Wisdom: Seeing Through the Eyes of God

A reflection by Mother Maria-Michael Newe.

The gift of Wisdom is the highest of all gifts.  We hear in the first reading from the Second letter to the Corinthians, “If what was going to fade was glorious, how much more will what endures be glorious?”  Whatendures.  Wisdom is the aspect of seeing all things through the eyes of God, through the eyes of eternity.  It gives value to those things that endure.  All things are seen through the eyes of eternity.  What are the ramifications that will last?  I found in the dictionary of Biblical Theology the definition of True Wisdom:

The revelation of true wisdom is made in a paradoxical manner.  It is not to the wise and prudent that it is accorded but to the little ones.  In order to confound the proud sages, God chose what was foolish in the eyes of the world.
It goes further to say:

In order to make it wise according to God.  For Christian wisdom is not acquired by human effort at all, but through the Father’s revelation.  In itself, it is a Divine thing, mysterious and hidden, impossible for human intelligence to fathom.  Though made manifest by the historical accomplishments of salvation, it cannot be communicated except by the Spirit of God, to those who are docile to him.

The one way to acquire wisdom is to have a listening heart.  If we want wisdom, we have to simply take time to ask God.  “Father, what should I do with this?  What will make it good for the whole?  What are the things I need in order to acquire the blessings of eternity?  What are the ramifications of these actions and will they resound with a blessing?  Will it go further than myself?”

Wisdom is, truly, seeing things through the eyes of God. That is the only way Christ could have faced the Cross. Seeing the ramification for eternity and the salvationnecessary for all.  Otherwise you couldn’t do it.  That’s true even for our life here at the Abbey.  If we don’t see it in the eyes of eternity, how could we live it?  If we only saw it in the value for Sr Maria Josepha and Peterthe world – it would mean nothing.  But through the eyes of God and through the eyes of what will happen for eternity, makes it perfectly sound.  And perfectly desirable. It puts a turn on everything and children get it!  It is only when we get older and we start grasping the things of the world that we lose our childlike wisdom.  It is through the eyes of innocence and docility that we can best grasp wisdom.  So take a hold of it, pray for it, and live it.