person of Jesus Christ.
What wisdom is Jesus trying to impart on the rich young man? After the young man says he is following the Law, Jesus offers him something greater. “Jesus was offering him the highest wisdom: to renounce all goods of earth and to follow him, Infinite Wisdom, exclusively.” [5] “Christ is the center of all Christian life. The bond with him takes precedence over all other bonds, familial or social.” [6]
Why does the young man leave Jesus? As the Gospel says, the young man went away sad because he had a lot of possessions. He was faced with the true wisdom of God and he could not fully accept it right then. More deeply, “He was not ready to say yes to Jesus, and no to self, to say yes to love and no to escape. Real love is demanding. I would fail in my mission if I did not clearly tell you so. For it was Jesus – or Jesus himself – who said: ‘You are my friends if you do what I command’. Love demands effort and a personal commitment to the will of God. It means discipline and sacrifice, but it also means joy and human fulfillment.” [7]
Why does Jesus speak of “persecutions”? Jesus, who is all Wisdom, knows one who follows His wisdom will be persecuted. “He adds ‘with persecutions’ because opposition is part of the reward for giving things up out of love for Jesus Christ: a Christian’s glory lies in becoming like the Son of God, sharing in his Cross so as later to share in his glory: ‘provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him; (Rom. 8:17); ‘all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted’ (2Tim 3:12)” [8]
Why should we reflect on God’s wisdom in our lives? Just like the young man, we may be striving for holiness and looking to do more to be with God in Heaven. However, by reflecting on today’s readings and on this packet, “If we should notice a trace of sadness in our heart, perhaps it is because the Lord is asking from us something which we do not want to relinquish. Maybe we have not yet freed our heart from some earthly attachment.” [9]
How do we follow the wisdom of God? “The message of love that Christ brought is always important, always relevant. It is not difficult to see how today’s world, despite its beauty and grandeur, despite the conquests of science and technology, despite the refined and abundant material goods that it offers, is yearning for more truth, for more love, for more joy. And all of this is found in Christ and in his way of life….Faced with problems and disappointments, many people will try to escape from their responsibility: escape in selfishness, escape in sexual pleasure, escape in drugs, escape in violence, escape in indifference and cynical attitudes. But today, I propose to you the option of love, which is the opposite of escape. If you really accept that love from Christ, it will lead you to God. Perhaps in the priesthood or religious life; perhaps in some special service to your brothers and sisters: especially to the needy, the poor, the lonely, the abandoned, those whose rights have been trampled upon, or those whose basic needs have not been provided for. Whatever you make of your life, let it be something that reflects the love of Christ.” [10]
[1] Glossary, Catechism of the Catholic Church
[2] Wis. 7:10
[3] cf. Divine Intimacy pg. 119
[4] Deut. 6:4-7
[5] Divine Intimacy pg. 119
[6] CCC1618
[7] JP II, Homily on Boston Common
[8] Navarre Bible Commentary, St. Mark pg. 142
[9] Fernandez, In Conversation with God, 5, 38.3
[10] JP II, Homily on Boston Common