Wisdom and Understanding

28th Sunday of Ordinary Time

Wisdom 7:7-11

October 13, 2024

Part of my education that has helped me the most, I believe, was a practice of copying quotes from all different sources on many different topics. Recently, as we were cleaning out some old boxes, I found a notebook full of my favorite quotes. I had handwritten them, because, back in the day, there was no computer to keep track of them. Today, of course, I have several different documents that have dozens of quotes for different reasons.

I can, and do, rattle off various quotes when I find myself in a particular situation. That, and dropping in puns whenever I can, makes me the life of any party. At least the grandkids think I am.

I will tell you that out of all the various quotes I have collected, there are two that stand out to me as foundationally instrumental in helping me to mature. The first is a quote by Socrates. “The unexamined life, is not worth living.” I think I read this while I was still in High School. It made such a huge impression on me, that it became a guiding philosophy in my life. It guided me to specific kinds of books to read and people to listen to. I continue to examine my life to be sure that I am working towards fulfilling my purpose here on earth. I am working to grow into the person I was meant to be. I do this because I want my life to be remembered as one that was worth living.

The second quote is from 2 Chronicles 1:10, when King Solomon responds to God’s offer to give him whatever he asks. Solomon responds, “Give me wisdom and understanding,…” I’m quite sure if I were made the same offer, I would not have responded so magnanimously. Let me win the lottery, or let me be famous, or let the Lions win the Super Bowl are all options that would have come to mind before wisdom and understanding. But Solomon knew that in order to be a “good king” and do God’s will, he was going to need as much wisdom and understanding as he could find. And today, we remember him as King Solomon the Wise.

All of this ties in nicely with today’s 1st Reading from Wisdom. “So, I prayed, and understanding was given to me; I called for help and the spirit of Wisdom came to my aid.” The unknown writer of the Book of Wisdom attributes this prayer to Solomon. When we hear that “the spirit of Wisdom came to my aid,” we hear that it was the Spirit of God who heard his plea and responded. Wisdom is only one of the attributes of God that the Holy Spirit shares with us. We have heard of the Gifts of The Spirit (wisdom, understanding, counsel, courage, knowledge, goodness, and a deep respect of God), but here we see that in order to get these gifts, we need to ask for them; to pray for them.

Yes, those of us who were Confirmed received these gifts. But I’m quite sure that, when confirmed as a fourth grader, I was not fully aware of them. So, like Solomon, I need to pray to receive these gifts. And, like Solomon, I will not be denied, if, like Solomon, I intend to use the gifts for God’s greater glory. As I move forward in my life I increasingly am drawn to my favorites quotations. I continue to examine my life to be sure that I am seeking wisdom and understanding of God’s will for my life.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus challenges the young man to give up all his possessions to follow him. And the young man blinked. It was not his possessions that kept him from following Jesus, but his lack of wisdom and understanding about his possessions. If he only understood that all that he owned was transitory, he would have seen that it’s value was limited. The real value is the wisdom to let it all go and be willing to move past possessions and material wealth and move into a deep interior understanding of the love of God.

It takes work. Of that there can be no denying. And that’s where my prayer life comes in. Asking for the Holy Spirit to give me wisdom, and knowledge, and understanding, and love allows me to look past that which I own and simply be grateful for it. I then realize that I can do many things to help others who struggle and do without. Without food; without housing; without medical care; without transportation; without love; without hope.

I want the wisdom of Jesus. As writer and philosopher Khalil Gibran wrote, “Keep me away from the wisdom which does not cry, the philosophy which does not laugh and the greatness which does not bow before children.” I want to examine my life to be sure I am asking God to help me to be open and understanding and compassionate and loving to everyone I meet.

Every Day.

© 2024 by Timothy J. Doppel

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