The fruits of wisdom


Wednesday of week 5 in Ordinary Time

Mark 7:14-23

Today's readings focus on wisdom; more particularly, that of Solomon and how he impressed the Queen of Sheba.  She was moved to bless Solomon for his wisdom; her gifts were nothing as compared with Solomon's wealth of wisdom.  Eventually, Solomon's wisdom is an offshoot of God's wisdom.

We admit that we gain wisdom in the length of days.  Unless we share to the next generation our mistakes and frailties, they risk committing the same mistakes we've committed.  This is wisdom.

Wisdom is what Jesus explained in the Gospel: "Listen to me, all of you, and understand. Nothing that goes into a man from outside can make him unclean; it is the things that come out of a man that make him unclean."  What comes out of man's heart renders him clean or unclean.  To search the real motives of the heart is what constitutes wisdom.  It is aligned with following God's will and not one's own.

For a Parish community that is in existence for many years, it is also good to evaluate if the programs, aspirations, dreams, and goals are truly the products of God's wisdom in the many men and women who participate in its growth and formation.  Let's evaluate the wisdom of being Church in three aspects:

First product of wisdom is our ability to proclaim God's word.  We cannot proclaim what we don't believe in.  The people of today may be too preoccupied with work and self that eventually, they don't have time for being church.  This is folly.  Wisdom calls us to to believe; then we can proclaim.

Second product of wisdom is service.  We cannot authentically serve or give unless we have God's love in our hearts.  To love as God loves could be the beginning of true wisdom.

Third, Christian witnessing.   Wisdom emanates from our lives; everything reflects the glory of God.  It is to be filled with hope that what we're doing is perfectly in accord with God's plan of salvation.

Only then could we acknowledge that effects of wisdom in our lives: proclamation, service, and witnessing.

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