St. Mary of the Assumption

Maple Park, Illinois

February 2019 Parish Calendar

March 2019 Parish Calendar

 

St. Bernard, one of the great saints of the medieval period, said in one of his sermons, Let us work in it [I.e, the world, which is the field of Our Lord’s activity] and dig up wisdom, its hidden treasure, a treasure we all look for and want to obtain.  Why do we want wisdom?  Because it is one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, that empowers us to live the Christian life.  When you received the Sacrament of Confirmation you were given a renewed strength in the gift of wisdom, first given to you in Baptism.

Wisdom is the gift that enables to know how to live out the truths revealed to us by God.  Quoting the Holy Scriptures St. Bernard said, blessed is the man who finds wisdom and is full of prudence.

Later in this sermon St. Bernard speaks of how we can live out the virtue of wisdom in our lives.  He says this:

There are three ways for wisdom or prudence to abound in you: if you confess your sins, if you give thanks and praise, and if your speech is edifying.

In our day we know that confession of sin through the Sacrament of Reconciliation is rare for a multitude of Catholics.  We seem to have bought into the cultural denial of sin, and see what is sinful as just psychological shortcomings. Perhaps we need to stop and ask a question: “Why is the official name of the sacrament “reconciliation” instead of “confession?”  The answer: because the confession of sins is only one part of the Sacrament.  Confession leads to forgiveness of the sins confessed, but reconciliation is the restoration of our relationship with God. Forgiveness means “You’ve done wrong to me, but I don’t need to take revenge and have you suffer.”  Reconciliation means “Our relationship is now restored to what it was before.”  Not all forgiveness necessarily leads to reconciliation, but our reconciliation to God is at the heart of the Sacrament.  That’s why we promise to “do my penance and amend my life” in the Sacrament.

As for giving thanks and praise—the second way in which wisdom lives in us—we can ask ourselves the question, “How much of my prayer is mainly God, give me this, and how much is praising and glorifying and thanking God just for Who He is?”  One of the benefits that came out of the Catholic charismatic movement was a renewed emphasis on praising and glorifying God.

The third aspect of living a life filled with wisdom is the matter of edifying people in our speech.  The dictionary says “to edify” means “to instruct and improve, especially in moral and religious knowledge.”  We might say it means “to give good example in what we say, so that people are encouraged to be better.”  In the Letter of James we are reminded:

… No human being can tame the tongue — a restless evil, full of deadly poison.  With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who are made in the likeness of God.  From the same mouth come blessing and cursing.  My brethren, this ought not to be so. [James 3:8b-10]

In a week and a half we will prepare for Lent with the observance of Ash Wednesday.  I suggest we think about what we need to do during Lent: in what way do I need a deeper conversion to Christ...in my thinking?...in my speaking?...in my actions?...what does the use of my five senses (sight, hearing, touching, smelling, tasting) tell me about how I am living out the Christian life? What could use improvement?