Wisdom truth and more

The texts from the Roman Catholic Church today connect wisdom, truth and freedom from material concerns as signposts in our striving to live as disciples of Jesus.

Stacking the seats of wisdom

The Book of Wisdom declares the revelation of God in bringing all things into being.

[7:12] Mother: lit., “she who begets.” Although Wisdom herself is begotten of God (Prv 8:22–24), she is here the one who brings into being.

The Letter to the Hebrews declares the truth that contemplation of God reveals.

In the Gospel from Mark, Jesus invites us to the freedom of finding security in our relationship with Him that provides freedom to appreciate all the good things of this world.

* [10:23–27] In the Old Testament wealth and material goods are considered a sign of God’s favor (Jb 1:10; Ps 128:1–2; Is 3:10). The words of Jesus in Mk 10:23–25 provoke astonishment among the disciples because of their apparent contradiction of the Old Testament concept (Mk 10:24, 26). Since wealth, power, and merit generate false security, Jesus rejects them utterly as a claim to enter the kingdom. Achievement of salvation is beyond human capability and depends solely on the goodness of God who offers it as a gift (Mk 10:27).

Kimberly Grassmeyer chooses to believe that in striving, we are fulfilling God’s call.  She prays today for courage and faith for our journeys, and for our striving.

God created me to be wholly human and wholly imperfect, wholly incapable of the kind of love that God alone can provide. God has chosen me, and I have chosen God: God loves me anyway.  I am so grateful for this truth that what I can do is strive. I can live in community and solidarity with others and share, to the best of my ability, the gifts that God has provided; I can co-create a community in which others are safe and empowered to share their gifts as well.  I can work to ensure that the resources that God first entrusted to all of us – what Pope Francis calls “Our Common Home”- are cared for and distributed equitably, according to need. I can open my heart to give love, show respect and spread peace

Don Schwager quotes “Seek the life that endures”, by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.

"The Lord said to a certain young man, 'If you would enter life, keep the commandments' (Matthew 19:17; Mark 10:17; Luke 18:18). He did not say 'If you would have life' but 'If you would enter life,' defining that life as eternal life. Let us first consider then the love of this life. For this life is loved, whatever its quality; and however troubled it is, however wretched, people are afraid to end it. Hence we should see, we should consider, how much eternal life is to be loved, when this miserable life that must at some time be ended is so loved. Consider, brothers, how much that life is to be loved when it is a life you never end. You love this life, where you work so much, run, are busy, pant. In this busy life the obligations can scarcely be counted: sowing, plowing, working new land, sailing, grinding, cooking, weaving. And after all this hard work your life comes to an end. Look at what you suffer in this wretched life that you so love. And do you think that you will always live and never die? Temples, rocks, marbles, all reinforced by iron and lead, still fall. And a person thinks that he will never die? Learn therefore, brothers, to seek eternal life, when you will not endure these things but will reign with God forever." (excerpt from SERMON 84.1.9)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Mark 10:17-30 Today in Rome, Pope Francis will canonize Archbishop Oscar Romero of El Salvador.

Oscar Romero lived out today’s readings. He chose God’s wisdom over the wealth and comfort of the world. He proclaimed the word of God in a way that cut people to the heart. And he gave everything to the poor of El Salvador. May his witness move all of us to answer the cry of the poor and downtrodden.

Friar Jude Winkler notes that one of the last books of the Bible puts in the mouth of Solomon Hebrew wisdom in contrast to Greek culture. Jesus Jewish exaggeration in the Gospel underlines the need to strive for freedom from material attachments.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, remembers Óscar Romero (1917–1980) who will be named a saint by the Catholic Church. Here is a man who suffered with and for those who suffered. His loving heart shines through clearly in his homilies.

The shepherd must be where the suffering is. [1]
My soul is sore when I learn how our people are tortured, when I learn how the rights of those created in the image of God are violated. [2]
A Gospel that doesn’t take into account the rights of human beings, a Christianity that doesn’t make a positive contribution to the history of the world, is not the authentic doctrine of Christ, but rather simply an instrument of power. We . . . don’t want to be a plaything of the worldly powers, rather we want to be the Church that carries the authentic, courageous Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, even when it might become necessary to die like he did, on a cross. [3]

Our journey in life opens us to the possibility of using God given wisdom to seek truth and proclaim with our humility and poverty freedom to strive to love God, His children and the world in which we are connected to all Creation.

References


(n.d.). Wisdom, chapter 7 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved October 14, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/wisdom/7
(n.d.). Hebrews, chapter 4 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved October 14, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/bible/hebrews/4:12
(n.d.). Mark, chapter 10 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved October 14, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/bible/mark/10:17
(n.d.). Creighton U Daily Reflections .... Retrieved October 14, 2018, from http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved October 14, 2018, from https://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/
(n.d.). 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time - Mass Readings and Catholic Daily .... Retrieved October 14, 2018, from https://wau.org/meditations/
(n.d.). Daily Meditations Archives - Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved October 14, 2018, from https://cac.org/category/daily-meditations/