The Wisdom Of God Is Realized In His Kingdom Among Us
Introduction
The author of the book of Wisdom gives high praise to wisdom. The author has Greek culture (neither Nigerian nor Jewish), thus, he calls wisdom a woman. She is personified, she is like a spirit that moves. She is like the breath of God that orders all things well.
To the Pharisees and perhaps to the disciples too, anxiously looking for signs, Jesus says: The kingdom of God is among you, right in your midst. It is already present in our lives. In other words, be wise and be committed to the present, to building up God’s kingdom now. Seek eternity and eternal life in the present, and God’s good day will come in God’s good time.
1 Reading: Wisdom 7:22b–8:1
In Wisdom is a spirit intelligent, holy, unique, Manifold, subtle, agile, clear, unstained, certain, Not baneful, loving the good, keen, unhampered, beneficent, kindly, Firm, secure, tranquil, all-powerful, all-seeing, And pervading all spirits, though they be intelligent, pure and very subtle. For Wisdom is mobile beyond all motion, and she penetrates and pervades all things by reason of her purity. For she is an aura of the might of God and a pure effusion of the glory of the Almighty; therefore nought that is sullied enters into her. For she is the refulgence of eternal light, the spotless mirror of the power of God, the image of his goodness. And she, who is one, can do all things, and renews everything while herself perduring; And passing into holy souls from age to age, she produces friends of God and prophets. For there is nought God loves, be it not one who dwells with Wisdom. For she is fairer than the sun and surpasses every constellation of the stars. Compared to light, she takes precedence; for that, indeed, night supplants, but wickedness prevails not over Wisdom. Indeed, she reaches from end to end mightily and governs all things well.
Responsorial Psalm: Ps 119:89, 90, 91, 130, 135, 175
R. (89a) Your word is for ever, O Lord.
Your word, O LORD, endures forever;
it is firm as the heavens. R.
Through all generations your truth endures;
you have established the earth, and it stands firm. R.
According to your ordinances they still stand firm:
all things serve you. R.
The revelation of your words sheds light,
giving understanding to the simple. R.
Let your countenance shine upon your servant,
and teach me your statutes. R.
Let my soul live to praise you,
and may your ordinances help me. R.
Alleluia: John 15:5
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I am the vine, you are the branches, says the Lord:
whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel: Luke 17:20-25
Asked by the Pharisees when the Kingdom of God would come, Jesus said in reply, “The coming of the Kingdom of God cannot be observed, and no one will announce, ‘Look, here it is,’ or, ‘There it is.’ For behold, the Kingdom of God is among you.” Then he said to his disciples, “The days will come when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it. There will be those who will say to you, ‘Look, there he is,’ or ‘Look, here he is.’ Do not go off, do not run in pursuit. For just as lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day. But first he must suffer greatly and be rejected by this generation.”
Commentary
Jesus lived in a period of intense end-time expectation, with popular hope centered on the coming of the kingdom of God and the messiah. In his response to the Pharisees in today’s Gospel, Jesus indicates that their anticipation that the kingdom of God will come at a specific point in the future is misplaced. Jesus works and his teaching clearly indicate that the kingdom is already present in their midst. The closing verses may well have been directed to his own followers, who were anxious to see the Son of Man in his glory. That day will come, and Christ’s glory will be fully evident. But first he must follow the path of suffering.
Wisdom in today’s first reading is found primarily in God but also in the marvels of creation. Wisdom is pure and unsullied; no form of corruption is found in her. She enters the souls of humans and produces friends of God. Wisdom in the human order is the proper guiding of one’s life in accordance with God’s will. For the Jew, this was the law; for the Christian wisdom is the Spirit of Jesus himself.
Our belief is centered in the fact that the kingdom in its initial stage is present in our life. Baptism, the Eucharist, the scriptures are our expressions of the kingdom. And where do we find wisdom? In our formation in the faith. Sad to say, many of our young people today are instructed for the reception of the sacraments and nothing more. But to learn the message of Jesus and to live his life requires a deepening of our faith and a willingness to live a life in conformity with that wisdom that he imparts.
Blessing
The kingdom of God is among us. It is here if we have accepted Christ and let him light up our lives, in realities that are not so directly measurable: justice, forgiveness, love, peace, goodness. May Almighty God help us to build up this kingdom with Christ, our Lord and bless you for this task, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen!