Daily Retreat 09/01/08
2008 Sep 1 Mon: Ordinary Weekday/ Labor Day
1 Cor 2: 1-5/ Ps 118(119): 97. 98. 99. 100. 101. 102/ Lk 4: 16-30.
From today’s readings: “For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.... Lord, I love Your commands.... Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.”
Wisdom of Men
The pursuit of wisdom is one of the greatest goals of human existence. But before we commit ourselves to this quest of a lifetime, you and I do well to distinguish which of the three types of wisdom we are chasing after.
First, there is what can be called “worldly wisdom,” and by that I mean whatever the popular prevailing opinions prescribe as rules for living the secular ideal of “the good life.” So money, power, sex, fame, and personal fulfillment are considered the crucial elements of life, and worldly wisdom offers counsel in attaining these. Obviously, “wisdom” in this sense is used satirically in Christian writings, since it’s easy enough to see the inanity of worldly wisdom when comparing it with the sanity of Godly wisdom. But sadly, many miss the satire because they’ve dedicated themselves very seriously and zealously to the pursuit of such worldly wisdom.
There is another type of human wisdom, however, which even in Christian parlance is recognized as true wisdom - the insights offered by human philosophers and poets which are the best fruits of reason, but still fall short of the sublimity of divine wisdom. To pursue such wisdom is a noble way to spend one’s life. This is the type of wisdom Paul writes about in this part of the first letter to the Corinthians: he’s not satirizing it as the worthless “worldly wisdom” (which he does dismiss elsewhere), but he still is maintaining that God offers us even more than the best of human wisdom.
God, in His infinite goodness, has revealed to us His plan of salvation, His will, and His essence. This is the mystery and power of God - divine wisdom, and before it, even the most exquisite wisdom of men fades into insignificance. There is no greater way to spend one’s days than in embracing this wisdom, and living our lives according to the light of its Truth.
1 Cor 2: 1-5/ Ps 118(119): 97. 98. 99. 100. 101. 102/ Lk 4: 16-30.
From today’s readings: “For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.... Lord, I love Your commands.... Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.”
Wisdom of Men
The pursuit of wisdom is one of the greatest goals of human existence. But before we commit ourselves to this quest of a lifetime, you and I do well to distinguish which of the three types of wisdom we are chasing after.
First, there is what can be called “worldly wisdom,” and by that I mean whatever the popular prevailing opinions prescribe as rules for living the secular ideal of “the good life.” So money, power, sex, fame, and personal fulfillment are considered the crucial elements of life, and worldly wisdom offers counsel in attaining these. Obviously, “wisdom” in this sense is used satirically in Christian writings, since it’s easy enough to see the inanity of worldly wisdom when comparing it with the sanity of Godly wisdom. But sadly, many miss the satire because they’ve dedicated themselves very seriously and zealously to the pursuit of such worldly wisdom.
There is another type of human wisdom, however, which even in Christian parlance is recognized as true wisdom - the insights offered by human philosophers and poets which are the best fruits of reason, but still fall short of the sublimity of divine wisdom. To pursue such wisdom is a noble way to spend one’s life. This is the type of wisdom Paul writes about in this part of the first letter to the Corinthians: he’s not satirizing it as the worthless “worldly wisdom” (which he does dismiss elsewhere), but he still is maintaining that God offers us even more than the best of human wisdom.
God, in His infinite goodness, has revealed to us His plan of salvation, His will, and His essence. This is the mystery and power of God - divine wisdom, and before it, even the most exquisite wisdom of men fades into insignificance. There is no greater way to spend one’s days than in embracing this wisdom, and living our lives according to the light of its Truth.
posted by FrPitstick | 8/31/2008
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