Wisdom Comes From GOD

 "All wisdom comes from the LORD and endures with HIM forever.

The grains of sand, the drops of rain and the days of eternity, who can count them?

The height of heaven, the extent of the earth and the depths of the abyss, who can measure them?

Wisdom was created before all things and the prudent intellect before the beginning of time.

To whom was the source of Wisdom revealed?  Who has known her secret designs?

One alone is wise and greatly to be feared.  The One who is seated upon HIS throne.

The LORD HIMSELF created Wisdom.  HE looked on her and knew her value.  HE poured her out over all HIS works, upon all mortal beings, in accordance with HIS goodness.  HE lavished her on those who love HIM."

- Sirach 1:1-10

(In this poem, the author professes his faith.  To those who think they are more modern because they seek human wisdom and doctrine, he simply declares that true wisdom consists in trusting GOD and fearing HIM.)

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Do Not Seek Revenge Or Nurture A Grudge Against One Of Your People, But Love Your Neighbor As Yourself

 "YAHWEH spoke to Moses and said, 'Speak to the entire assembly of the people of Israel and say to them: Be holy for I, YAHWEH, your GOD, AM holy.

Do not hate your brother in your heart; rebuke your neighbor frankly so as not to share in his guilt.  Do not seek revenge or nurture a grudge against one of your people but love your neighbor as yourself; I AM YAHWEH.'" - Leviticus 19:1-2. 17-18 

(Do not seek revenge... but love your neighbor as yourself.  Here, neighbor means the brother of the same race.  They must be loved and there must be solidarity with them because GOD embraces with the same love all those who belong to HIS people.

Such a solidarity with those of one's own nation exists in all religions but there is as well the aggression or hostility towards the foreigner.  When JESUS speaks to us of love which does not cease at the frontiers of a people [Luke 10:25; Matthew 5:43], it will not be a simple extension of the term "neighbor": it will be the discovery of another relation beyond the solidarity practiced naturally by humans as in the case with certain animals.)

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The Transfiguration Of JESUS

 "Six days later, JESUS took with HIM Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain.  There, HIS appearance was changed before their eyes.  Even HIS clothes shone, becoming as white as no bleach of this world could make them.  Elijah and Moses appeared to them; the two were talking with JESUS.

Then Peter spoke and said to JESUS, 'Master, it is good that we are here; let us make three tents, one for YOU, one for Moses, and one Elijah.'  For HE did not what to say: they were overcome with awe.  But a cloud formed, covering them in a shadow, and from the cloud came a voice, 'This is MY Son, the Beloved: listen to HIM!'  And suddenly, as they looked around, they no longer saw anyone except JESUS with them.

As they came down the mountain, HE ordered them to tell no one what they had seen, until the Son of Man had risen from the dead.  So, they kept this to themselves, although they discussed with one another what 'to rise from the dead' could mean." - Mark 9:2-10 

(The transfiguration of JESUS is the midpoint of Mark's Gospel.

This manifestation is in fact one of the most important in the New Testament.  In the liturgy of oriental Churches, the feast of the Transfiguration holds a place of supreme importance.

Though not the summit, it is in fact the summary of all revelation.  Moses and Elijah, the spokesmen of the Law and the Prophets [in a word, of all the Old Testament] present the CHRIST of the Gospel to the apostles Peter, James, and John, those who will be responsible for the preaching of the Gospel.)

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Take Up Your Cross

 "Then JESUS called the people and HIS disciples, and said, 'If you want to follow ME, deny yourself; take up your cross and follow ME.  For if you choose to save your life, you will lose it; and if you lose your life for MY sake, and for the sake of the gospel, you will save it.

What good is it, to gain the whole world, while destroying your soul?  There is nothing more precious than your soul.  I tell you, if anyone is ashamed of ME and of MY words, among this adulterous and sinful people, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of HIM, when HE comes in the glory of HIS FATHER with the holy angels.'

And HE went on to say, 'Truly I tell you, there are some here who will not die before they see the kingdom of GOD coming with power.'" - Mark 8:34-9:1 

(Take up your cross.  JESUS tells us that to follow HIM is to follow the same path that took HIM to the cross.  To reach maturity it is necessary to renounce our life; in other words, we must risk ourselves for something noble instead of being concerned about our own future; we must find a lifestyle that will help us excel in the way of love; and we must accept that our life may be a future according to others' way of thinking [Luke 17:33; John 12:23-25].

Taking up our cross by accepting freely the sacrifices that the FATHER sends each day, we receive from that moment something even more marvelous than what was sacrificed: inner freedom and more profound happiness [Mark 10:30].

If anyone is ashamed of ME and of MY words.  The believer who follows the words of CHRIST without fear of what may be asked of her is attacked without mercy by many who call themselves Christians.  For we live in the midst of an adulterous people, in other words, people who without verbally denying GOD, in fact, serve other gods [Matthew 6:24; John 8:42].)

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Peter's Profession Of Faith

 "JESUS set out with HIS disciples for the villages around Caesarea Philippi; and on the way HE asked them, 'Who do people say I AM?'  And they told HIM, 'Some say, YOU are John the Baptist; others say, YOU are Elijah of one of the prophets.'

Then JESUS asked them, 'But you, who do you say I AM?'  Peter answered, 'YOU are the Messiah.'  And HE ordered them not to tell anyone about HIM.

JESUS then began to teach them that the Son of Man had to suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law.  HE would be killed, and after three days rise again.  JESUS said all this quite openly, so that Peter took HIM aside and began to protest strongly.  But JESUS, turning around, and looking at HIS disciples, rebuked Peter, saying, 'Get behind ME, Satan!  You are thinking not as GOD does, but as people do.'" - Mark 8:27-33

(Here the Gospel already foretells the tragic end.  For the first time, the apostles take account of who their Master is.

YOU are the Messiah.  CHRIST is a Greek word that means the Messiah in Hebrew.  They both mean: the anointed or consecrated one.  This term designated the long-awaited Savior.  The apostles discover that JESUS is the Messiah, the Liberator, but HE teaches them that the Son of Man [the Human One] has to suffer many things.

Why does JESUS call HIMSELF the Son of Man?  For two reasons: first, because one page in Scripture speaks of the Son of Man who gloriously comes from GOD to judge all people and to rule all the nations [Daniel 7:13].  Second, because JESUS is the perfect Human and bears the destiny of Humanity.

JESUS had to suffer, because this is the fate of sinners. HE had to suffer and be rejected by the authorities, because this is the destiny of those who proclaim the truth.  HE had to freely go to HIS death because self-sacrifice is the only means for the salvation of the world.)

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Cure Of The Blind Man At Bethsaida

 "When they came to Bethsaida, JESUS was asked to touch a blind man who was brought to HIM.  HE took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village.  When HE had put spittle on his eyes and laid HIS hands upon him, HE asked, 'Can you see anything?'  The man, who was beginning to see, replied, 'I see people!  They look like trees, but they move around.'  Then JESUS laid HIS hands on his eyes again and the man could see perfectly.  His sight was restored, and he could see everything clearly.

Then JESUS sent him home, saying, 'Do not return to the village.'" - Mark 8:22-26 

(When a person, blind from birth, regains his sight, it takes time for him to gradually focus on objects and to understand what his new eyes see.  JESUS again laid HIS hands on this blind man's eyes.

The same is true in the spiritual realm.  JESUS does not let us see everything at once, but conversion is realized bit by bit.

Do not return to the village.  If so, all the people would go looking for JESUS to see HIM and touch HIM and clamor for a miracle.  JESUS came instead for an authentic encounter with people.)

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Beware Of The Yeast Of The Pharisees

 "The disciples had forgotten to bring more bread and had only one loaf with them in the boat.  Then JESUS warned them, 'Keep your eyes open, and beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod.'  And they said to one another, 'HE saw that we have no bread.'

Aware of this, JESUS asked them, 'Why are you talking about the loaves you are short of?  Do you not see or understand?  Are your minds closed?  Have you eyes that don't see and ears that don't hear?  And do you not remember when I broke the five loaves among five thousand?  How many baskets full of leftovers did you collect?'  They answered, 'Twelve.'  'And having distributed seven loaves to the four thousand, how many wicker baskets of leftovers did you collect?'  They answered, "Seven.'  Then JESUS said to them, 'Do you still not understand?'" - Mark 8:14-21 

(JESUS tells HIS apostles to beware of the Pharisee's spirit [of becoming like the Pharisees] but they do not listen, being concerned about the food.

JESUS says: Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees, meaning their teaching [Matthew 16:12].  The Pharisees saw JESUS as a popular worker-wonder who threatened their authority as a religious and popular leader of the people.  Since the disciples had forgotten to bring more bread, they missed JESUS' point about the leaven of the Pharisees.  JESUS fears that HIS disciples, because of being common people, would let themselves be impressed by the knowledge and fame of the Pharisees, and HE warns them that these people build religion on the wrong basis.

JESUS agreed with the Pharisees on the general way of understanding the Scriptures, but not the spirit of many among them.  As "master" HE chose a way opposed to theirs.  Instead of a teaching that comes from above HE became part of a natural group of quite simple people and formed them through action.  HE made them reflect on what they saw, on what they did, and above all on what GOD was doing among them as they worked with HIM.)

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Why Do The Pharisees Demand A Sign?

 "The Pharisees came and started to argue with JESUS.  Hoping to embarrass HIM, they asked for some heavenly sign.  Then HIS spirit was moved.  HE gave a deep sigh and said, 'Why do the people of this present time ask for a sign?  Truly, I say to you, no sign shall be given to this people.'  Then HE left them, got into the boat again, and went to the other side of the lake." - Mark 8:11-13 

(The Pharisees do not see the fruits of JESUS' teaching.  They do not see the thousands of anonymous disciples who are rediscovering hope and who are gradually transformed.  They do not see that GOD had visited the poor.  JESUS is going to clash more and more with this powerful group, the most respected in Jewish society and a question comes to our mind: if JESUS came today, wouldn't HE shock many people who think they are the pillars of the Church?)

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Human Beings Are Free And Responsible

 "If you wish, you can keep the commandments and it is in your power to remain faithful.

HE has set fire and water before you; you stretch out your hand to whichever you prefer.

Life and death are set before man: whichever a man prefers will be given him.

How magnificent is the wisdom of the LORD!  HE is powerful and all-seeing.

HIS eyes are on those who fear HIM.  HE knows all the works of man.

HE has commanded no one to be godless and has given no one permission to sin." - Sirach 15:15-20 

(This poem clearly declares that human beings are free and responsible.  In his letter [1:13], James will recall the first sentence of this paragraph.  In Deuteronomy 30:15-20, Moses already told his people: "Life and death are before you; choose."

At times the Scriptures seems to say that GOD pushes a person to sin in order to punish him later [see Exodus 10:27; 2 Samuel 24:1]; yet there is no doubt that humans are free.  The Israelites were so convinced that nothing is done without GOD, that they had trouble explaining how someone can sin without this being GOD's will.  Even though they lacked the words to express it, they always saw human beings as persons responsible for their actions.)

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Pondering The Brevity Of Life

 "Before the mountains were formed, before YOU made the earth and the world, from eternity to eternity--YOU are GOD.

YOU turn humans back to dust, saying, 'Return, O mortals!'

A thousand years in YOUR sight are like a day that has passed, or like a watch in the night.

YOU sow them in their time, at dawn they peep out.  In the morning they blossom, but the flower fades and withers in the evening.

So, make us know the shortness of our life, that we may gain wisdom of heart.

How long will YOU be angry, O YAHWEH?  Have mercy on YOUR servant."

- Psalm 90:2-6. 12-13

(The 'anger' and 'wrath' of GOD have been used before [cf. Psalm 6:2] as a description of the brevity and the pain of life.

What is the meaning of our life?  What are our values?  We cannot elaborate a 'tomorrow' for ourselves, without counting on GOD.  This psalm can help us.

Our days pass like a sigh.  Our earthly life is short and frail before the face of the eternal GOD.  HE is our refuge and can give meaning to our existence.  Let us ask HIM to fill it with wisdom, which is to love HIM, praise HIM and serve HIM.)

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