Thoughts for the Day

Wisdom has built her house,
she has hewn her seven pillars.
She has slaughtered her animals, she has mixed her wine,
she has also set her table.
She has sent out her servant-girls, she calls
from the highest places in the town,
‘You that are simple, turn in here!’
To those without sense she says,
‘Come, eat of my bread
and drink of the wine I have mixed.
Lay aside immaturity, and live,
and walk in the way of insight.’...

The wise, when rebuked, will love you.
Give instruction to the wise, and they will become wiser still;
teach the righteous and they will gain in learning.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.

(Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

In Chapter 9 King Solomon described Wisdom as a woman who offers many gifts to the person who stops to listen and who then obeys her. Now Wisdom is shown as offering hospitality to all who come to her. We have to imagine a large house, built upon solid foundations, with pillars and porticoes, and then apply this to our Church and to our faith - what are their solid foundations? Well the foundations of the Church could be a number of things, most likely either the traditional seven sacraments of the church, or the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit:

• Seven sacraments: Baptism, Confirmation, Holy Communion, Confession, Marriage, Holy Orders, Anointing of the Sick (see 'Further Thoughts' below for a simple explanation).

Or:

• The Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit: Wisdom, Understanding Knowledge, Counsel, Fortitude, Piety, Fear of the Lord (see 'Further Thoughts' below for a simple explanation)

As new christians we have a long way to go on our spiritual journey, but the Church has a lot to teach us. Even when we have been followers of Jesus Christ for many years we still rely on these pillars of wisdom. They remind me of a relay race - of seeing the runners as they struggle round the bends, unable to guess who might be where in the race. I might have received Holy Orders as a priest, but I am not sure I always have the gift of Counsel, that is to choose the right course in life that will best please God. Nor do I have the gift of Piety which gives us joy in prayer, I often have to be pulled kicking and screaming to listen and talk to God, rather than do something more active!

The point is that God offers us His counsel in all these ways, and each of us can learn and grow as we accept God's help, no matter our age or experience in life.

Father-God,
give us wisdom to learn from
all that our Church has to offer;
to travel our spiritual path each day;
to learn from other Christians;
and to help those alongside of us;
so that we, and they, may reach
the goal that You have set before us,
and attain the heavenly realm
in due course.
Amen.