28th Sunday –October 11 2009
I am very happy to see many couples in the church. You sit together; you chat, travel and fool each other. It is a good sign of your love and appreciation. I remember a story of a couple.
On day a husband said to his wife, "I don't know how you can be so stupid and so beautiful all at the same time." The wife responded, "Allow me to explain. God made me beautiful so you would be attracted to me and God made me stupid so I would be attracted to you!"
It could be a joke with a poke. But it contains wisdom. Wisdom speaks for itself. Wisdom means an experience and understanding. It is not just something that is bookish or up in the air, but what is in the book which is understood and experienced. Wisdom means prudence and the basis of making intelligent decisions.
The book of Wisdom or Wisdom of Solomon makes this passage as part of the speech appears in the first kings 3: 5-15. The Author tells us that his prayer was answered by the spirit of Wisdom coming to him. Solomon preferred the spirit of Wisdom more than the riches.
The second reading from the letter to the Hebrews contains wisdom about the word of God which is considered as living and effective, and a comparison made with a two edged sword penetrating the life of people. A person who reads the word of God understands what God speaks to him, see God and his activities and in the process he is challenged to change oneself. The Word becomes flesh in his life. In the Gospel, we see a man searching of wisdom that is an understanding and experience. For which he raises a question what must I do to inherit eternal life? This person has one aim in life to inherit the eternal life. By the very encounter we come to know him as a morally good person. For him, religion and therefore holiness consisted in being a morally good person in the eyes of God. He openly tells Jesus that he kept all the commandments and has lived a good and in our terms a religious life. He had not harmed any one and had observed what the law expected him to do. But all the emphasis was on himself and his own individual perfection and never went beyond that norm. This rich young man was good; Jesus wanted him to be even better. So he tells him what he has to do for his perfection: “There is one thing lacking. Sell all you have and give to the poor, and then you will have real treasure. After that, come and be with me.” It was an invitation to see God in the needy and the poor. It was an unconditional sacrifice he is called upon to make to be with Jesus. In fact, it had never occurred to him that his wealth was anything but a sign of God’s blessing. He walked slowly and sadly away totally dejected person. To be totally a disciple of Jesus is not to give up something valuable; on the contrary it is to find the secret of real happiness and wealth. What does wisdom say today?
1. Like Solomon pray for wisdom. It means to pray for happiness, peace and serenity at home and society.
2. Take the Word of God, read reflect and live by it which is like a double edged sword. Ignorance of scripture is ignorance of Christ.
3. The real happiness consists in the keeping the commandments of God and Sharing our lot, our prosperity with all especially with the less fortunate people. The Eucharist we celebrate is an experience and expression of sharing his life with us. As we participate, let us pray that God will help us to respond very positively to the god news of today.