PRAYING WITH
THE BOOK OF WISDOM
INTRODUCTION
The title of my homily is, “Praying With the Book of Wisdom.”
We get today’s first reading - Wisdom 7: 22b-8:1 - only once in the Lectionary and only every
other year - on this 32 Thursday in Ordinary Time.
If you have some time today step back in here and read this
reading - hear this reading again - before it slides back into unconsciousness.
It’s all about Wisdom - SOPHIA - in Greek and I am not conscious of ever praying for wisdom
- for SOPHIA. Maybe I did at my confirmation - but that
period in my life, I was unconscious. As
well as today ….
This reading describes wisdom with about 40 different
descriptions.
BACKGROUND
Last night I
did a little bit of research to
come up with a short homily for this morning,
The Book of Wisdom is not in the Jewish Bible - which has
a few books of wisdom - but not as many as the Septuagint - which becomes the
Old Testament of the Catholic Bible.
Next I tried to find out if there was a copy - in Greek -
of this book in the Qumran Caves. In other words - was it found in the Dead
Sea Scrolls caves? There were a few Greek documents in there. Nope - not the Book of Wisdom as far as I could figure - sniffing around the Internet
Hebrew thought and theology had the theme of wisdom -
especially in 3 wisdom Books in the Hebrew Bible: Job, Proverbs and Ecclesiastes.
First let me describe what kind of literature, wisdom is
not.
It’s not historical memories - like the exodus and the
wars to get land. It does not deal with the covenant, or the Temple or
Jerusalem.
It’s not the prophets.
Wisdom literature has different concerns: for example,
maintaining good relationships and understanding human experiences.
The Book of Wisdom - called Wisdom - today’s first reading - which is only in the
Septuagint - is the last of the Old Testament books - from around the first
century before Christ.
It would be an attempt to help Jewish folks in Alexandria
- how to be up to date with their Greek counterparts.
I need to take more time as well as prayer on Wisdom and
the Jewish wisdom literature.
CONCLUSION
I do love the Eastern Rite custom in their liturgy of holding up the readings
- the Lectionary - in the air as they chant, “Wisdom Be Attentive.”
When about to work on a homily I like to put my hands on
the Bible, the Lectionary or the readings of the day and say, “Wisdom Be Attentive.”
So when you have some time, read today’s first reading
again - and reflect upon all the words it uses to express what SOPHIA is.
