From the Pastor’s desk— November 12, 2023

How do we ever know what to do in life? How do we know what is the RIGHT thing to do in life? Too often today, our decisions are left up to feelings and doing what one feels in their heart.  It sounds good to follow our heart, but if we look at the results, we see a world filled with disastrous results that are the product of poor decision making made by capricious hearts from divorce to war when hearts want to get even.  Scripture today reminds us that wisdom is the key for us.

The question then becomes how do I get wisdom?  The Bible is not so clear in how to get it more than saying we need to avoid foolishness. This resonates with what Dean Gee said when he named foolishness as worse than evil because it allows evil to thrive. If foolishness is understood as confusion (in doing the right thing) then that matches that the New Testament speaks of the Evil One as the one who causes confusion. 

Certainly, the Bible says, “the beginning of wisdom is fear of the Lord,” (Prov 9:10) To understand and respect (another word for fear) God certainly is a good start if we understand all wisdom comes from God or God is all-wise.  Yet wisdom is not simply the fear of the Lord, there is something more. 

The understanding of wisdom I like more is that wisdom is the use of intelligence for the common good.  If I consider the common good, I will not get caught in the trap of my personal emotions or feelings. I will not make decisions that only benefit me.  I will look at the wider picture and consider my good and the good of others as well. In this sense wisdom is not so much age dependent, one can grow old and still not grow wise, as the saying says, “There’s no fool like an old fool.” 

St Anthony Claret always encouraged his followers to help our youth grow in the virtues and wisdom is one of the best.  With it, we can continue to discover our vocations in life.  Vocation does not ask me what do I want to do, it asks what are my gifts and how should I use them for others whether that be as a priest or sister, a firefighter, a catechist/PSR formator, a shelter volunteer, or married or single for the Kingdom. With wisdom we will know the right thing to do which is not always obvious or easy, but always what brings us peace

 

   

 

 

 

                     

 

With a heart for Mission,
Fr. Ray