Subtle, Sharp, Irresistible
16 November 2017
There are joys of the body. There are joys of the soul.
Joy is the fruit of an engagement with good things – both sensual and spiritual. It was St. Thomas Aquinas’ (1225-1274) belief that spiritual joys are deeper, more substantial, than bodily joys. Was he right?
Take a few minutes and become silent – then become still. Now ask the Holy Spirit to inhabit your being. Read this beautiful text from Wisdom 7. Read it slowly. Read it again. Savour it.
Within Wisdom is a spirit intelligent, holy, unique, manifold, subtle, active, incisive, unsullied, lucid, invulnerable, benevolent, sharp, irresistible, beneficent, loving to us, 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.
In each generation she passes into holy souls, she makes them friends of God and prophets; for God loves only the one 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.
Some background. Apparently, the Book of Wisdom was written by a Jew who spoke Greek in the century before Jesus. Why did he or she write it? One commentator says that it was written to solidify the faith of Jews:
Whose faith was shaken by the attraction of the cultural life of Alexandria, its imposing philosophical systems, its advances in the physical sciences, its fascinating mystery religions, astrology, hermetic doctrines, its seductive popular cults.
Change is inevitable. We won’t stop it. Why bother? Change is “part and parcel” of life. But, so is wisdom!
Amidst the vicissitudes of life, wisdom is always helpful, always needed, always humanising, always enlightening, always transforming.
Join me in asking for her today. She will surely come if we open our “door.”
Amen.