SPIRITUAL LIVING
Prayer and Devotions
Where Wisdom Lies
by Father Edward McIlmail, LC
Pray a decade of the rosary or make a visit to the Blessed Sacrament in thanks for your faith.
December 4, 2007
Tuesday of the First Week of Advent
Luke 10:21-24
Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, "I give you praise, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned, you have revealed them to the childlike. Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him." Turning to the disciples in private he said, "Blessed are the eyes that see what you see! For I say to you, many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it."
Introductory Prayer: I am turning to you, Lord, as the true source of guidance in my life. I believe that you are anxious to teach me your ways, which are so foreign to the ways of the world. I know that you love me and will never mislead me. Let this prayer refresh my hope for heaven.
Petition: Let me know, Lord, how I can better prepare my heart for Christmas.
1. The Not-So-Wise Children have a knack for seeing things in all simplicity. They don’t rationalize. They simply see and respond. Like the youngster in the Hans Christian Andersen tale who blurted out that the emperor has no clothes, children speak the truth even when adults sometimes look the other way. As we get older, we might start to excuse things that we once recognized as bad. Racy television shows are now "mature entertainment." Overindulgence in food and drink and material goods is "living the good life." Indifference toward abortion becomes "tolerance." Are there evils that I’ve learned to be comfortable with?
2. Father-Son Secrets Christ came into the world, in part, to reveal something of the inner life of the Holy Trinity. The notion of three Persons in one God would have never occurred to people of the Old Testament, or even to philosophers. The Trinity is simply beyond our human comprehension. Yet, we have a glimpse of it in the person of Jesus Christ. "Whoever has seen me has seen the Father" (John 14:9). Christ’s qualities — his kindness, serenity, strength, nobility — give us some sense of the God to whom we pray. Do I approach prayer as a heart-to-heart conversation with the One who loves perfectly?
3. Sight for Sore Eyes Jesus tells his disciples how blessed they are to be witnesses to the Messiah. To hear the words of the Redeemer of mankind, to see his deeds — this was the dream of generations of the Old Testament faithful. Even today, many don’t know about Christ, or else don’t know about the real Christ. They embrace his talk of mercy and love, but ignore his demands for conversion of heart and justice for the poor. Learning about the complete Christ takes time. It demands prayer, Scripture reading, and works of charity. The center of our faith is a Person. How much do I really know about this Person? How much more should I be learning about him?
Conversation with Christ: Lord, I should be more grateful for the gift of my faith, and for what you have revealed of yourself. So many people live in darkness and doubt. Help me to appreciate the greatness of knowing you and to find ways of imitating you more closely.
Resolution: I will pray a decade of the rosary or make a visit to the Blessed Sacrament in thanks for my faith.
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