The Gift of Wisdom 

Wisdom is “the habit of seeing everything in the light of our last end” Paul shows us Wisdom in action: 

I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord… This one thing I do… I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:8ff.). 

Our “last end” isn’t “heaven”—a place. Our “end” is what we exist for; what defines us. For Christians, it is to be totally One with the Father, Son, and Spirit in living their divine Life: knowing all Truth, loving all Good. Because by Baptism we already have divine Life, we are already experiencing “heaven on earth”; just not perfectly. 

Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed… When he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is (1John 3:2). 

Wisdom is making it our constant, conscious goal in everything we do to arrive at a deeper union with God in mind, will, and heart. This is both a divine Gift of the Holy Spirit and a human habit to cultivate. 

Our Wisdom—sense of purpose—should be visible in the evident zest for life and “taste” for spiritual things that Christians have; fired by awareness we are being drawn into understanding God’s innermost thoughts and sharing completely his most loving desires. 

To use the Gift of Wisdom: Form the habit of asking constantly, “Lord, why am I doing this?” 

— Fr. David M. Knight

View today’s Mass readings on the USCCB website here

Easter season is the time to focus on the Holy Spirit. Starting on Easter Sunday, we will look carefully at how the Spirit is proclaimed, invoked, and presented to us in the Mass. Lex orandi, lex credendi: “As the Church prays, so she believes.”

After that, we will reflect on the Gifts and Fruits of the Holy Spirit (Isaiah 11:2; Galatians 5:22), and at how the Spirit enters the life of those who believe.

As you read these reflections, ask for the gift of Understanding. Ask to really understand what you believe, what you see and hear at Mass. Go deeper into understanding the Mass than you ever have before. We experience the Faith when we become aware of its mystery. We hope you reflect deeply on the Mass and Gifts of the Holy Spirit, and find yourself more and more drawn into the mysteries of our Lord in the Mass and in His Gifts.