Wise as ___________________.

I give you a heart wise and discerning………

1 Kings 3:12

The words above are part of God’s blessing Solomon as he granted his desire for wisdom.  Five quick facts about Solomon:

1. He  was born about 1000 years before Christ.  
2. He is the son of David, the great King of Israel and Bathsheba.  
3. His Hebrew name “Schlomo” means peaceful.  

(Consider the similarity between it and shalom.)  

4. He was crowned King at the age of 20 by the prophet Nathan who gave him the name Jedidiah which means “beloved of God”.  
5. His crowning achievement was the construction of the temple in Jerusalem.

The following verse tells of Solomon’s asking God for wisdom in this week’s first reading.

The Lord was pleased by Solomon’s request.  So God said to him: Because you asked for this—you did not ask for a long life for yourself, nor for riches, nor for the life of your enemies—but you asked for discernment to know what is right— 1Kings 3:10-11

What is wisdom?   

Wisdom is one of those qualities that is difficult to define—because it encompasses so much—but which people generally recognize when they encounter it. And it is encountered most obviously in the realm of decision-making.    - from Psychology Today

Why is wisdom important?  

Our moral life “is sustained by the gifts of the Spirit”  

• Catechism of the Catholic Church #1830 *

         * Wisdom is the first of seven gifts of the Spirit listed in #1831.

What is the practical application of Wisdom?

This is why we must ask the Lord to gift us the Holy Spirit and the gift of wisdom that teaches us to see with God's eyes, to feel with God's heart to speak with God's words! - Pope Francis “Reflections on the Holy Spirit”

Two areas for further exploration

1. The Power of Vulnerability 

The Holy Father’s words “feel with God’s heart” provide an excellent segue to Brene’ Brown’s work in the wisdom of “whole-hearted” decision making.  

Here is a link to her 10 Guideposts for Wholehearted Living.

2. Ambiguous Loss

Although Psychologist Pauline Boss coined this term to deal with unresolved loss well before the Covid 19 pandemic, it provides an excellent framework for dealing with the ongoing void that began in mid-March.  Here is a link to an updated conversation between her and Krista Tippett in the latter’s podcast titled On Being 

My Outshot

Rather than find solutions, the wisdom of both Brown and Boss centers on thriving in the midst of the unknown.   Sound advice for this time of Covid.  Sound advice for life.

See you soon,

Bruce