I am the vine,
you are the branches.
Whoever remains in me, with me in him,
bears fruit in plenty,
says the Lord. JN 15:5
WISDOM 7:22-8:1
My Soul's Beloved,
Having received the gift of wisdom whose source is God our Creator, breathed into You, His Son, with the Breath of the Spirit, through the Sacraments instituted by You, we will walk through this valley of tears with prudence and insight. With the help of wisdom, we will be able to navigate safely all the pitfalls and snares that the Enemy sets out to trap us.
Beloved, You have equipped us with every good gift by the outpouring of Your Holy Spirit on the Church and on us, so we lack nothing that will help us journey from this life to the next. Sadly, we allow the noise of the world, the temptations of the devil, and the desires of our own flesh to lead us in ways where wisdom is absent. Our own folly drowns out her voice, and the more insensitive we become to her gentle promptings, the quieter she becomes.
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, help us to embrace the wondrous gift of wisdom that You have given us, through our cooperation with grace, grant that we allow holy wisdom to rule every aspect of our lives so we can live in holiness and truth fearlessly, boldly, and courageously no matter how difficult the world makes it for us to live as Your disciples. May we die rather than compromise with the world and be ready to risk all for the sake of the Truth that wisdom aparts to all who are saved.
Within Wisdom is a spirit intelligent, holy,
unique, manifold, subtle,
active, incisive, unsullied,
lucid, invulnerable, benevolent, sharp,
irresistible, beneficent, loving to man,
steadfast, dependable, unperturbed,
almighty, all-surveying,
penetrating all intelligent, pure
and most subtle spirits;
for Wisdom is quicker to move than any motion;
she is so pure, she pervades and permeates all things.
She is a breath of the power of God,
pure emanation of the glory of the Almighty;
hence nothing impure can find a way into her.
She is a reflection of the eternal light,
untarnished mirror of God’s active power,
image of his goodness.
Although alone, she can do all;
herself unchanging, she makes all things new.
In each generation she passes into holy souls,
she makes them friends of God and prophets;
for God loves only the man who lives with Wisdom.
She is indeed more splendid than the sun,
she outshines all the constellations;
compared with light, she takes first place,
for light must yield to night,
but over Wisdom evil can never triumph.
She deploys her strength from one end of the earth to the other,
ordering all things for good.
PSALM 118(119):89-91,130,135,175
Your word, O Lord, stands for ever.
Your word, O Lord, for ever
stands firm in the heavens:
your truth lasts from age to age,
like the earth you created.
By your decree it endures to this day;
for all things serve you.
The unfolding of your word gives light
and teaches the simple.
Let your face shine on your servant
and teach me your decrees.
Give life to my soul that I may praise you.
Let your decrees give me help.
Your word, O Lord, stands for ever.
LUKE 17:20-25
My Soul's Beloved,
Yes, the kingdom of God is already among us. It is in our church communities, in her liturgical celebrations, in the lives of families in the parish, in the various spiritual groups and cells, and in parish outreach programs, in the coming together of people with their parish priest and the priests assigned to each parish. To the extent that we are willing to share actively in the life of the church, we will experience the kingdom of God in our midst. But the Kingdom is also in our hearts. When Father, Son, and Spirit abide in us, we are already living in eternity in the temple of our soul housed in our perishable body.
We are one in You together with the Father and the Spirit when we remain one with the Church You founded with Peter's successor, and the successors to the apostles, our bishops. We don't need to run hither, thither, and yon to hear teachings that tickle the ears. We have the Church, which is the pillar and foundation of truth, and here we are fed with the Bread of Life in the Holy Eucharist. We have food for the journey, and as long as we are faithful members of the Church, strengthened by the Sacraments, obedient to God's commandments, and guided always by her teaching authority, humbly and sincerely, in all matters, we will recognize that we are already living in the Kingdom of God that You came to establish on earth. Then we will have nothing to fear at our personal judgment or when You come again in glory to judge the living and the dead.
Asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God was to come, Jesus gave them this answer, ‘The coming of the kingdom of God does not admit of observation and there will be no one to say, “Look here! Look there!” For, you must know, the kingdom of God is among you.’
He said to the disciples, ‘A time will come when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man and will not see it. They will say to you, “Look there!” or, “Look here!” Make no move; do not set off in pursuit; for as the lightning flashing from one part of heaven lights up the other, so will be the Son of Man when his day comes. But first he must suffer grievously and be rejected by this generation.’
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