8th Week in Ordinary Time : Saturday 3rd June 2023

To answer a question with another question is a smart move on the part of Jesus. He knows that the chief priests, scribes, and elders are trying to trap Him with a trick question. Jesus, in His wisdom, asks them another thought-provoking question in turn: “Did John’s baptism come from heaven or man?” This question puts them in a dilemma; either answer would get them into trouble. So their appropriate reply to Jesus is, “We do not know.”

The first reading teaches us that we can pray outrightly for wisdom. Wisdom is personified as a woman. She is a God-given gift that we can be grateful for. Aside from praying to receive her, we can fervently seek out wisdom and practise her. Through her, we can advance in our growth. Delighting in her is another aspect put forth by the author of Ecclesiasticus.

To possess wisdom is to be wise in the ordinary sense of the word; it is not merely intelligence. Therefore, wisdom must not be confused with intelligence. To be wise is to be thoughtful and self-reflective; stay calm in a crisis, where one can step back and see the bigger picture; recognise the limits of one’s knowledge; consider alternative perspectives; and remember that the world is constantly changing.

Lord, in my prayers, I ask outright for wisdom; outside the sanctuary, I pray for her, and to the last, I will continue to seek her.