Wednesday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time
What a beautiful selection of readings the Church has chosen for today. In the first reading from the book of Wisdom, one of the main themes is that wisdom is lifegiving; we find fulfillment in gaining wisdom. However, the journey of gaining wisdom has many challenges. As the first reading lays out, wisdom tries the heart with discipline and trust. Struggle is not the end of the story, for an abundance of rewards awaits the one who endures the trials. The parallels between attaining wisdom and faith in Christ are clear. These parallels make sense when we look at the famous verse from the Gospel of John chosen as the Alleluia verse: “I am the way, the truth, and the life, says the Lord.” Thus, following authentic wisdom is following the Lord, and authentic wisdom is found in knowing the Lord. Wisdom is based on the truth. In other words, wisdom is ultimately based on Christ.
I have heard Catholicism stereotyped as the church of “no” due to the many rules we live by. However, this outlines a test we will face when seeking wisdom: do we trust that the wisdom of the Church is true? Furthermore, if the Church is true, are we willing to follow the disciplines in life that it teaches? Ultimately, do we trust that the guidelines of the Church are lifegiving and freeing, or do we see them as keeping down and restraining?
We then come to the Gospel. In it, we read of a man who is not in Jesus’ group, yet he is not admonished for casting out demons in the Lord’s name. Why is this? The individual was proclaiming the truth. This is an example that we can find truths in many places such as other religions. As long as we accept what is true and not false, we will grow closer to the Lord, for truth always points to God, and whoever speaks the truth is on the side of Christ. Let us continually seek the Truth.
Reflection by Collin, seminarian
Posted in Articles for Ordinary Time, Daily Reflections