RENEWsletter for August 16, 2009 - 20th Ordinary

Dear Renewers--
One of the most elusive and hardest to define concepts is "wisdom". Proverbs describes wisdom as something to be sought more fervently than riches (Proverbs 3.13, 14). The New Testament asserts that the wisdom of humans is mere foolishness to God (1 Corinthian 1.25). The Gospels talk about how the Light of Heaven illuminated the Darkness of Earth and how humans remained clueless (John 1.5).

Still, the readings for next Sunday, the 20th Ordinal Sunday, offer again the same advice: Seek Wisdom. These readings can be found on the web at: http://www.usccb.org/nab/readings/081609.shtml, and in your Bible at:

Proverbs 9.1-6
Psalm 34.2-3, 4-6, 6-7 (almost the same as last week)
Ephesians 5.15-20
John 6.51-58

The First Reading is from Proverbs. Wisdom is portrayed as a noble woman who serves her community. She invites all to "come, eat my food and drink my wine" (Prov. 9.5). "Forsake foolishness. Advance in the way of understanding" (v. 6). Okay, that sounds good. Sure, I'll take it! I'll eat the food and drink the wine of Wisdom. But how exactly do I do that?

The Responsorial Psalm gives a clue. "I sought the Lord, and he answered me, and delivered me from all my fears" (Ps. 34.5). And again, "Look to God that you may be radiant with joy" and be unashamed (v. 6). That makes sense. It is surely wise to let God worry about my fears. And if I have no fears, I can be truly happy. But I still have the same question: How? What's the first step?

Paul tries to help in the Second Reading. "Try to understand what is the will of the Lord" (Eph. 5.17). He also gives some advice on how to accomplish that: Don't get drunk; Be filled with the Holy Spirit (v. 18); Sing a lot (v. 19); Give thanks constantly and for everything (v. 20). Hmmm... give thanks for everything?? Even the bad stuff? Is the wisdom of God really that foolish-sounding? Well, it does say (if you didn't stop at v. 6 in Proverbs) that "fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom" (Prov. 9.10).

Jesus, in the Gospel Reading, makes no bones about it. "I am the living bread come down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever, and the bread that I will give is my flesh..." (John 6.51). That's pretty straight-forward, but he didn't mean it literally, did he (v. 52)? Jesus's body is not within our reach today, is it?

Ah, but it is! The Eucharist! "Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you" (v. 53). Hard to rationalize in the real world, but we also live in a spiritual world that is equally real. Real world foolishness can be spiritual wisdom. Not always... certainly some foolish things are spiritually foolish as well. Like letting ourselves be ruled by fears or false hopes. But laying down those fears and hopes at the feet of Jesus -- letting him wash the dust of our cares from our feet -- is spiritually wise.

So maybe true wisdom is a spiritual quality that can only be endowed if sought spiritually. Logic... analysis... worldly wisdom... don't help a lot here. We have to trust God. And he is certain to reward our faith.

May blessings abound for you this week. May the Lord answer and deliver you. May you understand the will of God. May your soul be filled with the spiritual food supplied by Christ himself. And may that give you wisdom.

Randy Jones
"Those who cannot accept the spiritual say it is foolish!"