Unknown Prometheus

Praying for wisdom in order to obtain divine friendship

11/16/2017

Wisdom 7:22B–8:1 In Wisdom is a spirit intelligent, holy, unique, Manifold, subtle, agile, clear, unstained, certain, Not baneful, loving the good, keen, unhampered, beneficent, kindly,Firm, secure, tranquil, all-powerful, all-seeing, And pervading all spirits, though they be intelligent, pure and very subtle. For Wisdom is mobile beyond all motion, and she penetrates and pervades all things by reason of her purity. For she is an aura of the might of God and a pure effusion of the glory of the Almighty; therefore nought that is sullied enters into her. For she is the refulgence of eternal light, the spotless mirror of the power of God, the image of his goodness. And she, who is one, can do all things, and renews everything while herself perduring; And passing into holy souls from age to age, she produces friends of God and prophets.

       If God miraculously appeared to you one day and surprisingly said: “Ask of me anything and I will do it for you,” what would you say? Imagine a divine genie popping out of magic lamp, like in the story of Aladdin. Some of us would say “I want to be rich and win the lottery,” which, by the way, really makes Uncle Sam rich. Others might say “I want to marry the most beautiful woman in the world.” Or would you ask for power and prestige? Or perhaps you’d ask for “world peace” like beauty pageant contestants commonly do.

        Well, someone was once given precisely this choice by God. Do you remember who that was, and on what occasion, and what he asked for? It was King Solomon on the night before his coronation as King of Israel. 2 Chronicles 1 records what Solomon wished; he said: “Give me, therefore, wisdom and knowledge to govern this people.” And God was exceedingly pleased with that answer and said: “Because this has been your wish – you did not ask for riches, treasures, and glory, for the life of those who hate you, or even for a long life for yourself, but you have asked for wisdom and knowledge in order to rule my people over whom I have made you king – wisdom and knowledge will be given you.” Then, suddenly, God goes on to give Solomon all those others things he had not asked for, too. How many people would ask for wisdom instead of wealth and women and the wonders of the world? The answer is obvious: what do most people spend their lives pursuing?

         The first reading today presents a virtual “ode to wisdom.” It’s reminiscent of a similar “ode to love” in 1 Corinthians 13, where St. Paul extols the wonders of love, saying, “Love is patient, love is kind, etc.” Scripture scholars traditionally ascribe the authorship of the book of Wisdom to Solomon. After all, God gave Solomon the great gift of wisdom, so he was eminently qualified to write such a book. My favorite part of this ode, is where Solomon says: “And passing into holy souls from age to age, she (Wisdom) produces friends of god and prophets.” In other words, wisdom helps us desire friendship with God above all natural, earthly goods. Because Solomon was wise, he was God’s friend. Divine friendship is the first and best effect of wisdom.

         So, you might be wondering: how do you get some of this wisdom? It’s simple: you ask for it like Solomon did. That is, pray for it. I like to pray with our Confirmation candidates every year before they receive the sacrament of Confirmation. I encourage them by saying: “Lots of people will give you gifts today because they are proud of you for taking this next step in your journey of faith with Jesus. Well, God, too, is proud of you, and He wants to give you a gift, a moment evocative of King Solomon’s coronation day. May I suggest you ask what that ancient king asked for, namely, wisdom?” Now, I’m not sure what they actually ask for, maybe they ask for no more acne on their faces, or to win the state football championship, or to get into medical school, or for world peace.

          One of the wisest philosophers of the last century, in my opinion, was Josef Pieper. He explained how the ancient Greek philosopher, Plato, said wisdom must be sought first and foremost from God. Pieper opined: “[Plato] is also convinced that the ‘wisdom of the ancients’ is ultimately of divine origin: ‘Knowledge came down to us like a flame of light, as a gift from the gods, I am convinced, brought to us by the hand of some unknown Prometheus from a divine source – and the ancients, being better than we are, and nearer to the gods, handed this tradition down to us” (The Philosophical Act, included in Leisure the Basis of Culture, 129). Plato’s description of wisdom sounds strikingly similar to that of Solomon in the book of Wisdom. Both men sought wisdom and both enjoyed friendship with God.

          Next time someone asks you if you could have anything that your hearts desires, I hope you will now ask for wisdom before you ask for anything else. Indeed, if you listen very carefully, you’ll hear God is asking us this question all the time.

Praised be Jesus Christ!