Reading 1 Wis 7:22b-8:1
In Wisdom is a spirit
intelligent, holy, unique,
Manifold, subtle, agile,
clear, unstained, certain,
Not baneful, loving the good, keen,
unhampered, beneficent, kindly,
Firm, secure, tranquil,
all-powerful, all-seeing,
And pervading all spirits,
though they be intelligent, pure and very subtle.
For Wisdom is mobile beyond all motion,
and she penetrates and pervades all things by reason of her purity.
For she is an aura of the might of God
and a pure effusion of the glory of the Almighty;
therefore nought that is sullied enters into her.
For she is the refulgence of eternal light,
the spotless mirror of the power of God,
the image of his goodness.
And she, who is one, can do all things,
and renews everything while herself perduring;
And passing into holy souls from age to age,
she produces friends of God and prophets.
For there is nought God loves, be it not one who dwells with Wisdom.
For she is fairer than the sun
and surpasses every constellation of the stars.
Compared to light, she takes precedence;
for that, indeed, night supplants,
but wickedness prevails not over Wisdom.
Indeed, she reaches from end to end mightily
and governs all things well.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 119:89, 90, 91, 130, 135, 175
R. (89a) Your word is for ever, O Lord.
Your word, O LORD, endures forever;
it is firm as the heavens.
R. Your word is for ever, O Lord.
Through all generations your truth endures;
you have established the earth, and it stands firm.
R. Your word is for ever, O Lord.
According to your ordinances they still stand firm:
all things serve you.
R. Your word is for ever, O Lord.
The revelation of your words sheds light,
giving understanding to the simple.
R. Your word is for ever, O Lord.
Let your countenance shine upon your servant,
and teach me your statutes.
R. Your word is for ever, O Lord.
Let my soul live to praise you,
and may your ordinances help me.
R. Your word is for ever, O Lord.
Gospel Lk 17:20-25
Asked by the Pharisees when the Kingdom of God would come,
Jesus said in reply,
"The coming of the Kingdom of God cannot be observed,
and no one will announce, "Look, here it is," or, "There it is."
For behold, the Kingdom of God is among you."
Then he said to his disciples,
"The days will come when you will long to see
one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it.
There will be those who will say to you,
"Look, there he is," or "Look, here he is."
Do not go off, do not run in pursuit.
For just as lightning flashes
and lights up the sky from one side to the other,
so will the Son of Man be in his day.
But first he must suffer greatly and be rejected by this generation."
Meditation: Wisdom 7:22–8:1
“She is an aura of the might of God.” (Wisdom 7:25)
Traditionally, today’s first reading is seen as a foreshadowing of Jesus or the Holy Spirit. After all, wisdom is described here as the “image” of God’s goodness (Wisdom 7:26), and it tells us that wisdom passes “into holy souls from age to age” (7:27). But let’s look at this passage from another angle. Let’s see how these verses might be used to describe the church.
Scripture tells us that God’s plan all along was that the “manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church” (Ephesians 3:10). We can see, also, how God wants the church to become “the spotless mirror of the power of God,” and how the church is meant to be “holy, unique … loving the good, keen, unhampered, beneficent” (Wisdom 7:22). Surely we are called to reveal the wisdom and power of God to everyone around us!
Still, even a cursory look at the church today would reveal a different picture. We see division, financial misdealings, even abuse and cover-ups. In the world, the church tends be viewed with skepticism and suspicion rather than with respect and reverence. And no matter how much we may want to blame the media or worry about anti-Catholicism, we have to admit that some of the scorn is understandable, given the sinful actions of some members of the church.
It’s true that none of us fully lives up to the picture painted in today’s first reading. But it is also true that every time we come together to celebrate the liturgy, every time we link arms and reach out to the poor, or every time we work toward taking down the walls of division that exist between us, the church really does shine.
Yes, it is the Holy Spirit’s job to make the church holy. But it is our job as well. As Fr. Bertrand Weaver writes in his book, Joy: “The work of the mystical body on earth depends on the zeal of its members. Our contribution to the holiness of the whole church will depend on the extent to which we allow the Holy Spirit to take over our lives.”
“Come, Holy Spirit, help us yield to your promptings, so that together we can reflect your wisdom to the world.”
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