The Gift of Wisdom

“Give me wisdom, that sitteth by thy throne, and cast me not off from among thy children. Send her out of thy holy heaven and from the throne of thy majesty, that she may be with me, and may labor with me, that I may know what is acceptable with thee” (Wis. 9, 4–10).

First Prelude: Represent to yourself the heart of the just man as the throne of the Holy Ghost, whence He guides the soul.

Second Prelude: Grant me heavenly wisdom, O Holy Spirit, that I may love and esteem the folly of the cross.

First Point

The Gift of Wisdom Teaches Us to Esteem Real Treasures

St. Bernard says of the gift of wisdom: “It is the love of virtue, and a joy in all that is good. When it enters a soul it overrules sin, banishes the taste for evil, cleanses the understanding and restores perfect order in the soul.” While the children of the world pursue honors, pleasures, riches or other temporal goods, the soul in possession of true wisdom refers all to her last end, which she alone seeks and pursues, in which she rejoices in all things. To love poverty, contempt, crosses and sufferings is folly in the judgment of the world. In the school of the Holy Ghost, however, such folly, which relishes only what caused joy to Christ and the saints, is true wisdom. It is well with us, if guided by the principles of the saints, we always seek what is above and not here below.

What gratitude do we owe the Holy Ghost for having given us a distaste for so many things after which the children of the world strive with the expenditure of so much energy. Of them the Holy Spirit lamenting, says: “And they to whom she shall show herself love her by the sight, and by the knowledge of her great works” (Eccles. 1, 15). Let us entreat Him to cleanse our souls more and more, that enlightened by His wisdom we may taste the hidden Manna, which the faithful souls find in poverty, in humiliations and in the cross. Oh, that we may never share the misfortune of religious who in their blindness go so far as to regulate their desires according to the maxims of the world, and fix them only on earthly things.

Second Point

Wisdom is the Consummation of Love

By the gift of wisdom the Holy Ghost perfects divine love in the hearts of men. The light of holy wisdom diffused in the soul clearly depicts the nothingness of earthly things and the great worth of eternal goods. It impels our will with a holy vehemence to crush natural tendencies and to give the entire heart to God alone. Souls in possession of this gift know no love save the love of God and of neighbor. They know no other grief than sorrow for sin and for the loss of souls. They entertain no other desire than to labor and suffer for God, what and how it pleases Him. They enjoy perfect peace, because the things that ordinarily disturb the peace of the most perfect souls, make no impression whatsoever upon them. In virtue of this heavenly gift the souls become, as it were, insensible to humiliations and ill-treatment, even to temporal ills. The Holy Ghost ennobles all the powers of their soul and conducts them to the consummation of a God-pleasing life, to the perfection of love.

Having once recognized the inestimable worth of heavenly wisdom, should we not, like the saints, ardently desire to possess it? But do we employ the proper means, do we seek to cleanse our hearts more and more by mortification and the combat of our evil tendencies? Do we place unlimited power at the disposal of the Holy Ghost to accomplish our regeneration, and do we implore Him ardently: “Send down, O Lord, Thy Wisdom from heaven, that it may labor with me, and I may recognize what is pleasing to Thee?”

Affections:

O Holy Spirit, give me true wisdom, which credits all things only with the value that they possess in Thy sight. It is truly the hidden Manna whose taste he alone recognizes who has received it. Why should I not ardently desire this precious gift which has brought me all good things? But, alas, I lack the preparation which Thou, O Spirit of purity and sanctity, wouldst find in my heart. Therefore, I cry to Thee: “Heal our wounds, our strength renew; on our dryness pour Thy dew; wash the stains of guilt away.” Hear the desires of my heart, not according to my deserts, but according to Thy infinite Goodness and Mercy! Our Lady, Seat of Wisdom, obtain for me grace to follow thee in the practice of every virtue, and thus to be truly wise.

Resolution:

I will accept every suffering that befalls me in the spirit of faith, as a means to become more closely united to God.

Spiritual Bouquet:

“Come, Holy Ghost, fill the hearts of Thy faithful, and enkindle in them the fire of Thy love.”

Prayer:

Our Father…