WISDOM GIVES US DIVINE LIFE


SATURDAY, SEVENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

Eccl 17:1-13; Ps 103:13-18; Mk 10:13-16

Spiritual Awakening of a Child of God

Sirach beautifully summarised many issues we have touched on in our reflection on God’s creation and the purpose of the material universe. We have read about God’s fashioning of man from the earth and the reason for sending him back to dust. The body he made for us, which was to be our earthly paradise, turned into a prison when we disobeyed God and chose to walk outside his company, away from the light of his word. But the prison term was correctional for all who repent and turn back to God our creator and benefactor. The time of our earthly life is determined to teach us the meaning of life through the wisdom God made present in our world of sensible things. Sirach lists all the gifts he gave to us. “He shaped for them a mouth and tongue, eyes and ears, and gave them a heart to think with. He filled them with knowledge and understanding and revealed to them good and evil. He put his light in their hearts to show them the magnificence of his works.” We have reflected on these themes and continue to do so to gain wisdom of heart. The gaining of the wisdom of the heart is the purpose of everything God allows to come to us. The Lord revealed this in the gospel yesterday when he said fire would salt everyone.

Nature raises us as her children imbued with the wisdom of heart. Whoever lacks this wisdom is not born of her and does not know God. Our works that fail to praise God reveal our ignorance of God. They do such works not to imitate nature; they are works of darkness lacking natural light and beauty. As the scriptures confirm of the authors of such works, they play false to their upbringing and the light God put in their hearts. The scripture says the contrary of those who remain faithful to the divine purpose of creation and the gift of life we have received. “They will praise his holy name, as they tell of his magnificent works. He set knowledge before them, he endowed them with the law of life. Their eyes saw his glorious majesty, and their ears heard the glory of his voice.” When we have the wisdom of heart, we possess a new life different from material life that the soul coordinates in the body, for wisdom is a participation in the life of God. Wisdom is the law of life Sirach refers to above. The law of life is not in those whose works do not praise God.

All who have received this law of life are called children of God, for the law/life they have received is God’s life, making them like him. Hence, to live in wisdom is to live in the immediate presence of God. “Their ways are always under his eye, they cannot be hidden from his sight.” The ways of the unjust are hidden from God, not in the sense that God does not see their thoughts and conduct, but in the sense that they are unconscious of God's presence. Thus, the fool says in his heart that there is no God. Jesus blessed the children brought to him in the gospel and referred to the spiritual children of God. “‘Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. I tell you solemnly, anyone who does not welcome the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.’ Then he put his arms round them, laid his hands on them and gave them his blessing.” God reveals the purpose of his creation here, that nature would nurse and guide us all into the kingdom of God prepared for us before the foundation of the world. God designed nature to be a gentle mother that will raise us to possess the kingdom of God. The Psalmist testifies this: “As a father has compassion on his sons, the Lord has pity on those who fear him; for he knows of what we are made, he remembers that we are dust.” Our education is ongoing, so we need to be attentive to nature and the word of God.

Let us pray: Grant, we pray, almighty God, that, always pondering spiritual things, we may carry out in both word and deed that which is pleasing to you and become like you in all things. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.

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