Memorial of St. Gregory the Great, Pope and Doctor of the Church
There are many scripture passages about wisdom. Today’s reading refers to the “wisdom of the world”. What is this wisdom, and how can we develop “wisdom of Christ”?
In the first reading, St. Paul explains that “the wisdom of this world is foolishness in the eyes of God.” (1 Cor 3: 19) St. Paul further explains that no human being should boast, since the “thoughts of the wise are vain.” (1 Cor 3:20) In the community at Corinth, the people were taking sides as to who was wise and to be believed- Paul, Apollos or Cephas. St. Paul reminds his readers that all belong to Christ, and therefore there should be no divisions.
The gospel reading illustrates the difference between the wisdom of the world versus the wisdom of Christ. In today’s scripture reading, Peter and the other fishermen have been out fishing. With much experience, Peter is wise regarding when to fish, where to fish, the cycles of the moon, the movement of the seas, and all of the details that will allow him to be productive in his trade. After to listening to Jesus speak, Jesus instructs Peter to “Put out into the deep water and lower your nest for a catch.” (Luke 1: 4) Peter humbly accepts Jesus request even though the previous hard night spent on the water had brought him nothing. Peter and his fellow fishermen fill two boats to the point of sinking with a great abundance of fish. With great awe and recognition of Jesus’ power, Peter admits his lowliness at the feet of Jesus. At this point, Jesus reassures Peter that his wisdom of fishing will be replaced by the wisdom of Jesus and His ways. Peter and the other men are gathered together and then sent forth to share the Good News and this wisdom with others.
What does this mean for us? Over time, hopefully many of us have become wise to the ways of the world. We have learned ways to navigate our lives in our families, jobs, communities, and within our world. But like Peter, we are called to a greater wisdom. How might we develop the wisdom of Christ? When we model ourselves after Peter, we would do the following: listen to Jesus and learn from Him, admit that we do not have all of the answers and trust in God’s providence, act on this wisdom, and finally recognize that the blessings we receive are graces from God. It is when we “become a fool, so as to become wise” (1 Cor 3:18) that we are able to grow in our wisdom of Christ. At this point, we too can be sent forth like the apostles to share with others what we have learned from our walk with Jesus.
Loving Wisdom, You know our ways and you call us to follow Jesus by humbly trusting in you and your love. Send down your Spirit so we may receive your wisdom and then go forth to live out your truth within the world. We pray in Christ’s name. AMEN
—Marylynn Herchline