My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, I hope this Sunday has brought and will bring many blessings to you and to your loved ones, as we contemplate what true wisdom is, and what a heavenly treasure God has given us through it.
In the first reading from the Book of Wisdom” the author immediately lets us in on his wonderful discovery and speaks of wisdom as one would speak of a preciously adorned bride, whose worth is beyond measure: “I preferred her to scepter and throne, and deemed riches nothing in comparison with her, nor did I liken any priceless gem to her” Wisdom 7:8-10.
The author therefore could have preferred a royal throne but chose wisdom instead only insomuch as he was either a king himself or speaking in the persona of royalty. In fact the Book of Wisdom has been said to be written in the spirit of King Solomon’s reign and is based on Solomonic works which are now lost, but which were known to and utilized by a hellenistic Jew centuries after Solomon's death. In any case, faith’s journey will teach us what this author always knew—that “the beginning of wisdom, is fear of the Lord” Proverbs 9:10.
Think of all the geniuses that have come and gone: Einstein, Leibniz, Mozart etc, and some of our current intellectuals, like, Hawking, Peterson, Elon Musk… etc… all of them were endowed with a marvellous intellect, yet mysteriously, not all of them embraced the living God. In fairness however, while many circumstances could figure into that, it is only for God to judge the heart of man. The point is: with all the intellect in the world, if that intellect does not recognize and discern God as the Creator of all things.. and if that intellect does not concede that such a Creator could communicate with us and has in fact communicated with us beautifully throughout salvation history, then what is all that intelligence worth at the end of the day if it does not turn into heavenly wisdom? Because there’s worldly knowledge and then what it ought to lead to—God, and heavenly knowledge, which we call wisdom. So, knowing how to choose and distinguish between the two so as to possess both is a journey we’re all on, whether we know it or not. We desire this wisdom. No one desires a lack of intelligence or a compromised mental faculty and capability. When we hear of brain damage, we buckle. We all wish to know and we all hope to not be misled. We all seek truth, and it comes from God, through wisdom.
Now, when Jesus walked in our midst, and therefore revealed God in his beautiful splendour as he was God-incarnate among us, he testified to the fact that he is: “the Truth, the Way, and the Life” so that to believe and build your life on his words, he Himself said is like “a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock” Matthew 7:24. Jesus is the truth, so it would be wise to listen, examine, embrace, hold dear and record and protect every word that came out of his mouth, like the apostles did, for “man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.” Saint Peter came to know this for why else would he declare: “Lord, to whom shall we go, you have the words of everlasting life.”
This is why, my brothers and sisters, we should daily make a concerted effort to enthrone Jesus words in our hearts because as we hear in the second reading as well: “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.” In other words, if we fill our heart with his word, that word will protect it, govern it, discern its thoughts, and guide it. And this is true wisdom.
The rich young man in today’s gospel is hungry. But doesn’t he have everything a young man could need or want in this life? Yes, but he wanted more—something beyond this world, this life. “Good Master, how can I acquire eternal life?” For there is a longing in each of us which extends beyond the here and now. God has placed it in the depths of our soul… like a compass a loving parent gives to a child who is about to embark on a journey through the wilderness to bring him safely home, so too, God has left a little something lacking for the time being - eternal life - so that we can always remember to turn back to him.. like the prodigal son who said, “I’ll go back to my father’s house.”
May the word of God, Jesus Christ, dwell within your hearts. May you come to know the riches and depths of his love for you and May you always choose him, by listening to his words and living by them, all the days of your life. Then, you will have life, and life in abundance.
Mary, Queen of Heaven, pray for us who have recourse to thee, so that we too may be truly wise, pondering in our hearts the Lord’s words and deeds. Amen.
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