Wisdom: The Highest Good

10-10-2021Weekly ReflectionFr. Bing Colasito

The readings of this Sunday have the theme of the wisdom of God. The first reading from the Wisdom of Solomon written a century before the birth of our Lord speaks in the voice of Solomon himself. The Lord tells the young Solomon to ask for anything he wants. Without any hesitation, he chooses wisdom. (2 Chr. 1:10) This text is what he must be referring to when he says, I prayed, and prudence was given me, I pleaded, and the spirit of wisdom came to me. Yes, divine wisdom is more valuable than anything else gold, precious stone, health, beauty, power, and prestige. In comparison to divine wisdom, all these are worthless.

The young man in the Gospel turns to Jesus for wisdom: Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life? From what the man says, we see enough wisdom to know what makes the fullness of life in the Jewish standard. He seeks the wisdom of how to attain the highest good. Jesus makes him realize that there is more to achieving his goal than merely desiring it. A reminder also for all of us of the part we must play, keeping the commandments, and the price we must pray in our radical choice of God. The Gospel on the 26th Sunday says: If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. If your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. If your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. We must learn to sacrifice the lesser goods to attain the highest good.

The young man is right in seeking the wisdom of Jesus about eternal life; instead of the Pharisees. We can say: he seeks wisdom-from-Wisdom Himself, the Word made Flesh. The sad part of the story is when he receives the wisdom, “Go sell what you have and give to the poor; then come, follow me.” The man did not put it into practice. Like a two-edged sword, the words of Jesus pierce into his heart. Jesu s intends to remove away the young man’s harmful attachments to his wealth. At times, the Lord wishes to get our consent so He can use His surgeon’s hand to cut away what is wrong, bad, and evil in us.

In our spiritual life, we consent to the Lord using His words like a two-edged sword to expose and cutaway; any hidden sins and things that make us spiritually sick. Every time we pray the Lord’s Prayer, we give consent saying: Thy will be done. Every time we read through the Scriptures, God’s Words pierce, cut, expose, and challenge us. How often do we find ourselves complaining about why God is not treating us with more love? If we are serious with our spiritual life, we must consent to God every morning, for whatever He is doing, we surrender to His healing Will.

By the way, October is the month of the Holy Rosary. Let us pray the Rosary in our homes; pray it with our family or individually with devotion and love. Pray slowly and meditatively. Pray with the heart and not just with our mouth. Pray the Rosary with love in our hearts, and it becomes beautiful and meaningful. And if you find no reason to pray the Rosary, pray it because it is pleasing to God.