seek wisdom, seek understanding
august 18, 2024, 20th Sunday in ordinary Time. Year B.
Proverbs 9:1-6; Psalm 34; Ephesians 5: 15-20; John 6:51-58
Seek wisdom, Seek understanding (Proverbs 4:5)
Wisdom is a gift from God given to all who seek it. It is the ability to apply truth in specific situations for godly purposes. Seeking wisdom is seeking the ability to discern or judge what is true, right or lasting. In a world torn apart by war, strife, family divisions and various political ideologies and conflicts, today’s readings invite us to seek wisdom and understanding as lasting solutions for a happy life. If we are to become true Christians and better people, we are encouraged to seek the true nourishment from Jesus, the bread of life, and to live in a way that pleases God.
“Come, eat of my bread and drink of the wine I have mixed” (Proverbs 9:5)
Invitation: Live wisely
The Book of Proverbs would like us to walk in the way of simplicity and insight. This is the way that helps us to leave behind foolishness, drunkenness, debauchery, the illusion of power and violence, money and pleasure. The true wisdom as we hear from Ephesians is to live wisely; being careful in how to live a godly life and make good decisions in accordance with the will of God. True wisdom is to live according to the Holy Spirit, which is the spirit of prayer, gratitude and thanksgiving in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord to God the Father. This is the true understanding of life.
Jesus, the Living Bread, our True wisdom
True wisdom is the understanding and the acceptance of the foundational mystery of Jesus as the living bread in the Eucharist. Again today, he tells us:
“My flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed”.
The wisdom which builds the house for us today is the Eucharist is the food of eternal life, the spiritual nourishment, the true sustenance that comes from Christ in the Eucharist. To explain the truth of the reality of Christ in the Eucharist, there is a story of a charter that flew from Uruguay crossing the Andes Mountains to Chile in October 1972. It never reached its destination. All forty passengers on board were presumed dead. But 72 days later, 16 emerged alive to tell how they had survived on the snow capped slope where their plane had crashed. The world was stunned to learn their story. For food, they had eaten the flesh of the passengers who had died in the crash.
To us, Jesus says:
“Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you.”
No wonder St. John Chrysostom wrote:
“How many of you say, I would like to see his face, his garments, his sandals. You do see him, you touch him, you eat him. He gives himself to you, not only that you may see him – but also to be your food and your nourishment.”
Prayer: Heavenly Father, we thank you for the gift of your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, Open our hearts to love him and to receive him.
Living the Gospel This Week
This week, St. Paul is advising us to live with joyful hearts. How can we stay focused on God’s goodness throughout this week? St. Paul himself answers this question by inviting us to pray regularly, singing spiritual songs, and giving thanks to God. Keeping a grateful heart helps us remember His blessings! Meditate on the words of St. John Chrysostom: “Happiness can only be achieved by looking inward and learning to enjoy whatever life has and this requires transforming greed into gratitude.”
Happy Sunday to you All.
Fr. Georges Roger BIDZOGO SAC