“Wisdom Can Be Found by Those Who Seek Her” by Jim Bayne

“Wisdom Can Be Found by Those Who Seek Her” by Jim Bayne

Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time

Resplendent and unfading is wisdom, and she is readily perceived by those who love her and found by those who seek her. (Wisdom 6:12)

I will remember you upon my couch, and through the night-watches, I will meditate on you: You are my help, and in the shadow of your wings, I shout for joy. (Psalm 63:7-8)

At midnight, there was a cry, ‘Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’ Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise ones replied, ‘No, for there may not be enough for us and you. (Matthew 25:6-9)

Piety

All-powerful God, I want to be committed to you. Let me abide in you and your glory. Help me stay focused on your word and rest on your promises. Fill me with faith that doesn’t falter, Hope that is everlasting, and love that is overflowing. Your gift of Jesus was the greatest gift of love. Allow me to share that truth with others. Amen.  [Based on 1 COR 13:13] www.DailyPrayerGuide.net

Study

The first reflection on today’s readings from the Irish Association of Catholic Priests’ website begins this way:  

 

The refusal of the wise virgins to share may appear selfish. But here we are not talking really about lamps and oil but about people and life. There are certain things you cannot borrow or inherit. Your parents or my parents may have been the best people in the world. If so, that is a blessing beyond measure. But for all that, it cannot be taken for granted that we will automatically become decent, caring men and women. We can learn from one another and be inspired by one another, but we shape our destiny in the last analysis. Character cannot be transferred or borrowed. We must build it for ourselves.

Today’s first reading begins with this same idea: Wisdom (can be) found by those who seek her.  

So first, we must want wisdom enough to seek it. Having oil for our lamp of knowledge and understanding must be a priority for us.  It is not something you can put off until midnight of the night the bridegroom comes calling. To acquire wisdom, we must be willing to spend the time necessary to acquire it now, not at the eleventh hour. It is the work of a lifetime. We never need to stop laying up oil for our lamps.

Our daughter’s father-in-law turned 100 last year. He and his wife are still taking college courses and visiting museums. He’s even writing about what he has learned and sharing it with his children, grandchildren, friends, and former colleagues. I have no doubt it is what keeps him alive and engaged with the world. 

Our recent political wrangling has revealed that way too many of us have no oil to put in our civic lamps. How can we have a thriving democracy when only about a quarter of us even know how many branches of government we have? Many people could not name the four candidates for president and vice president.

This same lack of knowledge exists concerning spiritual life. Many Christians go through life with the spiritual knowledge level they had when they were 12 years old: Mass on Sunday. Bring your envelope. Go home and repeat the next Sunday. Add a blessing before dinner on Christmas, Easter, and Thanksgiving. 

Is it any wonder that so many people are experiencing depression and anxiety during this time of a worldwide pandemic?  The bridegroom has come, and many of us were not prepared to deal with the pandemic’s spiritual challenge. But it is never too late to start laying up oil for your lamp.

Action

Take some time this week to be still and reflect on the state of your spiritual life. Has it been able to support and console you during these difficult days? What could you do to bring a little more light into your life and the life of those around you? 

Here are some thoughts to consider written by Fr. Thomas Keating shortly before he died in 2018:

 

Dear friends: In the universe, an extraordinary moment of civilization seems to be overtaking us. It’s a time of enormous expectancy and possibility.

 

This moment will allow and offer the world the marvelous gift of beginning, [of] creating, trusting each other, forgiving each other, showing compassion, caring for the poor, and putting all our trust in the God of heaven and earth. I leave this hope in your hands and hearts, coming as a real inspiration from the heart of God. 

Elsewhere, Fr. Keating urged the human family to scrap old approaches based on religious or political dogma.  He challenged us to “begin a new world with one that exists,” a world whose truth is guided by “silence and science.” A universal resurgence of human compassion and creativity shall reveal the heart of God.