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1.
O
divine Wisdom, Lord of heaven and earth, I humbly beg pardon for
my audacity in attempting to speak of your perfections, ignorant
and sinful as I am. I beg you not to consider the darkness of
my mind or the uncleanness of my lips unless it be to take them
away with a glance of your eyes and a breath of your mouth.
There
is in you so much beauty and delight; you have shielded me from
so many evils and showered on me so many favours, and you are
moreover so little known and so much slighted. How can I remain
silent? Not only justice and gratitude, but my own interests urge
me to speak about you, even though it be so imperfectly. It is
true, I can only lisp like a child, but then I am only a child,
anxious to learn how to speak properly through my lisping, once
I have attained the fullness of your age (cf. Eph. 4:13).
2. I
know there seems to be neither order nor sense in what I write,
but because I long so dearly to possess you, I am looking for
you everywhere, like Solomon, wandering in all directions (Wisd.
8:18). If I am striving to make you known in this world, it is
because you yourself have promised that all who explain you and
make you known will have eternal life (cf. Sir. 8:18).
Accept,
then, my loving Lord, these humble words of mine as though they
were a masterly discourse. Look upon the strokes of my pen as
so many steps to find you and from your throne above bestow your
blessings and your enlightenment on what I mean to say about you,
so that those who read it may be filled with a fresh desire to
love you and possess you, on earth as well as in heaven.
3. 1.
Wisdom is better than strength and prudence is better than courage.
2.
Listen, therefore, kings, and understand. Learn, you judges of
the nations.
3.
Hear this, you who rule the people and boast of the large number
of nations subject to you.
4.
Remember you have received your power from the Lord and your authority
from the Most High, who will examine your works and scrutinise
your thoughts.
5.
For, though ministers of his kingdom, you have not judged fairly,
nor observed the law of justice, nor walked according to his will.
6.
He will appear to you terribly and swiftly, because those who
rule others will be judged severely.
7.
For God has more compassion for the lowly and they are forgiven
more easily, but the mighty will be punished mightily.
8.
God shows no partiality; he does not stand in awe of anyone's
greatness, because he himself made both the lowly and the great
and he is concerned for all alike.
9.
But the great are threatened with greater punishment.
10.
To you then, rulers, my words are directed so that you may learn
wisdom and may not go astray.
11.
For they who perform just deeds will be considered just and those
who have understood what I teach will have a valid defence.
12.
Therefore, desire ardently to know my words, love them and you
will find instruction in them.
4. 13.
Wisdom is resplendent and her beauty never fades. Those who love
her will have no trouble in recognising her; and those who seek
her will find her.
14.
She anticipates those who desire her and makes herself known first
to them.
15.
He who rises early to look for her will not be disappointed, for
she will be found sitting at his gate.
16.
To reflect on Wisdom is the highest prudence and he who foregoes
sleep to possess her will soon be given repose.
17.
For she goes around seeking those worthy of her, graciously shows
her ways to them, guides them and provides for them with loving
care.
18.
The first step, then, towards acquiring Wisdom is a sincere desire
for instruction; the desire for instruction is love; and love
is the keeping of her laws.
19.
Assiduous obedience to her laws assures a perfect purity of soul.
20.
And perfect purity brings one close to God.
21.
Thus the desire for Wisdom leads to the everlasting kingdom.
22.
If then, rulers of nations, you delight in thrones and sceptres,
love Wisdom and you will reign eternally.
23.
All you who rule over the peoples of the world, love the insight
given by Wisdom.
24.
I will tell you now what Wisdom is and how she came to be. I will
not hide the secrets of God from you but I will trace her right
from the beginning. I will throw light upon her and make her known
and not hide the truth.
25.
I will not imitate the man consumed with envy, for the envious
have nothing in common with Wisdom.
26.
Multitudes of wise men will bring salvation to the world, and
a prudent king is a strong support for his people.
27.
Accept, then, instruction from my words and you will draw profit
from them.
5. I
did not want, my dear reader, to mingle my poor words with the
inspired words of the Holy Spirit. Yet I make bold to offer a
few comments:
1.
How gentle, attractive and approachable is eternal Wisdom who
possesses such splendour, excellence and grandeur. He invites
men to come to him because he wants to teach them the way to happiness.
He is for ever searching for them and always greets them with
a smile. He bestows blessings on them many times over and forestalls
their needs in a thousand different ways, and even goes as far
as to wait at their very doorstep to give them proofs of his friendship.
Who
could be so heartless as to refuse to love this gentle conqueror?
6. 2.
How unfortunate are the rich and powerful if they do not love
eternal Wisdom. How terrifying are the warnings he gives them,
so terrifying that they cannot be expressed in human terms: "He
will appear to you terribly and swiftly ... those who rule will
be judged severely ... the mighty will be punished mightily ...
the great are threatened with greater punishment" (Wisd.
6:6,7,9).
To
these words can be added those he uttered after he became man:
"Woe to you who are rich (Lk. 6:24) ... it is easier for
a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man
to enter the kingdom of heaven" (Mat. 19; Mk. 10; Lk. 18).
So
often were these last words repeated by divine Wisdom while on
earth that the three evangelists handed them down without the
least variation. They ought to make the rich weep and lament:
"And now, you rich people, weep and wail over the miseries
that are coming upon you" (Jas. 5:1).
But
alas! they find their consolation (Lk. 6:24) here on earth; they
are as though captivated by the riches and pleasures they enjoy
and are blind to the evils that hang over their heads.
7. 3.
Solomon promises that he will give a faithful and exact description
of divine Wisdom and that neither envy nor pride - both contrary
to love - can prevent him from making known this heaven-sent knowledge,
and he has not the least fear that anyone will surpass him or
equal him in knowledge (cf. Wisd. 6:24-26).
Following
the example of this great man, I am going, in my simple way, to
portray eternal Wisdom before, during and after his incarnation
and show by what means we can possess and keep him.
But
as I do not have Solomon's profound learning or his insights I
have less to fear from pride and envy than from my incompetence
and ignorance, which I trust, in your kindness, you will overlook.
8. Can
we love someone we do not even know? Can we love deeply someone
we know only vaguely? Why is Jesus, the adorable, eternal and
incarnate Wisdom loved so little if not because he is either too
little known or not known at all?
Hardly
anyone studies the supreme science of Jesus, as did St. Paul (Eph.
3:19). And yet this is the most noble, the most consoling, the
most useful and the most vital of all sciences and subjects in
heaven and on earth.
9. 1.
First, it is the most noble of all sciences because its subject
is the most noble and the most sublime: Wisdom uncreated and incarnate.
He possesses in himself the fullness of divinity and humanity
alike and all that is great in heaven and on earth, namely, all
creatures visible and invisible, spiritual and corporal.
St.
John Chrysostom says that our Lord is the summary of all God's
works, the epitome of all the perfections to be found in God and
in his creatures (cf. Col. 1:16; 2:9).
"Jesus
Christ is everything that you can and should wish for. Long for
him, seek for him, because he is that unique and precious pearl
for which you should be ready to sell everything you possess."
"Let
the wise man boast no more of his wisdom nor the strong man of
his strength, nor the rich man of his wealth. But if anyone wants
to boast, let him boast only of understanding and knowing me and
nothing else (Jer. 9:23-24)."
10. 2.
Nothing is more consoling than to know divine Wisdom. Happy are
those who listen to him; happier still are those who desire him
and seek him; but happiest of all are those who keep his laws.
Their hearts will be filled with that infinite consolation which
is the joy and happiness of the eternal Father and the glory of
the angels (cf. Prov. 2:1-9).
If
only we knew the joy of a soul that perceives the beauty of divine
Wisdom and is nourished with the milk of divine kindness, we would
cry out with the bride in the Song of Songs: "Your love is
better than wine" (Song 1:3) better by far than all created
delights. This is especially true when divine Wisdom says to those
who contemplate him, "Taste and see" (Ps. 33:9) eat
and drink, be filled with my eternal sweetness (Song 5:1), for
you will discover that conversing with me is in no way distasteful,
that my companionship is never tedious and in me only will you
find joy and contentment (Wisd. 8:16).
11. 3.
This knowledge of eternal Wisdom is not only the most noble and
the most consoling of all, it is also the most useful and the
most necessary since eternal life consists in knowing God and
Jesus Christ, his Son (Jn. 17:3). Speaking to eternal Wisdom,
the Wise man exclaims, "To know you is perfect righteousness
and to know your justice and your power is the root of immortality"
(Wisd. 15:3). If we really want to have eternal life let us learn
all there is to know about eternal Wisdom.
If
we wish to have roots of immortality deeply embedded in our heart
we must have in our mind knowledge of eternal Wisdom. To know
Jesus Christ incarnate Wisdom, is to know all we need. To presume
to know everything and not know him is to know nothing at all.
12. Of
what use is it for an archer to hit the outer part of a target
if he cannot hit the centre? What good will it do us to know all
the other branches of knowledge necessary for salvation if we
do not learn the only essential one, the knowledge of our Lord
Jesus Christ, the centre towards which all the other branches
of knowledge must tend? Although the great Apostle St. Paul was
a man of such extensive knowledge and so well versed in human
learning, still he said that he did not know anything except Jesus
Christ and him nailed to a cross (1 Cor. 2:2).
Let
us then say with him, "I count as loss all the knowledge
I have prized so highly until now when I compare it to the knowledge
of Jesus Christ, my Saviour" (Phil. 3:7-8). Now I see and
understand that this knowledge is so excellent, so captivating,
so profitable, so admirable that I no longer take any interest
in other branches of knowledge that I used to like so much. Everything
else is so meaningless, so absurd and a foolish waste of time.
"I say this to make sure that no one deceives you with beguiling
words. Make sure that no one ensnares you with empty, rational
philosophy" (Col. 2:4,8). I state that Jesus is the abyss
of all knowledge so that you do not let yourself be deceived by
the fine, glowing words of orators or by the specious subtleties
of philosophers. "Grow in grace and the knowledge of our
Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ" (2 Pet. 3:18).
That
we may all grow in the knowledge and grace of our Lord and Saviour,
Jesus Christ, incarnate Wisdom, we are going to speak of him in
the following chapters. But first, let us consider the different
kinds of wisdom.
13. In
the general sense of the term wisdom means a delectable knowledge,
a taste for God and his truth.
There
are several kinds of wisdom.
First,
true and false wisdom. True wisdom is a taste for truth without
falsehood or deception. False wisdom is a taste for falsehood
disguised as truth.
This
false wisdom is the wisdom or the prudence of the world, which
the Holy Spirit divides into three classes: earthly, sensual,
and diabolical.
True
wisdom may be divided into natural and supernatural wisdom.
Natural
wisdom is the knowledge, in an outstanding degree, of natural
things in their principles. Supernatural wisdom is knowledge of
supernatural and divine things in their origin.
This
supernatural wisdom is divided into substantial or uncreated Wisdom,
and accidental or created wisdom. Accidental or created wisdom
is the communication that uncreated Wisdom makes of himself to
mankind. In other words, it is the gift of wisdom. Substantial
or uncreated Wisdom is the Son of God, the second person of the
most Blessed Trinity. In other words, it is eternal Wisdom in
eternity or Jesus Christ in time.
It
is precisely about this eternal Wisdom that we are going to speak.
14. Starting
with his very origin, we shall consider Wisdom in eternity, dwelling
in his Father's bosom and object of his Father's love.
Next,
we shall see him in time, shining forth in the creation of the
universe.
Then
we shall consider him in the deep abasement of his incarnation
and his mortal life; and then we shall see him glorious and triumphant
in heaven.
Finally
we shall propose the means to acquire and keep him.
I
leave to philosophers their useless philosophical arguments and
to scientists the secrets of their worldly wisdom.
Let
us now speak to chosen souls seeking perfection (1 Cor. 2:6) of
true wisdom, eternal Wisdom, Wisdom uncreated and incarnate.
15. Here,
with St. Paul, we must declare, "O the depth, the immensity
and the incomprehensibility of the Wisdom of God" (Rom. 11:33)
: Generationem ejus quis enarrabit? (Is. 53:8; Acts 8:33). Who
is the angel so enlightened, who is the man rash enough as to
attempt to give us an adequate explanation of the origin of eternal
Wisdom? For here all human beings must close their eyes so as
not to be blinded by the vivid brightness of his light.
All
should be silent for fear of tarnishing his perfect beauty by
attempting to portray him.
Every
mind should realise its inadequacy and adore, lest in striving
to fathom him, it be crushed by the tremendous weight of his glory.
16. Adapting
himself to our weakness, the Holy Spirit offers this description
of eternal Wisdom in the Book of Wisdom which he composed just
for us.
"Eternal
Wisdom is a breath of the power of God, a pure emanation of the
glory of the Almighty. Hence nothing defiled gains entrance into
him. He is the reflection of eternal light, the spotless mirror
of God's majesty, the image of his goodness" (Wisd. 7:25,26).
17. He
is the substantial and eternal idea of divine beauty which was
shown to St. John the Evangelist in his ecstatic vision on the
island of Patmos, when he exclaimed, "In the beginning was
the Word - the Son of God, or eternal Wisdom - and the Word was
in God and the Word was God" (Jn. 1:1).
18. This
is the eternal Wisdom of which Solomon often speaks in his book
(cf. Sir. 1:4,8; 24:14) when he says that Wisdom was created -
that is, produced - from the very beginning before anything was
made or even before the beginning of time.
Speaking
of himself, Wisdom says, "I was begotten from eternity, before
the creation of the world. The depths did not exist as yet and
I was already conceived" (Prov. 8:23,24).
19. God
the Father was well pleased with the sovereign beauty of eternal
Wisdom, his Son, throughout time and eternity, as he himself explicitly
testified on the day of his Son's baptism and his transfiguration,
"This is my beloved Son with whom I am well pleased"
(Mt. 17:5; cf. Mt. 3:17. Cf. Nos. 55, 98).
This
splendour of dazzling and incomprehensible light of which the
apostles caught a glimpse in the Transfiguration, filled them
with delight and lifted them to the heights of ecstasy:
Illustre quiddam (cernimus)
Sublime, celsum, interminum,
Antiquius caelo et chao:
This eternal Wisdom is -
Something resplendent,
Sublime, immense, and infinite,
More ancient than the universe.
My
words fail to give even the faintest idea of his beauty and supreme
gentleness, and fall infinitely short of his excellence: for who
can ever form an adequate idea of him? Who could ever portray
him faithfully? You alone, great God, know who he is and can reveal
him to all you wish (cf. Mt. 11:27; Lk. 10:22).
20. This
is how divine Wisdom himself describes in the twenty-fourth chapter
of Ecclesiasticus the effects of his activity in souls. I shall
not mingle my poor words with his for fear of diminishing their
clarity and sublime meaning.
1. Wisdom will sing her own praises. She will be honoured in the Lord and will proclaim his glory before his own people.
2. In the assembly of the Most High she will open her mouth; she will glorify herself in the armies of the Lord.
3. She will be raised up in the midst of her own people and will be admired in the assembly of all the saints.
4. In the multitude of the elect she will be praised and will be blessed by those who are blessed by God. She will say:
21. 5.
I came forth from the mouth of the Most High; I was born before
all creatures.
6. I made an unquenchable light appear in the sky and I covered the whole earth like a mist.
7. I had my dwelling in the heights and my throne was in a pillar of cloud.
8. Alone I compassed the vault of heaven; I penetrated into the depths of the abyss; I walked on the waves of the sea,
9. and travelled all over the earth.
22. 10.
I held sway over every people and every nation.
11. By my power I have trodden underfoot the hearts of all men, great and small; and among all these things I searched for a resting-place and a dwelling in the heritage of the Lord.
23. 12.
Then the Creator of the universe commanded me and spoke to me:
he who created me rested in my tent.
13. And he said to me: "Dwell in Jacob, let Israel be your heritage, and take root in my elect."
24. 14.
In the beginning, before all ages, he created me and through the
ages I shall never cease to be, and in the holy tabernacle I ministered
before him.
15. I fixed my abode in Sion; I found rest in the holy City, and Jerusalem became my domain.
25. 16.
I took root in the people whom the Lord had honoured, whose heritage
is the portion of the Lord. I fixed my abode in the assembly of
all the saints.
17. Like a cedar on Lebanon and like a cypress on Mount Sion I have grown tall.
18. I raised my branches high like a palm-tree in Engedi and like the rose-bushes of Jericho.
19. I grew tall like a beautiful olive-tree in the field, like a plane-tree planted along the road near the water.
20. I gave forth fragrance like cinnamon or the most precious balm; I gave forth perfume like the most exquisite myrrh.
21. I have filled my house with sweet fragrance as of galbanum, onycha, myrrh and with the sweet smell of incense; I exude the scent of the purest balm.
22. I spread out my branches like a terebinth and my branches are glorious and graceful.
23. I have grown sweet-smelling flowers like the vine; my blossoms are the fruits of glory and wealth.
26. 24.
I am the mother of pure love, of fear, of knowledge and of holy
hope.
25. In me is all grace of the way and of the truth; in me is all hope of life and strength.
27. 26.
Come to me, all you who desire for me, and be filled with my fruits.
27. For my spirit is sweeter than honey and my inheritance more delightful than the sweetest honeycomb.
28. My renown will endure down through the ages.
28. 29.
Those who eat of me will hunger for more; those who drink of me
will thirst for more.
30. Those who listen to me will not be put to shame; those who work with me will not sin.
31. Those who make me known will possess eternal life.
32. All this is the book of life, the covenant of the Most High, and the knowledge of the truth."
29. Eternal
Wisdom compares himself to all these trees and plants, characterised
by their varied fruits and qualities which illustrate the great
variety of states, functions and virtues of privileged souls.
These resemble cedars by the loftiness of their hearts raised
up towards heaven, or cypress trees by their constant meditation
on death. They resemble palm-trees by their humble endurance of
labour, or rose-bushes by martyrdom and the shedding of their
blood. They resemble plane-trees planted along river banks, or
terebinths with their branches spread out wide, signifying their
great love for their fellow-men. They resemble all the other less
noticeable but fragrant plants like balm, myrrh and others which
symbolise all those retiring souls who prefer to be known by God
more than by man.
30. Divine
Wisdom shows himself to be the mother and source of all good and
he exhorts all men to give up everything and desire him alone.
Because, as St Augustine says, "he gives himself only to
those who desire him and seek him with all the zeal such a lofty
aim deserves."
In
verses 30 and 31 divine Wisdom lists three degrees in holy living,
the last of which constitutes perfection:
(1)
Listen to God with humble submission;
(2)
Act in him and through him with persevering fidelity;
(3)
Seek to acquire the light and unction you need to inspire others
with that love for Wisdom which will lead them to eternal life.
31. Eternal
Wisdom began to manifest himself outside the bosom of God the
Father when, after a whole eternity, he made light, heaven and
earth. St John tells us that everything was made through the Word,
that is eternal Wisdom: "All things were made by him"
(Jn. 1:3; cf. Heb. 1:2; Col. 1:16-17).
Solomon
says that eternal Wisdom is the mother and maker of all things.
Notice that Solomon does not call him simply the maker of the
universe but also its mother because the maker does not love and
care for the work of his hands like a mother does for her child
(Wisd. 7: 12,21).
32. After
creating all things, eternal Wisdom abides in them to contain,
maintain and renew them (Wisd. 1:7; 7:27). It was this supremely
perfect beauty who, after creating the universe, established the
magnificent order we find there. He it was who separated, arranged,
evaluated, augmented and calculated everything.
He
spread out the skies; he set the sun, the moon, the stars and
the planets in perfect order. He laid the foundations of the earth
and assigned limits and laws to the sea and depths to the ocean.
He raised mountains and gave moderation to all things even to
the springs of water. Finally, he says, "I was with God and
I disposed everything with such perfect precision and such pleasing
variety that it was like playing a game to entertain my Father
and myself" (Prov. 8:30-31).
33. This
mysterious game of divine Wisdom is clearly seen in the great
variety of all he created. Apart from considering the different
species of angels whose number is well-nigh infinite, and the
varied brightness of the stars and the different temperaments
of men, we are filled with wonderment at the changes we see in
the seasons and the weather, at the variety of instincts in animals,
at the different species of plants, at the diversified beauty
of the flowers and the different tastes of the fruits. "Let
him who is wise understand these things" (Hos. 14:10; cf.
Jer. 9:12; Ps. 106:43). Who is the one to whom eternal Wisdom
has communicated his wisdom? That person alone will understand
these mysteries of nature.
34. Eternal
Wisdom has revealed these things to the saints, as we learn from
their biographies. At times they were so astonished at the beauty,
the harmony and the order that God has put into the smallest things,
such as a bee, an ant, an ear of corn, a flower, a worm, that
they were carried away in rapture and ecstasy.
35. If
the power and gentleness of eternal Wisdom were so luminously
evident in the creation, the beauty and order of the universe,
they shone forth far more brilliantly in the creation of man.
For man is his supreme masterpiece, the living image of his beauty
and his perfection, the great vessel of his graces, the wonderful
treasury of his wealth and in a unique way his representative
on earth. "By your wisdom you appointed man to have dominion
over every creature you made" (Wisd. 9:2).
36. For
the glory of this magnificent and powerful Worker I must describe
the original beauty and excellence of man as created by divine
Wisdom. But the state of man's grievous sin has fallen upon me,
poor miserable child of Eve, dulling my understanding to the point
that I can describe only very imperfectly the work of man's creation.
37. We
might say that eternal Wisdom made copies, that is, shining likenesses
of his own intelligence, memory, and will, and infused them into
the soul of man so that he might become the living image of the
Godhead. In man's heart he enkindled the fire of the pure love
of God. He gave him a radiant body and virtually enshrined within
him a compendium of all the various perfections of angels, animals,
and other created things.
38.
Man's entire being was bright without shadow, beautiful without
blemish, pure without stain, perfectly proportioned without deformity,
flaw, or imperfection. His mind, gifted with the light of wisdom,
understood perfectly both Creator and creature. The grace of God
was in his soul making him innocent and pleasing to the most High
God. His body was endowed with immortality. He had the pure love
of God in his heart without any fear of death, for he loved God
ceaselessly, without wavering and purely for God himself. In short,
man was so godlike, so absorbed and rapt in God that he had no
unruly passions to subdue and no enemies to overcome.
Such
was the generosity shown to man by eternal Wisdom and such was
the happiness that man enjoyed in his state of innocence.
39. But,
alas, the vessel of the Godhead was shattered into a thousand
pieces. This beautiful star fell from the skies. This brilliant
sun lost its light. Man sinned, and by his sin lost his wisdom,
his innocence, his beauty, his immortality. In a word, he lost
all the good things he was given and found himself burdened with
a host of evils. His mind was darkened and impaired. His heart
turned cold towards the God he no longer loved. His sin-stained
soul resembled Satan himself. The passions were in disorder; he
was no longer master of himself. His only companions are the devils
who have made him their slave and their abode. Even creatures
have risen up in warfare against him.
In
a single instant, man became the slave of demons, the object of
God's anger (Cf. Eph. 2:3), the prey of the powers of hell.
He
became so hideous in his own sight that he hid himself for shame.
He was cursed and condemned to death. He was driven from the earthly
paradise and excluded from heaven. With no hope of future happiness,
he was doomed to eke out a pitiable life upon an earth under curse
(cf. Gen. 3:10; 17:23; 4:11,12). He would eventually die like
a criminal and after death, together with all his posterity, share
the devil's damnation in body and soul.
Such
was the frightful calamity which befell man when he sinned. Such
was the well-deserved sentence God in his justice pronounced against
him.
40. Seeing
himself in such a plight, Adam came close to despair. He could
not hope for help from angels or any of God's creatures. Nothing
could restore his privileges because he had been so eminently
fair, so very magnificently fashioned when he was created, and
now by his sin he had become so hideous, so repulsive. He saw
himself banished from Paradise and from the presence of God. He
could see God's justice pursuing him in all his descendants. He
saw heaven closed and no one to open it; he saw hell open and
no one to close it.
41. Eternal
Wisdom was deeply moved by the plight of Adam and all his descendants.
He was profoundly distressed at seeing his vessel of honour shattered,
his image torn to pieces, his masterpiece destroyed, his representative
in this world overthrown.
He
listened tenderly to man's sighs and entreaties and he was moved
with compassion when he saw the sweat of his brow, the tears in
his eyes, the fatigue of his arms, his sadness of heart, his affliction
of soul.
42. I
seem to see this loveable Sovereign convoking and assembling the
most holy Trinity, a second time, so to speak, for the purpose
of rehabilitating man in the state he formerly created him (cf.
Gen. 1:26). We can picture a kind of contest going on in this
grand council between eternal Wisdom and God's justice.
43. I
seem to hear eternal Wisdom, in his plea on behalf of man, admit
that because of his sin man and all his descendants deserve to
be condemned and to spend all eternity with the rebel angels.
Still, man should be pitied because he sinned more through ignorance
and weakness than through malice. He points out that it would
be a pity if such an exquisite masterpiece were to become the
slave of the devil for ever, and millions upon millions of men
were to be lost eternally, through the sin of only one man. Besides,
eternal Wisdom draws attention to the places left vacant by the
fall of the apostate angels. Would it not be fitting to fill these
places? And would not God receive great glory in time and in eternity
if man were saved?
44. It
seems to me that I hear the God of justice replying that the sentence
of death and eternal damnation has been pronounced against man
and his descendants, and it must be carried out without pardon
or mercy, just as happened in the case of Lucifer and his followers.
Man has shown himself ungrateful for the gifts he received, has
followed the devil in pride and disobedience and should therefore
follow him in his punishment, for sin must necessarily be punished.
45. Eternal
Wisdom seeing that nothing on earth can expiate man's sin, that
nothing can satisfy divine justice and appease God's anger and
still, wishing to save unfortunate man whom he cannot help loving,
finds a wonderful way of accomplishing this.
Wonder
of wonders! With boundless and incomprehensible love, this tender-hearted
Lord offers to comply with his justice, to calm the divine anger,
to rescue us from the slavery of the devil and from the flames
of hell, and to merit for us eternal happiness.
46. His
offer is accepted; a decision is reached and made. Eternal Wisdom,
the Son of God, will become man at a suitable time and in determined
circumstances. For about four thousand years - from the creation
of the world and Adam's sin until the Incarnation of divine Wisdom
- Adam and his descendants were subject to death, just as God
had decreed. But in view of the Incarnation of the Son of God,
they received the graces they needed to obey his commandments
and do salutary penance for any they might have transgressed.
If they died in the state of grace and in God's friendship, their
souls went to Limbo, there to await their Saviour and Deliverer
who would open the gates of heaven for them.
47. During
the whole time preceding his Incarnation, eternal Wisdom proved
in a thousand ways his friendship for men and his great desire
to bestow his favours on them and to converse with them. "My
delight is to be with the children of men" (Prov. 8:31).
He went about seeking those worthy of him (Wisd. 6:16), that is
those worthy of his friendship, his precious gifts, his very person.
He passed through different nations, making them prophets and
friends of God (Wisd. 7:27; cf. 7:14). He it was who instructed
all the holy patriarchs, all the friends of God, all the saints
and prophets of the old and new testaments (Wisd. 7).
This
same Wisdom inspired men of God and spoke by the mouths of the
prophets. He directed their ways and enlightened them in their
doubts. He upheld them in their weakness and freed them from all
harm.
48. This
is how the Holy Spirit tells it in the tenth chapter of the Book
of Wisdom (Wisd. 10:1-21).
1.
It was Wisdom who safeguarded Adam, the first man, created alone
to be the father of all men.
2.
He rescued him from his sin and gave him power to control and
rule over all things.
3.
When the sinful Cain in anger withdrew from Wisdom, he perished
because through his fury he became the murderer of his brother.
4.
When the Deluge flooded the earth, because of him, it was Wisdom
again who saved it, piloting the just man Noah in a frail wooden
ark.
5.
When the nations conspired together to do evil, Wisdom discerned
the just man, Abraham, preserved him in innocence before God and
kept him resolute in overcoming the pity he felt for his son,
Isaac.
6.
Wisdom rescued the righteous man, Lot, when he fled from the company
of wicked men who perished as fire descended upon the Five Cities.
7.
Evidence of their wickedness still remains - a smoking wasteland,
plants bearing fruit that never ripen, and a pillar of salt standing
as a monument to an unbelieving soul.
8.
For those who neglected to see Wisdom were not only kept from
knowledge of good, but they also left to mankind a memorial of
their folly, and so their crime could never remain hidden.
49. 9.
But Wisdom delivered those who served him from all evils.
10.
When the just man Jacob fled from the wrath of his brother Esau,
Wisdom guided him along straight paths and showed him the kingdom
of God. God gave him knowledge of holy things, prospered him in
his labours and increased the fruits of his work.
11.
He stood by him against the greed of defrauders and made him rich.
12.
He protected him from his enemies and saved him from seducers.
He gave him victory in his arduous struggle so that he might know
that Wisdom is mightier than anything.
13.
He did not abandon Joseph, the just man, when he was old, but
delivered him from the hands of sinners and went down with him
into the well.
14.
He did not desert him in his chains until he brought him the sceptre
of royalty and authority over his oppressors. He showed those
who had defamed him to be liars and gave him an eternal renown.
15.
He liberated a holy people and a blameless race, the Hebrews,
from a nation of oppressors.
16.
He entered the soul of God's servant, Moses, and withstood fearsome
kings with signs and wonders.
17.
He gave the holy ones the reward of their labours, led them along
a perfect way, and became a shelter for them by day and shed a
starry light upon them by night.
18.
He brought them across the Red Sea and led them through the deep
waters.
19.
He submerged their enemies in the sea and gathered his own people
up from the depths of the sea. Thus he carried off the spoils
of the wicked.
20.
They extolled you in their songs, O Lord, and together praised
your conquering hand.
21.
For Wisdom opened the mouths of the dumb and made the tongues
of the babes speak with fluency.
50. In
the next chapter of the Book of Wisdom (Wisd. 11) the Holy Spirit
describes the various evils from which eternal Wisdom delivered
Moses and the Israelites during the time they lived in the desert.
To this we may add those who were delivered from great dangers
by eternal Wisdom in the Old and New Testaments. Among them were
Daniel who was freed from the lions' den, Susanna from the false
crime she was accused of, the three young men from the furnace
in Babylon, St Peter from prison, St John from the cauldron of
boiling oil and numberless martyrs and confessors from the physical
torments they were made to suffer and the calumnies which blackened
their good name. All these were delivered and healed by eternal
Wisdom. "O Lord, those who have pleased you from the beginning
were healed by Wisdom (Wisd. 9:19).
51. And
now let us proclaim: "A thousand times happy is the man into
whose soul Wisdom has entered to have his abode! No matter what
battles he has to wage, he will emerge victorious. No matter what
dangers threaten him, he will escape unharmed. No matter what
sorrows afflict him, he will find joy and consolation. No matter
what humiliations are heaped upon him, he will be exalted and
glorified in time and throughout eternity."
52. In
the eighth chapter of the Book of Wisdom, the Holy Spirit shows
the excellence of eternal Wisdom in terms so sublime and yet so
clear that we need only quote them here, adding a few reflections.
53. 1.
"Wisdom reaches mightily from one end of the earth to the
other and orders all things graciously."
Nothing
is so gracious as eternal Wisdom. Of his very nature he is gracious
without bitterness; gracious to those who love him, never showing
displeasure; gracious in his conduct, never showing severity.
He is so gentle and unobtrusive that you might often think that
he is not present when you meet with accidents and contradictions.
But, possessed of invincible power, he quietly but effectively
brings all things to a happy issue in ways unknown to men. After
his example, the wise man should be graciously firm and firmly
gracious - suaviter fortis et fortiter suavis.
54. 2.
"From my youth I have loved and sought him and desired to
take him for my inseparable companion."
Whoever
wishes to find this precious treasure of Wisdom should, like Solomon,
search for him (a) early and, if possible, while still young;
(b) purely and spiritually as a chaste young man seeks a bride;
(c) unceasingly, to the very end, until he has found him. It is
certain that eternal Wisdom loves souls so much that he even espouses
them, contracting with them a true, spiritual marriage which the
world cannot understand. History furnishes us with examples of
this.
55. 3.
"Wisdom shows his glorious origin by being so intimately
in union with God and by being loved by him who is Lord of all."
Wisdom
is God himself - such is his glorious origin. God the Father has
testified that he is pleased with him proving how much Wisdom
is loved (Cf. Chapter One and No. 98).
56. 4.
"Wisdom is the teacher of the knowledge of God and director
of all his works."
Eternal
Wisdom alone enlightens every man that comes into this world (Jn.
1:9). He alone came from heaven to teach the secrets of God (Cf.
Jn. 1:18; Mt. 11:27; 1 Cor. 2:10). We have no real teacher (Mt.
23:8,10) except the incarnate Wisdom, whose name is Jesus Christ.
He alone brings all the works of God to perfection, especially
the saints, for he shows them what they must do and teaches them
to appreciate and put into practice all he has taught them.
57. 5.
"If it is riches we seek in this life, who is richer than
divine Wisdom who created all things?"
6.
"If the mind of man can produce things, who is more able
than the fashioner of everything that exists?"
7.
"If someone loves holiness, again the great virtues are the
handiwork of Wisdom, for he teaches temperance and prudence, justice
and fortitude, and nothing in this life is more useful than these."
Solomon
clearly shows that since we should love Wisdom alone, then from
Wisdom alone we should expect all things - material goods, knowledge
of nature's secrets, all spiritual good, the theological and cardinal
virtues.
58. 8.
"If anyone desires knowledge, eternal Wisdom knows the past
and can forecast the future. He understands the subtleties of
speech and the lessons of parables. He recognises signs and wonders
and knows all that is going to happen as seasons and ages pass
by."
If
anyone desires to possess a deep, holy and special knowledge of
the treasures of grace and nature, and not merely dry, common
and superficial knowledge, he must make every effort to acquire
Wisdom. Without him, man is nothing in the sight of God, no matter
how learned he may appear in the eyes of men. "He will count
for nothing" (Wisd. 3:17).
59. 9.
"I therefore resolved to take him as my companion in life,
knowing that he would share his goods with me and be my consolation
in my cares and sorrows."
Eternal
Wisdom is so rich and generous; how can anyone who possesses him
be poor? He is so gentle, attractive and tender; how can anyone
who possesses him be unhappy? But among all those who seek eternal
Wisdom how many can honestly say with Solomon, "I have resolved
to possess him"? The majority of men do not make such a resolution
with real sincerity. Their decisions are mere wishful thinking
or at best weak and wavering resolves. That is why they never
find eternal Wisdom.
60. 10.
"Through him, I shall be acclaimed among the people and,
although still a youth, honoured by the elders."
11.
"I shall be considered shrewd when I sit in judgement. The
most powerful will be surprised when they see me and princes will
show their admiration for me."
12.
"When I am silent, they will wait for me to speak; when I
speak, they will pay attention to what I say. If I speak at some
length, they will place their hands on their lips."
13.
"He it is who will give me immortality, and through him I
shall leave an everlasting remembrance to those who come after
me."
14.
"I shall govern people through him and nations shall be my
subjects."
St
Gregory has this comment to make on Solomon's self- praise, "
Those whom God has chosen to write his sacred words are filled
with the Holy Spirit. In a way, they seem to rise above themselves
and enter into the very one who possesses them. Thus they become
mouthpieces of God himself, for they are concerned with God alone
in everything they say, and they speak of themselves as though
speaking of someone else."
61. 15.
"The most formidable kings shall be afraid when they hear
of me. I shall show myself kind to my people and valiant in war."
16.
"When I go home, I shall be at my ease with Wisdom, for his
conversation is never disagreeable nor his company unpleasant.
With him there is only contentment and joy."
17.
"I thought about these things and I reflected in my heart
that immortality is found in union with Wisdom."
18.
"I found pure contentment in his friendship, inexhaustible
wealth in his accomplishments, understanding in his teaching and
conversation, and great joy listening to his counsels; and so
I went about seeking him everywhere to make him my companion."
After
summing up his previous commentary, Solomon draws this conclusion:
"I went about seeking for eternal Wisdom in all directions."
To possess him we must seek ardently; in other words, we must
be ready to give up everything, to suffer everything, in order
to obtain possession of him. Only a few find him because only
a few look for him in a manner worthy of him.
62. In
the seventh chapter of the Book of Wisdom, the Holy Spirit speaks
of the excellence of eternal Wisdom in these terms: "In Wisdom
there is a spirit that is intelligent, holy, unique, fruitful,
subtle, eloquent, active, unsullied, lucid, gentle, benevolent,
keen, irresistible, beneficent, kindly, firm, unfailing, unperturbed,
all-powerful, all-seeing, possessing every spirit, understandable,
pure and subtle. For Wisdom is more active than any active thing.
He is so pure he penetrates all things" (Wisd. 7:22-24).
"Wisdom
is an infinite treasure for men. Those who have utilised this
treasure have become God's friends, and praiseworthy for their
gifts of knowledge".
63. After reading such powerful but tender words which
the Holy Spirit uses to show the beauty, the excellence and the
treasures of eternal Wisdom, we cannot but love him and search
for him with all our strength. All the more so since he is an
inexhaustible source of riches for man who was made for him and
infinitely eager to give himself to man.
64. The
bond of friendship between eternal Wisdom and man is so close
as to be beyond our understanding. Wisdom is for man and man is
for Wisdom. "He is an infinite treasure for man," (Wisd.
7:14) and not for angels or any other creatures.
Wisdom's
friendship for man arises from man's place in creation, from his
being an abridgement of eternal Wisdom's marvels, his small yet
ever so great world, his living image and representative on earth
(cf. Nos. 35-38). Since Wisdom, out of an excess of love, gave
himself up to death to save man, he loves man as a brother, a
friend, a disciple, a pupil, the price of his own blood and co-heir
of his kingdom. For man to withhold his heart from Wisdom or to
wrench it away from him would constitute an outrage.
65. This
eternal beauty, ever supremely loving, is so intent on winning
man's friendship that for this very purpose he has written a book
in which he describes his own excellence and his desire for man's
friendship. This book reads like a letter written by a lover to
win the affections of his loved one, for in it he expresses such
ardent desires for the heart of man, such tender longings for
man's friendship, such loving invitations and promises, that you
would say he could not possibly be the sovereign Lord of heaven
and earth and at the same time need the friendship of man to be
happy.
66. In
his pursuit of man, he hastens along the highways, or scales the
loftiest mountain peaks, or waits at the city gates, or goes into
the public squares and among the gatherings of people, proclaiming
at the top of his voice, "You children of men, it is you
I have been calling so persistently; it is you I am addressing;
it is you I desire and seek; it is you I am claiming. Listen,
draw close to me, for I want to make you happy" (Prov. 8:4).
And
the better to attract men, Wisdom says to them, "It is through
me and through my grace that kings reign, princes rule, monarchs
and sovereigns bear the sceptre and crown, I inspire legislators
with the ability to enact just laws for the good of their people.
I give magistrates the courage to administer justice fairly and
fearlessly."
67. "I
love those who love me and those who seek me diligently find me,"
and in finding me they will find good things in abundance. "For
riches, glory, honours, dignities, real pleasure and true virtue
are found in me; and it is far better for a man to possess me
than to possess all the gold and silver, all the precious stones,
and all the wealth of the whole universe. Those who come to me,
I will lead along the paths of justice and prudence. I will enrich
them with the inheritance due to rightful children and fulfil
their greatest desires (cf. Prov. 8:15-21). Rest assured, it is
my greatest pleasure and purest delight to converse and to abide
with the children of men" (cf. Prov. 8:31).
68. "And
now, my children, listen to me. Happy are those who keep my ways.
Hear my instructions, be wise and do not ignore them. Happy is
the man who listens to me, watching at my gates every day, waiting
beside my door. He who finds me finds life and obtains salvation
from the Lord, but he who sins against me, wounds his own soul.
All who hate me love death" (Prov. 8:32-36).
69. Even
though eternal Wisdom has spoken so kindly and so reassuringly
to win the friendship of men, he still fears that they, filled
with awe at his glorious state and sovereign majesty, will not
dare approach him. That is why he tells them that "he is
easily accessible, is quickly recognised by those who love him
and is found by those who seek him; that he hastens to meet those
who desire him and that anyone who rises early to look for him
will have no trouble, for he will find him sitting at his door,
waiting for him" (Wisd. 6:13b-15).
70. Finally, in order to draw closer to men and give them
a more convincing proof of his love, eternal Wisdom went so far
as to become man, even to become a little child, to embrace poverty
and to die upon a cross for them.
How
many times while here on earth could he be heard pleading, "Come
to me, come to me, all of you. Do not be afraid, it is I. Why
are you afraid? I am just like you; I love you. Are you afraid
because you are sinners? But they are the very ones I am looking
for; I am the friend of sinners. If it is because you have strayed
from the fold through your own fault, then I am the good shepherd.
If it is because you are weighted down with sin, covered with
grime and utterly dejected, then that is just why you should come
to me for I will unburden you, purify you and console you."
71. Eternal
Wisdom, on the one hand, wished to prove his love for man by dying
in his place in order to save him, but on the other hand, he could
not bear the thought of leaving him. So he devised a marvellous
way of dying and living at the same time, and of abiding with
man until the end of time. So, in order fully to satisfy his love,
he instituted the sacrament of Holy Eucharist and went to the
extent of changing and overturning nature itself.
He
does not conceal himself under a sparkling diamond or some other
precious stone, because he does not want to abide with man in
an ostentatious manner. But he hides himself under the appearance
of a small piece of bread - man's ordinary nourishment - so that
when received he might enter the heart of man and there take his
delight. Ardenter amantium hoc est - Those who love ardently act
in this way. "O eternal Wisdom," says a saint, "O
God who is truly lavish with himself in his desire to be with
man."
72. How
ungrateful and insensitive we would be if we were not moved by
the earnest desire of eternal Wisdom, his eagerness to seek us
out and the proofs he gives us of his friendship!
How
cruel we would be, what punishment would we not deserve even in
this world, if, instead of listening to him, we turn a deaf ear;
if, instead of loving him, we spurn and offend him. The Holy Spirit
tells us, "Those who neglected to acquire Wisdom not only
inherited ignorance of what is good, but they actually left in
the world a memorial of their folly in that their sins could not
go unnoticed" (Wisd. 10:8).
Those
who during their lifetime do not strive to acquire Wisdom suffer
a triple misfortune. They fall (a) into ignorance and blindness,
(b) into folly, (c) into sin and scandal.
But
how unhappy they will be at the door of death when, despite themselves,
they hear Wisdom reproach them, "I called you and you did
not answer (Prov. 1:24). All the day long I held out my hands
to you and you spurned me. Sitting at your door, I waited for
you but you did not come to me. Now it is my turn to deride you
(Prov. 1:26). No longer do I have ears to hear you weeping, eyes
to see your tears, a heart to be moved by your sobs, or hands
to help you."
How
great will be their misery in hell! Read what the Holy Spirit
himself has to say about the miseries, the wailings, the regrets
and the despair of the fools in hell who, all too late, realise
their folly and misfortune in rejecting the eternal Wisdom of
God. "They are now beginning to speak sensibly - but they
are in hell" (Wisd. 5:14).
73. Above
all else let us seek and long for divine Wisdom. "All other
things that are desired are not to be compared with Wisdom"
(Prov. 3:15). And again, "Nothing that you desire can be
compared with him" (Prov. 8:11). You may desire the gifts
of God and even heavenly treasures, but if you do not desire Wisdom
you desire always something of far less worth.
If
only we could realise what Wisdom actually is, i.e. an infinite
treasure made for man - and I must confess that what I have said
about him really amounts to nothing at all - we would be longing
for him night and day. We would fly as fast as we could to the
ends of the earth, we would cheerfully endure fire and sword,
if need be, to merit this infinite treasure.
But
we must beware of choosing a wrong wisdom, because there is more
than one kind.
74. God
himself has his Wisdom, the one and only true Wisdom which we
should love and seek as a great treasure. The corrupt world also
has its wisdom which must be condemned and detested, for it is
evil and destructive. Philosophers also have their wisdom which
must be spurned as useless for it can often endanger our salvation.
So
far we have been speaking of God's wisdom to those who are spiritually
mature, as the Apostle calls them (cf. 1 Cor. 2:6), but lest they
be deceived by the false glitter of worldly wisdom, let us unmask
its hypocrisy and malice.
75. The
wisdom of the world is that of which it is said, "I will
destroy the wisdom of the wise (1 Cor. 1:19; cf. Is. 29:14), i.e.
those whom the world calls wise." "The wisdom of the
flesh is an enemy of God" (Rom. 8:7), and does not come from
above. It is earthly, devilish and carnal (Jas. 3:15).
This
worldly wisdom consists in an exact conformity to the maxims and
fashions of the world; a continual inclination towards greatness
and esteem; and a subtle and endless pursuit of pleasure and self-interest,
not in an uncouth and blatant way by scandalous sin, but in an
astute, discreet, and deceitful way. Otherwise the world would
no longer label it wisdom but pure licentiousness.
76. In
the opinion of the world, a wise man is one with a keen eye to
business; who knows how to turn everything to his personal profit
without appearing to do so. He excels in the art of duplicity
and well-concealed fraud without arousing suspicion. He thinks
one thing and says or does another. Nothing concerning the graces
and manners of the world is unknown to him. He accommodates himself
to everyone to suit his own end, completely ignoring the honour
and interests of God. He manages to make a secret but fatal reconciliation
of truth and falsehood, of the gospel and the world, of virtue
and sin, of Christ and Belial. He wishes to be considered an honest
man but not a devout man, and most readily scorns, distorts and
condemns devotions he does not personally approve of. In short,
a man is worldly-wise who, following solely the lead of his senses
and human reasoning, poses as a good Christian and a man of integrity,
but makes little effort to please God or atone by penance for
the sins he has committed against him.
77. The
worldly man bases his conduct on personal honour, on "What
will people say?", on convention, on high living, on self-interest,
on ceremonious manners, and on witty conversation. These seven
principles are the irreproachable supports on which, he believes,
he can safely depend to enjoy a peaceful life.
The
world will canonise him for such virtues as courage, finesse,
tactfulness, shrewdness, gallantry, politeness and good humour.
It stigmatises as serious offences, insensitiveness, stupidity,
poverty, boorishness and bigotry.
78. He
obeys as faithfully as he can the commandments which the world
gives him:
You shall be well acquainted with the world.
You shall be respectable.
You shall be successful in business.
You shall hold on to whatever is yours.
You shall rise above your background.
You shall make friends for yourself.
You shall frequent fashionable society.
You shall seek the good life.
You shall not be a kill-joy.
You shall not be singular, uncouth or over-pious.
79. Never
has the world been so corrupt as it is now, for never has it been
so cunning, so wise in its own way, and so crafty. It cleverly
makes use of the truth to foster untruth, virtue to justify vice,
and the very maxims of Jesus Christ to endorse its own so that
even those who are wisest in the sight of God are often deceived.
"Infinite
is the number of these men, wise in the sight of the world but
foolish in the eyes of God" (Eccles. 1:15).
80. Earthly
wisdom of which St James speaks, is love for the things of this
world. Worldly men secretly subscribe to this wisdom when they
set their hearts on worldly possessions and strive to become rich.
They institute court proceedings and engage in needless disputes
to acquire wealth or hold on to it. Most of the time they are
thinking, speaking, acting with the sole aim of acquiring or keeping
some temporal possession. They pay little or no attention to their
eternal salvation or to the means of saving their souls, such
as Confession, Holy Communion, prayer, etc.; except in an offhand
way out of routine, once in a while, and for the sake of appearances.
81. The
wisdom of the flesh is the love of pleasure. This is the wisdom
shown by the worldly-wise who seek only the satisfaction of the
senses. They want to have a good time. They shun everything that
might prove unpleasant or mortifying for the body, such as fasting,
and other austerities. Usually they think only of eating, drinking,
playing, laughing, enjoying life and having a good time. They
must always be comfortable and insist on having entertaining pastimes,
the best of food and good company.
They
regale themselves with all these pleasures without the least scruple,
with no disapproval from the world and no inconvenience to their
health. Then they can go looking for some broad-minded confessor
(that is how they describe lax confessors who shirk their duty)
to obtain from him on easy terms the peaceful sanction for their
soft and effeminate way of living and a generous pardon for their
sins. I say "on easy terms" because these worldly people
usually want as a penance only a few prayers or a small offering
to the poor. They detest anything that could possibly cause them
any bodily discomfort.
82. Diabolical
wisdom is the love and esteem of honours. This is the wisdom of
the worldly-wise who, secretly, of course, long for distinctions,
honours, dignities and high offices. They strive to be seen, esteemed,
praised and applauded by men. In their studies, their work, their
undertakings, their words and actions, all they want is the esteem
and praise of men, to be reputed as devout or learned people,
as great leaders, eminent lawyers, men of great and distinguished
merit or deserving of high consideration. They cannot bear insult
or blame and so they hide their shortcomings and parade their
better qualities.
83. We
must, like our Lord Jesus Christ, incarnate Wisdom, detest and
condemn these three kinds of false wisdom if we are to possess
the true one, which is not self-seeking, not found in the world
nor in the heart of those who lead a comfortable life, and which
loathes everything that men consider great and noble.
84. Besides
worldly wisdom, which is pernicious and must be condemned, there
is the natural wisdom of philosophers.
It
was this natural wisdom that the Egyptians and Greeks eagerly
sought for, "The Greeks look for wisdom" (1 Cor. 1:22).
Those who had acquired this wisdom were called magi or wise men.
This wisdom consists in an eminent knowledge of nature in its
primary elements. It was given in full to Adam before the Fall.
It was conferred on Solomon, and down through the ages many great
men have received it, as history testifies.
85. Philosophers
boast that their wisdom is acquired through philosophical argumentation.
Alchemists boast of cabalistic secrets for finding the philosopher's
stone in which, they imagine, this wisdom is to be found.
It
is true that scholastic philosophy, when studied in a truly Christian
way, develops the mind and enables it to understand the higher
sciences, but it will never confer that so-called natural wisdom
which the ancients prided themselves on possessing.
86. The
science of alchemists, which purports to teach that natural bodies
can be reduced to their basic principles, is still more worthless
and dangerous. This science, although valid in itself, has duped
and deceived multitudes of people regarding the end it proposes
to attain. Judging by my own experience, I am sure that the devil
is using this false science to cause a loss of money and time,
as well as grace, and even the soul itself, under the pretext
of finding the philosopher's stone. No other science claims to
accomplish such great effects by such obvious means.
This
science claims to produce the philosopher's stone or a powder
(which they call "projection") which, when thrown upon
any metal in a liquid state, will change it into silver or gold,
which will restore health, cure illnesses, even prolong life,
and effect countless marvels which ignorant people believe are
divine and miraculous.
There
is a group of people who consider themselves experts in this science
and who are called "Cabalists" and these keep such a
close guard on the hidden mysteries of this science that they
would rather lose their life than reveal its so-called secrets.
87. They
justify what they teach by:
(1)
The history of Solomon, whom they firmly believe had been given
the secret of the philosopher's stone, and as proof they produce
a secret book which is false and insidious, entitled "The
Clavicle of Solomon".
(2)
The history of Esdras, to whom God gave a heavenly liquid to drink
and which gave him "wisdom", as is related in the seventh
book of Esdras.
(3)
The history of Raymond Lully and of several great philosophers
who say they have found this philosopher's stone.
(4)
Finally, the better to cover their imposture with a cloak of piety,
they call it a gift of God, which is given only to those who have
persevered in asking for it and who have merited it by their works
and prayers.
88. I
have given an account of the fantasies or illusions of this futile
science so that like many others you may not be deceived. I know
that some who, after having spent so much money and wasted so
much time, under the most laudable and pious pretexts in the world
and in a most devoted manner, have finally regretted everything
and confessed their pretence and their delusions.
I
do not admit that the philosopher's stone is a possibility. A
learned man named Del Rio is certain it is and has given proofs;
others deny it. Be that as it may, it is not befitting, it is
even dangerous, for a Christian to occupy himself in seeking it.
It would be an insult to Jesus Christ, Wisdom incarnate, in whom
are found all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge of God (Col.
2:3) as well as every gift of nature, grace and glory. It implies
disobedience to the Holy Spirit who tells us in Ecclesiasticus
3: "Do not seek what is beyond your capabilities" (Sir.
3:22).
89. So
let us remain with Jesus, the eternal and incarnate Wisdom. Apart
from him, there is nothing but aimless wandering, untruth and
death. "I am the way, I am the truth, I am the life"
(Jn. 14:6). Now let us see the effects of Wisdom in souls.
90. Eternal
Wisdom, ever transcendent in beauty, by nature loves everything
that is good, especially the good of man (Wisd. 7:22), and consequently
nothing gives him more pleasure than to communicate himself. That
is why the Holy Spirit tells us that Wisdom is for ever seeking
throughout the world for souls worthy of him (Wisd. 6:17), and
he fills these holy souls with his presence making them "friends
of God and prophets" (Wisd. 7:27).
In
former times he entered into the soul of God's servant Moses and
filled him with abundant light to see great things, and endowed
him with prodigious power to work miracles and gain victories.
"He entered the soul of the servant of God and withstood
fearsome kings with signs and wonders" (Wisd. 10:16).
When
divine Wisdom enters a soul, he brings all kinds of good things
with him and bestows vast riches upon that soul. "All good
things came to me along with him and untold riches from his hand"
(Wisd. 7:11). This is Solomon's own testimony to the truth after
he had received Wisdom.
91. Among
the countless effects eternal Wisdom produces in souls, often
in such a secret way that the soul is not aware of them, the most
usual are the following:
92. (1)
Eternal Wisdom communicates his Spirit of enlightenment to the
soul that possesses him, "I prayed, and understanding was
given to me. I pleaded and the spirit of wisdom came upon me"
(Wisd. 7:7). This subtle and penetrating spirit (cf. Wisd. 7:22-24)
enables a man, as it enabled Solomon, to judge all things with
keen discernment and deep penetration. "Because of Wisdom,
who communicated his spirit to me, I shall be found keen in judgement
and even the great shall be surprised in my presence" (Wisd.
8:11).
93. Eternal
Wisdom communicates to man the great science of holiness as well
as the natural sciences, and even the most secret ones when they
are needed. "If anyone desires deep knowledge, eternal Wisdom
knows the past and can forecast the future. He understands the
subtleties of speech and the lessons of parables" (Wisd.
8:8). To Jacob he gave the science of the saints (Wisd. 10:10).
To Solomon he gave a true knowledge of the whole of nature (Wisd.
7:17). He revealed to him countless secrets that no one before
him had ever known (Wisd. 7:21).
94. From
this infinite source of light the great Doctors of the Church,
like St Thomas (as he himself testifies) drew that eminent knowledge
for which they are renowned. Note that this enlightened understanding
given by eternal Wisdom is not dry, barren and unspiritual, but
radiating splendour, unction, vigour and devotion. It moves and
satisfies the heart at the same time as it enlightens the mind.
95. (2)
Wisdom gives man not only light to know the truth but also a remarkable
power to impart it to others. "Wisdom has the voice to convey
knowledge" (Wisd. 1:7). Wisdom knows what we want to say
and communicates to us the art of saying it well, for "he
opened the mouths of those who were dumb and made the tongues
of babies eloquent" (Wisd. 10:21).
He
cured Moses of his impediment of speech (cf. Ex. 4:10- 12). He
imparted his words to the prophets, enabling them "to root
up and to pull down, to destroy and to demolish, to build and
to plant" (Jer. 1:10), although they acknowledged that left
to themselves they could speak no better than children (Jer. 1:6).
It
was eternal Wisdom who gave the apostles the facility they had
to preach the gospel everywhere and to proclaim the wonderful
works of God (Acts 2:11). "He made their mouths a real treasury
of words."
Since
divine Wisdom is the Word of God throughout time and eternity,
he has never ceased speaking and by his word everything was made
and everything was restored (cf. Jn. 1:3- 13). He spoke through
the mouths of the prophets and apostles (Cf. No. 47) and he will
go on speaking through the mouths of those to whom he gives himself
until the end of time.
96. But
the words that divine Wisdom communicates are not just ordinary,
natural, human words; they are divine, "truly the words of
God" (1 Thess. 2:13). They are powerful, touching, piercing
words, "sharper than a two-edged sword" (Heb. 4:12),
words that go from the heart of the one through whom he speaks
straight to the heart of the listener. Solomon is referring to
this gift of Wisdom he himself had received when he said that
God gave him the grace to speak according to the feelings of his
heart (Wisd. 7:15).
97. These
are the words which our Lord promised to his apostles, "I
will give you an eloquence and a wisdom that none of your adversaries
will be able to resist" (Lk. 21:15).
How
few preachers there are today who possess this most wonderful
gift of eloquence and who can say with St Paul, "We preach
the wisdom of God" (1 Cor. 2:7). Most of them speak according
to the natural light of their minds, or from what they have taken
from books. They do not speak under the impulse of divine Wisdom
or from a heart filled to overflowing with wisdom (Mt. 12:34).
That is why in these times we see so few conversions made through
preaching. If a preacher had truly received from eternal Wisdom
this gift of eloquence, his listeners would hardly be able to
resist his words, as happened in the early days of the Church:
"They could not resist the wisdom and the Spirit speaking
in him" (Acts 6:10). Such a preacher would speak with so
much unction and such authority (Mk. 1:22) that his words could
never be ineffectual and void (cf. Is. 55:10-11).
98. (3)
Eternal Wisdom, besides being the object of the eternal Father's
delight, and the joy of angels (cf. Nos. 10,19,55), is also the
source of purest joy and consolation for man who possesses him.
He gives to man a relish for everything that comes from God and
makes him lose his taste for things created. He enlightens his
mind with the brightness of his own light and pours into his heart
an indescribable joy, sweetness and peace even when he is in the
midst of the most harrowing grief and suffering, as St Paul bears
witness when he exclaims, "I exceedingly abound with joy
in all our tribulations" (2 Cor. 7:4).
Whenever
I go into my house, says Solomon, even though I am alone, I will
take my rest with Wisdom because Wisdom's company is always pleasing,
his companionship is never tedious but always satisfying and joyful
(Wisd. 8:16). And not only at home did I find joy in conversing
with him, but everywhere and in everything, because Wisdom went
before me (Wisd. 7:12). There is a true and holy joy in Wisdom's
friendship (Wisd. 8:18), while the joys and pleasures we find
in created things are illusory, leading only to affliction of
spirit.
99. (4)
When eternal Wisdom communicates himself to a soul, he gives that
soul all the gifts of the Holy Spirit and all the great virtues
to an eminent degree. They are: the theological virtues - lively
faith, firm hope, ardent charity; the cardinal virtues - well-ordered
temperance, complete prudence, perfect justice, invincible fortitude;
the moral virtues - perfect religion, profound humility, pleasing
gentleness, blind obedience, complete detachment, continuous mortification,
sublime prayer, etc. These are the wonderful virtues and heavenly
gifts described briefly by the Holy Spirit when he says, "If
anyone loves justice, great virtues are again Wisdom's handiwork,
for he teaches temperance and prudence, justice and fortitude.
Nothing in the world is more useful to man in this life than these"
(Wisd. 8:7).
100. (5)
Finally, as "nothing is more active than Wisdom" (Wisd.
7:24), he does not leave those who enjoy his friendship to languish
in mediocrity and negligence. He sets them on fire, inspiring
them to undertake great things for the glory of God and the salvation
of souls. In order to discipline them and make them more worthy
of himself, he permits them to engage in strenuous conflicts and
in almost everything they undertake they encounter contradictions
and disappointments.
At
times, he allows the devil to tempt them, the world to calumniate
and scorn them, their enemies to defeat and crush them, their
friends and relatives to forsake and betray them. Sometimes they
may have to suffer illness or loss of possessions, and at other
times endure insults, sadness and heartbreak. In short, Wisdom
tests them thoroughly in the crucible of tribulation like god
is tested in a furnace.
"But
their affliction", says the Holy Spirit, "was light
and their reward will be great, for God has put them to the test
and found them worthy of himself. He has tried them like gold
in a furnace and accepted them as sacrificial victims. When the
time comes, he will look upon them with favour" (Wisd. 3:4,6).
It
is Wisdom who enriched the virtuous man in his labours and enabled
him to reap the fruit of his toil. He came to his aid against
those who were trying to deceive him and made him prosperous.
He protected him against his enemies, shielded him against seducers
and engaged him in combat so that he might come through victorious
and so convince him that Wisdom is more powerful than anything
in the world (Wisd. 10:10).
101. We
read in the life of Blessed Henry Suso, a Dominican friar, that
in his eagerness to possess Wisdom, he often offered himself to
undergo any torment in return for his friendship. One day he said
to himself, "Do you not know that lovers endure suffering
upon suffering for the sake of the one they love? For them wakeful
nights are pleasant, fatigue is delightful, labour is restful,
once they are assured that the one they love is pleased and grateful.
If men go to such lengths to please a mere mortal, are you not
ashamed to show weakness in your resolve to obtain Wisdom? No,
eternal Wisdom, I will never falter in my love for you, even though
I have to plunge through thicket and bush to reach you, even though
I have to undergo a thousand torments in body and soul. I will
always prize your friendship more than anything else on earth
and you will always have the first place in my affections."
102. While
travelling a few days later, he fell into the hands of robbers
who beat him so unmercifully that they themselves could not help
pitying him. Seeing himself in such a state, Henry Suso forgot
his resolution to be brave no matter what might happen and gave
way to deep depression, weeping and wondering why God had afflicted
him in this way. As he pondered over his plight, he fell asleep.
Early next morning he heard a voice reproaching him, "Look
at this warrior of mine. He can scale mountains, climb over rocks,
break into strongholds, cut to pieces his enemies when everything
is going right for him. But when he meets with adversity his courage
fades and he is helpless and useless. In time of consolation he
is a fierce lion, but in time of tribulation he is a timid deer.
Wisdom does not share his friendship with such faint-hearted cowards."
At
this reprimand, Blessed Henry confessed he was wrong in giving
way to excessive discouragement, and went on to ask divine Wisdom
to allow him to weep and so unburden his heart weighed down by
grief.
"No,"
replied the voice, "all the saints in heaven would lose their
respect for you,. were you to cry like a baby or a woman. Wipe
away your tears and show the world a cheerful face."
103. The
cross, then, is the portion and reward of those who desire or
already possess eternal Wisdom. But our loving Saviour numbers,
weighs and measures everything and sends crosses to his friends
in proportion to their strength, and tempers them with divine
unction to such an extent that their hearts are filled with joy.
104. When
the eternal Word, eternal Wisdom, decided in the grand council
of the Blessed Trinity (cf. Nos. 41-46) to become man in order
to restore fallen humanity, it is possible he made it known to
Adam, and Scripture tells us he promised the patriarchs of the
Old Law that he would become man in order to redeem the world.
This
explains why, during the 4,000 years since the creation of the
world, all the holy people of the Old Law pleaded earnestly in
their prayers for the coming of the Messiah. They groaned, they
wept and cried out, "Clouds, rain forth the just one. Earth,
bud forth the Saviour" (cf. Is. 45:8). "O Wisdom, who
proceeded from the mouth of the Most High, come bring us deliverance."
But
their cries, their prayers, and their sacrifices had not the power
to draw the Son of God, Wisdom Eternal, from the bosom of his
Father. They reached out towards heaven but their arms were not
long enough to reach the throne of the Most High. They offered
the sacrifice of their hearts unceasingly to God but they were
not worthy enough to obtain the greatest of all graces.
105. At
last, when the time appointed for the redemption of mankind came,
eternal Wisdom built himself a house worthy to be his dwelling-place
(Prov. 9:1). He created the most holy Virgin, forming her in the
womb of St Anne with even greater delight than he had derived
from creating the universe. It is impossible on the one hand to
put into words the gifts with which the Blessed Trinity endowed
this most fair creature, or on the other hand to describe the
faithful care with which she corresponded to the graces of her
Creator.
106. The
torrential outpouring of God's infinite goodness which had been
rudely stemmed by the sins of men since the beginning of the world,
was now released precipitately and in full flood into the heart
of Mary. Eternal Wisdom gave to her all the graces which Adam
and his descendants would have received so liberally from him
had they remained in their original state of justice. The fullness
of God, says a saint, was poured into Mary, in so far as a mere
creature is capable of receiving it. O Mary, masterpiece of the
Most High, miracle of eternal Wisdom, prodigy of the Almighty,
abyss of grace! I join all the saints in the belief that only
the God who created you knows the height, the breadth and the
depth of the grace he has conferred on you.
107. During
the first fourteen years of her life the most holy Virgin Mary
grew so marvellously in the grace and wisdom of God and responded
so faithfully to his love that the angels and even God himself
were filled with rapturous admiration for her. Her humility, deep
as an abyss, delighted him. Her purity so other-worldly drew him
down to her. He found her lively faith and her ceaseless entreaties
of love so irresistible that he was lovingly conquered by her
appeals of love. "So great was the love of Mary," explains
St Augustine, "that it conquered the omnipotent God"
- O quantus amor illius qui vincit omnipotentem.
Wondrous
to relate, this divine Wisdom chose to leave the bosom of his
Father and enter the womb of a virgin and there repose amid the
lilies of her purity. Desiring to give himself to her by becoming
man in her, he sent the archangel Gabriel to greet her on his
behalf and to declare to her that she had won his heart and he
would become man within her if she gave her consent. The archangel
fulfilled his mission and assured her that she would still remain
a virgin while becoming a mother. Notwithstanding her desire to
be lowly, Mary wholeheartedly gave the angel that priceless consent
which the Blessed Trinity, all the angels and the whole world
awaited for so many centuries. Humbling herself before her Creator
she said" "Behold the handmaid of the Lord. Let it be
done to me according to your word" (Lk. 1:38).
108. Notice
that at the very moment Mary consented to become the Mother of
God, several miraculous events took place. The Holy Spirit formed
from the most pure blood of Mary's heart a little body which he
fashioned into a perfect living being: God created the most perfect
soul that ever could be created. Eternal Wisdom, the Son of God,
drew the body and soul into union with his person. Here we have
the great wonder of heaven and earth, the prodigious excess of
the love of God. "The Word was made flesh" (Jn. 1:14).
Eternal Wisdom became incarnate. God became man without ceasing
to be God. This God-man is Jesus Christ and his name means Saviour.
109. Here
is a summary of his divine life on earth:
1.
He wished to be born of a married woman, though she was indeed
a virgin, lest he should be reproached as one born out of wedlock.
Other important reasons are given by Fathers of the Church. His
conception, as we have just said, was announced to the Blessed
Virgin by the angel Gabriel. He became a child of Adam without
inheriting Adam's sin.
110. 2.
His conception took place on Friday, 25th March, and on 25th December
the Saviour of the world was born at Bethlehem and was cradled
in a manger in a poor stable. An angel brought the news of the
Saviour's birth to shepherds who were keeping watch over their
flocks in the fields. He invited them to go to Bethlehem to adore
their Saviour. At the same time they heard celestial music, voices
of angels singing, "Glory to God in the heavens and peace
on earth to men who are God's friends" (Lk. 2:14).
111. 3.
On the eighth day after his birth, as prescribed by the Law of
Moses, he was circumcised, even though he was not subject to the
law, and he was called Jesus, the name that came from heaven.
Three wise men came from the east to adore him having learnt of
his birth through the appearance of an extraordinary star which
guided them to Bethlehem. This event is celebrated on 6th January,
the feast of the Epiphany, that is, the manifestation of God.
112. 4.
Forty days after his birth he chose to offer himself in the Temple,
observing all that the Law of Moses prescribed for the redeeming
of the first-born. Some time later the angel told St Joseph, spouse
of the Blessed Virgin, to take the infant Jesus and his Mother
into Egypt to escape the wrath of Herod. This he did. Some authors
hold the opinion that our Lord stayed in Egypt for two years;
others say for three, and others such as Baronius, think it was
as many as eight years. He sanctified the whole of the country
by his presence by making it worthy to be dwelt in by the holy
hermits, as history has shown. Eusebius tells us that at the approach
of Jesus the devils took to flight, and St Athanasius adds that
the idols toppled over.
113. 5.
At the age of twelve the Son of God, sitting among the doctors,
questioned them with such wisdom that all his hearers were filled
with admiration. After this incident the gospel makes no mention
of him until his baptism when he was thirty years old. He then
retired into the desert, abstaining from food and drink for forty
days. There he fought the devil and vanquished him.
114. 6.
After this he began to preach in Judea, choosing his apostles
and working all the miracles related in the gospels. I need only
mention that Jesus during the third year of his public preaching
and at the age of thirty-three, raised Lazarus from the dead,
made his triumphant entry into Jerusalem on the 29th day of March,
and on the 2nd day of April which was Thursday, the fourteenth
day of the month of Nisan, celebrated the Pasch with his disciples,
washed the feet of the apostles and instituted the sacrament of
the holy Eucharist under the species of bread and wine.
115. 7.
On the evening of this day he was apprehended by his enemies with
Judas the traitor at their head. The next day, 3rd April, even
though it was a feast-day of the Jews, he was condemned to death
after being scourged, crowned with thorns, and treated most shamefully.
That
same day he was led to Calvary and nailed to a cross between two
criminals. The God of all innocence thus chose to die the most
shameful of all deaths and undergo the torments which should have
been incurred by a robber named Barabbas whom the Jews had preferred
to him. The ancient Fathers believed that Jesus was attached to
the cross by four nails and that there was in the middle of the
cross a wooden support on which his body rested.
116. 8.
After languishing for three hours, the Saviour of the world died
at the age of thirty-three. Joseph of Arimathea had the courage
to ask Pilate for the body and laid it in a new sepulchre which
he had built. We must not forget that nature showed its sorrow
at the death of its maker by many marvellous happenings which
took place at the moment of his death. He rose from the dead on
the fifth day of April and appeared several times to his Mother
and his disciples during forty days. On Thursday, 14th May, he
took his disciples to Mount Olivet and there in their presence,
by his own power he ascended into heaven to take his place at
the right hand of his Father, leaving on this earth the imprint
of his sacred feet.
117. As
the divine Wisdom became man only to stir the hearts of men to
love and imitate him, he took pleasure in gracing his human nature
with every kind of quality, especially an endearing gentleness
and a kindness without any defect or blemish.
118. If
we consider him in his origin he is everything that is good and
gentle. He is a gift sent by the love of the eternal Father and
a product of the love of the Holy Spirit. He was given out of
love and fashioned by love (Jn. 3:16). He is therefore all love,
or rather the very love of the Father and the Holy Spirit.
He
was born of the sweetest, most tender and the most beautiful of
all mothers, Mary, the divinely favoured Virgin. To appreciate
the gentleness of Jesus we must first consider the gentleness
of Mary, his Mother, whom he resembles by his pleasing nature.
Jesus is Mary's child; consequently there is no haughtiness, or
harshness, or unpleasantness in him and even less, infinitely
less, in him than in his Mother, since he is the eternal Wisdom
and therefore pure gentleness and beauty.
119. The
prophets, who had in advance been shown the incarnate Wisdom,
referred to him as a sheep and a lamb because of his gentleness.
They foretold that because of his gentleness "he would not
break the bruised reed nor quench the smoking flax" (Is.
42:3). He is so full of kindness that even if a poor sinner be
weighed down, blinded, and depraved by his sins, with already,
as it were, one foot in hell, he will not condemn him unless the
sinner compels him to do so.
St
John the Baptist for almost thirty years lived in the desert practising
austerities to gain the knowledge and love of incarnate Wisdom.
No sooner had he seen Jesus approaching than he pointed him out
to his disciples, exclaiming, "Behold the Lamb of God. Behold
him who takes away the sins of the world." (Jn. 1:29). He
did not say, as seemingly he should, "Behold the Most High,
behold the King of Glory, behold the Almighty." But knowing
him more thoroughly than any man at any time, he said: Behold
the Lamb of God, behold that eternal Wisdom who, to captivate
our hearts and to take away our sins, has gathered into his person
all that is meek in God and in man, in heaven and on earth.
120. But
what does the name of Jesus, the proper name of incarnate Wisdom
signify to us if not ardent charity, infinite love and engaging
gentleness? The distinctive characteristic of Jesus, the Saviour
of the world, is to love and save men. "No song is sweeter,
no voice is more pleasing, no thought is more appealing, than
Jesus Son of God." How sweet the name of Jesus sounds to
the ear and the heart of a chosen soul! Sweet as honey to the
lips, a delightful melody to the ears, thrilling joy to the heart.
121.
"Gentle is Jesus in his looks, and in his words and actions."
The face of our loving Saviour is so serene and gentle that it
charmed the eyes and hearts of those who beheld it. The shepherds
who came to the stable to see him were so spellbound by the serenity
and beauty of his face that they tarried for many days gazing
in rapture upon him. The three Kings, proud though they were,
had no sooner seen the tender features of this lovely child than,
forgetting their high dignity, they fell down on their knees beside
his crib. Time and again they said to one another, "Friend,
how good it is to be here! There are no enjoyments in our palaces
comparable to those we are experiencing in this stable looking
at this dear Infant-God."
When
Jesus was still very young, children and people in trouble came
from the country around to see him and find comfort and joy. They
would say to each other, "Let us go and see young Jesus,
the lovely child of Mary." St John Chrysostom says, "The
beauty and majesty of his face were at once so sweet and so worthy
of respect that those who knew him could not prevent themselves
from loving him, and distant kings, hearing of his beauty, desired
to have a painting of him. It is even said that our Lord by special
favour sent his portrait to King Abogare. Some writers tell us
that the Roman soldiers and the Jews covered his face in order
to strike and buffet him freely because there was in his eyes
and face such a kindly and ravishing radiance as would disarm
the most cruel of men.
122. Jesus
is also gentle in his words. When he dwelt on earth he won everyone
over by his gentle speech. Never was he heard to raise his voice
or argue heatedly. The prophets foretold this of him (Is. 42:2).
Those who listened to him with good intentions were charmed by
the words of life which fell from his lips and they exclaimed,
"No man has ever spoken as this man" (Jn. 7:46). Even
those who hated him were so surprised at his eloquence and wisdom
that they asked one another, "Where did he get such wisdom?"
(Mt. 13:54). No man has ever spoken with such meekness and unction.
"Where did he acquire such wisdom in his speech?" they
asked.
Multitudes
of poor people left their homes and families and went even as
far as the desert to hear him, going several days without food
or drink, for his gentle words were food enough for them. The
apostles were led to follow him by his kindly manner of speaking.
His words healed the incurable and comforted the afflicted. He
spoke only one word, - "Mary" - to the grief-stricken
Mary Magdalene and she was overwhelmed with joy and happiness.
123. Finally,
Jesus is gentle in his actions and in the whole conduct of his
life. "He did everything well" (Mt. 7:37), which means
that everything he did was done with such uprightness, wisdom,
holiness and gentleness that nothing faulty or distorted could
be found in him. Let us consider what gentleness our loving Saviour
always manifested in his conduct.
124. Poor
people and little children followed him everywhere seeing him
as one of their own. The simplicity, the kindliness, the humble
courtesy and the charity they witnessed in our dear Saviour made
them press close about him. One day when he was preaching in the
streets the children who were usually about him, pressed upon
him from behind. The apostles who were nearest to our Lord pushed
them back. On seeing this Jesus rebuked his apostles and said
to them, "Do not keep the children away from me" (Mt.
19:14). When they gathered about him he embraced and blessed them
with gentleness and kindness.
The
poor, on seeing him poorly dressed and simple in his ways, without
ostentation or haughtiness, felt at ease with him. They defended
him against the rich and the proud when these calumniated and
persecuted him, and he in his turn praised and blessed them on
every occasion.
125. But
how describe the gentleness of Jesus in his dealings with poor
sinners: his gentleness with Mary Magdalene, his courteous solicitude
in turning the Samaritan woman from her evil ways, his compassion
in pardoning the adulterous woman taken in adultery, his charity
in sitting down to eat with public sinners in order to win them
over? Did not his enemies seize upon his great kindness as a pretext
to persecute him, saying that his gentleness only encouraged others
to transgress the law of Moses, and tauntingly called him the
friend of sinners and publicans? With what kindness and concern
did he not try to win over the heart of Judas who had decided
to betray him, even when Jesus was washing his feet and calling
him his friend! With what charity he asked God his Father to pardon
his executioners, pleading their ignorance as an excuse.
126. How
beautiful, meek and charitable is Jesus, the incarnate Wisdom!
Beautiful from all eternity, he is the splendour of his Father,
the unspotted mirror and image of his goodness. He is more beautiful
than the sun and brighter than light itself. He is beautiful in
time, being formed by the Holy Spirit pure and faultless, fair
and immaculate, and during his life he charmed the eyes and hearts
of men and is now the glory of the angels. How loving and gentle
he is with men, and especially with poor sinners whom he came
upon earth to seek out in a visible manner, and whom he still
seeks in an invisible manner every day.
127. Do
you think that Jesus, now that he is triumphant and glorious,
is any the less loving and condescending? On the contrary, his
glory, as it were, perfects his kindness. He wishes to appear
forgiving rather than majestic, to show the riches of his mercy
rather than the gold of his glory.
128. Read
the accounts of his apparitions and you will see that when Wisdom
incarnate and glorified showed himself to his friends, he did
not appear accompanied by thunder and lightning but in a kindly
and gentle manner. He did not assume the majesty of a King or
of the Lord of hosts, but the tenderness of a spouse and the kindliness
of a friend. On some occasions he has shown himself in the Blessed
Sacrament, but I cannot remember having read that he ever did
so otherwise than in the form of a gentle and beautiful child.
129. Not
long ago an unhappy man, enraged because he had lost all his money
at gambling, drew his sword against heaven, blaming our Lord for
the loss of his money. Then, instead of thunderbolts and fiery
darts falling upon this man, there came fluttering down from the
sky a little piece of paper. Quite taken aback, he caught the
paper, opened it and read, "O God, have mercy on me."
The sword fell from his hands, and, stirred to the depths of his
heart, he fell on his knees and begged for mercy.
130. St
Denis the Areopagite relates that a certain bishop, Carpas by
name, had, after a great deal of trouble, converted a pagan. On
hearing afterwards that a fellow-pagan had lost no time in making
the new convert abjure the faith, Carpas earnestly prayed to God
all night to wreak vengeance and punishment upon the guilty one
for his attack on the supreme authority of God. Suddenly, when
his fervour and his entreaties were reaching their peak, he saw
the earth opening and on the brink of hell he saw the apostate
and the pagan whom the demons were trying to drag into the abyss.
Then lifting up his eyes, he saw the heavens open and Jesus Christ
accompanied by a multitude of angels coming to him and saying,
"Carpas, you asked me for vengeance, but you do not know
me. You do not realise what you are asking for, nor what sinners
have cost me. Why do you want me to condemn them? I love them
so much that if it were necessary I would be ready to die again
for each one of them." Then our Lord approached Carpas, and,
uncovering his shoulders, said to him, "Carpas, if you want
to take vengeance, strike me rather than these poor sinners."
131. With
this knowledge of eternal Wisdom, shall we not love him who has
loved us and still loves us more than his own life; and whose
beauty and meekness surpass all that is loveliest and most attractive
in heaven and on earth?
132. We
read in the life of Blessed Henry Suso that one day the eternal
Wisdom, whom he so ardently desired, appeared to him. It happened
in this way. Our Lord appeared in human form surrounded by a bright
transparent cloud and seated upon a throne of ivory. A brightness
like the rays of the sun at noonday radiated from his eyes and
face. The crown he wore signified eternity; his robe blessedness;
his word meekness; his embrace the fullness of bliss possessed
by all the blessed. Henry contemplated this spectacle of the divine
Wisdom. What surprised him most was to see Jesus at one moment
appearing as a young maiden of incomparable heavenly and earthly
beauty and, at the next moment, appearing as a young man who,
judging from his face, would seem to have espoused all that is
beautiful in God's creation. Sometimes he saw him raise his head
higher than the heavens and at the same time tread the chasms
of the earth. Sometimes he looked wholly majestic and at other
times condescending, gentle, meek and full of tenderness for those
who came to him. Then he turned to Henry and said with a smile,
"My son, give me your heart" (Prov. 23:26). At once
Henry threw himself at his feet and offered him for all time the
gift of his heart.
Following
the example of this holy man, let us offer eternal Wisdom for
all time the gift of our heart. That is all he asks for.
133. 1.
If anyone wishes to follow me, let him deny himself, take up his
cross and follow me. Lk. 9:23.
2.
If anyone loves me, he will keep my commandments, and my Father
will love him and we will come to him. Jn. 14:23.
3.
If you present your gift at the altar and you remember that your
brother has something against you, leave your gift before the
altar and go make peace with your brother. Mt. 23:24.
134. 4.
If someone comes to me and does not hate his father, mother, wife,
children, brothers and sisters and even his own life, he cannot
be my disciple. Lk. 14:26.
5.
Whoever has left his house, or brothers or sisters, or children,
or inheritance, out of love for me, will receive a hundredfold
reward and will possess eternal life. Mt. 19:29.
6.
If you wish to be perfect, go sell what you possess and give to
the poor and you will have treasure in heaven. Mt. 19:21.
135. 7.
Not everyone who cries out to me, "Lord, Lord" will
enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who obeys the will of
my heavenly Father will enter there. Mt. 7:21.
8.
Whoever hears my words and obeys them is like a wise man who builds
upon solid rock. Mt. 7:24.
9.
I tell you solemnly, if you do not change and become as children
you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Mt. 18:3.
10.
Learn from me, for I am gentle and humble of heart and you will
find rest for your souls. Mt. 11:29.
136. 11.
When you pray, beware of acting like those hypocrites who love
to stand and pray in their synagogues so that men may notice them.
Mt. 6:5.
12.
Of what use is it when you pray to use many words, since your
heavenly Father knows your needs before you place them before
him. Mt. 6:7.
13.
As you prepare to pray, forgive your neighbour the wrongs he may
have committed against you so that your heavenly Father may show
mercy to you. Mk. 11:25.
14.
When you ask God in prayer for anything, believe that you will
receive it, and you will indeed receive it. Mk. 11:24.
137. 15.
When you are fasting, do not imitate those gloomy hypocrites who
go about looking worn out to show others they are fasting. I tell
you solemnly, they have already received their reward. Mt. 6:16.
138. 16.
There will be greater rejoicing in heaven when one sinner is seen
to be penitent than when ninety-nine just people show no repentance.
Lk. 15:7.
17.
I have not come to call the just, but to call sinners and draw
them to repentance. Lk. 5:32.
139. 18.
Blessed are they who suffer persecution for the sake of justice,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Mt. 5:10.
19.
Blessed are you when men hate you and reject you from their company
because of the Son of man; rejoice, for your reward will be great
in heaven. Lk. 6:22.
20.
If the world hates you and persecutes you, recall that it hated
me before you. If you belonged to the world, the world would love
you as its own; but because I have chosen you, it will hate you.
Jn. 15:18.
140. 21.
Come to me all you who are afflicted and heavily- burdened and
I will refresh you. Mt. 11:28.
22.
I am the bread of life come down from heaven. If anyone eats of
this bread he will live for ever, and the bread that I give is
my flesh. Jn. 6:51.
23.
My food is the real food and my blood is the real drink. Whoever
eats my flesh and drinks my blood lives in me and I live in him.
Jn. 6:55,56.
141. 24.
You will be hated by all men because of me, but I promis