Scripture:
Reflection:
Wisdom. We do not often enough reflect on this virtue. We are more familiar with “Faith, Hope, and Love.” But wisdom in today’s reading from Sirach is full of rich images, not the least of which is the reference to wisdom as a mother who “breathes life into her children.” We are called to be in this kind of intimate relationship with Wisdom.
More often we talk about someone being wise, usually someone with a perspective on life that’s been forged through long years with all the trials and triumphs that accumulate along the way. I think of a wise person finally getting to a place in life where she doesn’t have to prove herself and impress others. The wise are clear-sighted about what is right and what is wrong, and that relationships are more important than possessions.
Saint Thomas Aquinas believed that wisdom was the habit of choosing well, or “the right reason about things to be done.” It is not only knowing what is right but doing what is right. This means knowing and acting as best as we can by trying to see the world from God’s perspective.
But you might well ask, how can we know that perspective? It is not really that hard. Every day, we see beauty and recognize it as beautiful. Every day, we see the good in the goodness of others. And every day, we see sin and cruelty and greed, and we recognize it as an affront to God. We all know what is right and what is wrong when we see it—just look around and don’t turn away. So, the challenge is to take what we know is right and put it into practice.
Robert Hotz is a consultant with American City Bureau, Inc. and was the Director of The Passion of Christ: The Love That Compels Campaign for Holy Cross Province.