“Dwell with Wisdom” by Beth DeCristofaro
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| Vigil after a mass shooting, El Paso, TX, 2019 |
For (Wisdom) 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. (Wisdom 7:25-27)
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." (Luke 17:20-21)
Piety
Your word is forever, O Lord.
Your word is a lamp for my feet,
a light for my path.
I make a solemn vow
to observe your righteous judgments.
I am very much afflicted, LORD;
give me life in accord with your word.
(Psalm
199:105-107
Study
Is anyone else tired of the tsunami of today’s
communication streams? Some days I tune only into the weather, ignoring other
information – but of course, even meteorologists who do their best to be
accurate give a wide range of predictions. Like so many before us, we live in
an unsettled age. Unsettled is one chronic characteristic of the human
condition. But Jesus unsettled the world even more. He announced that the
Kingdom of God is among us. There are days when I ask, “Really?” “Are you sure,
Lord?” We, the church, are balanced continuously between the swings of culture,
our emotional interactions with ourselves and others, and our intellectual
understanding of our place in the world. Our faith is both fulcrum and
grounding that illuminates our consciousness of the Kingdom and allows for the
counsel of Wisdom, God’s breath within us.
The author of the Book of Wisdom (considered
to have been written approximately 50 years before the birth of Jesus) attempts
to capture God’s astounding, generous intention in creation. God’s breath
permeates creation, imbuing it with the essence of God’s very self. The Book’s poetry
seeks to illustrate the mystery and to convey that God’s presence fills even
the humblest among us. And then God arrived on earth in our form.
Luke’s Gospel builds on the belief that God
is already present. He presents a way for us to be aware and to be an active
partner in God’s amazing work. The notes in the NAB read, “To the question of
the Pharisees about the time of the coming of God’s kingdom, Jesus replies that
the kingdom is among you (Lk 17:20–21). The emphasis has thus been shifted from
an imminent observable coming of the kingdom to something that is already
present in Jesus’ preaching and healing ministry.”[i]
By practicing just these two observable actions, preaching and healing, our
balance in an uncertain world can produce great fruit.
Action
Welcome to our new Cursillistas joining us in
our Cursillo works, studies, and piety, which are steady ground on which we
strive to build the Kingdom. The USCCB also invites us to “take the pledge”
specifically on behalf of our divided nation. https://www.wearesaltandlight.org/civilize-it
“Join fellow
Catholics in committing to civility, clarity, and compassion” through Civilize
It[ii]
May we seek for ourselves and for others to dwell with Wisdom.
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