Wisdom to Do Right

Parables about Treasure and Pearl of Great Price

In all decisions, we may pray to God for the wisdom to do the right thing.

King Solomon was clever with affairs of state and built a splendid temple in Jerusalem.  Tradition ascribes 3,000 proverbs and 1,005 songs to him. God appears in a dream to Solomon, saying: ask me for something and I will give it to you. Solomon wants the wisdom to know the right thing to do.

Paul in his letter to the Christian community in Rome writes: “All things work for the good for those who love God.” In light of daily news, we might surmise all things are not working for the good. But Paul, the faith-filled disciple of Jesus, urges us to fix our eyes on eternal life in relationship with God, who ultimately will transform us. Start that life now!

In the Gospel according to Matthew, Jesus continues the theme of choices. In his first parable, a farmer plowing someone else's field hits a clump that turns out to be a buried treasure. He sells everything he has to buy the field so that he can claim the treasure as his own. In the second parable, a merchant finds a pearl so magnificent that he sells all he has accumulated in life to buy that one pearl.

Jesus says to us in these parables: seize the moment. Make the right decision. “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.”

So much for right decisions. What about the decision maker? Right decisions presuppose men and women with character or integrity. Character defines who we are at the core of our inmost self. It's an ethical reality. Centuries ago, the Hebrew psalmist spoke of King David as a great (though not perfect) leader who guided his people with integrity of heart and skillful hands.

Leadership also requires courage. Whether it's starting a new business, battling a life-threatening disease, getting married, struggling to overcome an addiction, or engaging in community service, life demands courage to move beyond our fears and self-doubts to achieve something worthwhile.

The most common phrase in the New Testament is “Do not be afraid.” The most common phrase in the Old Testament is “Be not afraid.” The phrase appears more than a thousand times in both testaments, so God may be trying to get that message across to us.

Finally, leaders have a “can do” attitude. They're optimists; they get the facts; they're enthusiastic and self-confident, and their confidence instills confidence in others.

At different times in life, all of us are called to be leaders: as professionals, business people, parents, citizens in a community and volunteers in an organization.  Seek always the right thing to do — not what is fashionable, not what is merely acceptable. And having found what's right, just do it.

Our Guide to Life

Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro

This Presidents Day, you might enjoy reading a best-selling presidential biography like “Leadership in Turbulent Times,” by historian Doris Kearns Goodwin. The book highlights the true grit of Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Lyndon Johnson.

FDR has always fascinated me, primarily because he shaped, to some extent, two defining times in American history: the Great Depression and World War II. He addressed immense challenges with vision, optimism, persistence and political savvy.

Today’s scripture readings bring us wisdom about life and leadership. The Book of Sirach advises we have to choose between right and wrong, truth and falsehood, life and death. The choices will be a path either to salvation or damnation. God ultimately leads. We pray for God's grace to do the right thing.

St. Paul, in his letter to the Christian community in Corinth, writes about true wisdom, that is, Jesus Christ. The risen Christ is the revelation of God to us. Look always to Jesus and let His life and ministry be a guide.

In the Gospel according to Matthew, Jesus describes what it means to be a disciple. Jesus employs four antitheses, opposites (“you have heard...but I say”). He emphasizes the importance of attitude over legalese. Our attitudes create our behaviors. If we have bad attitudes, we surely will behave badly.

Jesus gives examples, notably: “You have heard that it was said, you shall not murder; but I say to you: you shall not be angry.” Why? Because an attitude of anger or resentment can seethe into bad behavior. Discipleship with Jesus calls for a change of heart, a change of attitude, thinking and feeling positively, not negatively.

Jesus is our exemplar, our guide, of how to live well. Jesus challenges us to be a leader for others.

Jesus communicated purpose in ways that galvanized, energized and excited people. He generated trust which bound people together in their commitments. He inspired hope, with a clear vision of life in relationship with God forever. Jesus converted vision into action.

Matthew 23:10 advises, in so many words, that there is one messiah, one life-leader: Jesus Christ. Jesus calls us to be guides and leaders in our own situations. Yes, to be called by God to influence others is an enormous privilege, but it carries with it great responsibility. We have to possess confidence and character. First and foremost, confidence in God. The psalmists had that. God was their shield, their strength, their guide. Second, the quality of our life and our soul’s destiny will be measured by our character.

Our prayer might be:
Lord, help me to live a life of integrity, authenticity, humility and focus. Help me to have a similar concern for others as Jesus had for us. Give me compassion towards those who are struggling with life's problems. Help me to fix my eyes on our true wisdom, Jesus Christ. Help us to become like Him for others: men and women of confidence and character.

Being Salt and Light

Nathan Greene's  Jesus Light of the Universe

Last Sunday was the Super Bowl. This Sunday brings the Academy Awards. How can we consider these media events in light of Scripture? It often appears our culture is celebrity-driven.

But celebrities are not the only people with talent. Every one of us has gifts or talents that can “build up” other people. We have special gifts by virtue of our baptism. We possess the power to believe, to hope and to love.

The Book of Isaiah notes practices like fasting are useless if we treat people unfairly. It’s better, the author says, to practice works of mercy: feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, care for the sick, and be compassionate.

St. Paul asks us to look for wisdom not just in people of eloquence, but in the Spirit who empowers us to proclaim the good news: God became one of us in Jesus so that we could become like God, see God as God is. That indeed is our purpose in life: to be in relationship with God forever.

In the Gospel according to Matthew, Jesus says we are to be “salt of the earth” and “light of the world.” Adding salt to food can bring out the natural flavor. Salt in our bodies enables our muscles to expand and contract, our hearts to beat, our blood to circulate. We are “salt” when we bring out the best in people: bring out the “flavor” of God in everything.

Light can transform a cold night into a warm day. Light enables us to study, to behold the beauty of God’s universe. Luminosity in art can point us to the transcendent. We are “light” when we illuminate the presence of God in our everyday life. There are many splendid callings. Parent, teacher or student, doctor or lawyer, businessperson -- whoever you are, you have a specific vocation, right now: to inspire people to be the best version of themselves, to give their time and talents to others, to have the courage to stand up for what's right and true, to be men and women of integrity.

And what makes us a faithful and effective Christian is the Spirit of God within us. Oh, personality can be a blessing. But the Spirit of God works through us as we are. The Spirit illumines our minds to know the way we should behave and strengthens us to behave in that way. The Spirit gives us “love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and discipline.” What more can we want?

The Spirit of God can make us a means of healing, a channel of grace, an instrument of peace. What a wonderful gift. These gifts or talents we have are not for ourselves but for the common good, for the family in which we live, the profession in which we work, the community in which we find ourselves.

May each of us realize that the purpose of life is to matter, to make a difference for the better by giving the best we have in service to one another. And then we will realize, with God’s grace, the best version of ourself.

Doing The Right Thing

A Quote from Adlai Stevenson

We’re approaching the holy season of Lent, beginning Ash Wednesday, March 6 this year.

Today’s word of God takes us back to the second century before Jesus.  The wisdom of Sirach is one of Israel's many spiritual guides. Here the author writes that our words, for better or worse, reveal who and what we are.

Do our words build people up or tear down?  Are we constructive or destructive?

St. Paul in his letter to the Christian community in Corinth waxes eloquently about the resurrection. Yes, our faith proclaims that good ultimately will triumph over evil, light over darkness, life over death. Because Jesus Christ is risen. He lives and because He lives, we live.

Paul urges us to focus upon God and the things of God; live a godlike life.

In the Gospel according to Luke, Jesus says: don't be too quick to point out the shortcomings in others while blind to your own shortcomings. Don't be hypocrites, saying one thing and doing another. Let your inner attitudes be in sync with your outward behaviors.

Yes, be men and women of integrity, of moral character, true to our inner selves.

One of my favorite quotes about moral character is from Norman Schwarzkopf, who led the allied coalition that drove the Iraqis out of Kuwait in the Persian Gulf in 1990. Schwarzkopf said this:

“Leadership is a whole combination of different ingredients – but by far, by far, the single most important ingredient of leadership is your character. …  Integrity: that is the linchpin.”

So what is character?

First, there’s a difference between personality and character. Personality on the surface puts us in a category – e. g. cheerful, or moody, or excitable, etc. Character, by contrast, is singular and defines who we are, at the core of our inmost self.  It's what we do when no one else is looking.

Personality is emotional. Character is ethical. Personality is neither good nor bad. Character, by definition, is either good or bad. By character, one stands out. That takes courage.

A person of moral character will choose dignity, respect, a willingness to go the extra mile. A person of character will speak up for what is right and defend what is fair, will take a stand on principle and an informed conscience. A person of character will show courage, and not simply “get along by going along.”

A person of character, in short, will try to choose what is true and good and right in all decisions, small and great.

Each of us is called to this. And having found what is right and true and good: as the advertisement says, “just do it.”

Hidden in Good Friday was Easter Joy

Rubens, the Resurrection of Christ

In the Gospel according to Mark, two disciples, James and John, argue over the privilege of status in “the age to come” without realizing the cost of discipleship here and now. Jesus says: “Can you drink the cup that I drink?” That is, the cup of suffering. Jesus concludes: to be a disciple is to serve others. Serving, not lording, is what leadership is all about in our faith community. Good leadership, many would argue, is a potent combination of good strategy and moral character, that is, working to achieve goals for the greater common good and at the same time preserving one's integrity.

Jesus, completely divine and yet completely human like ourselves, through his horrific death and glorious resurrection, re-established our relationship with God. Our relationship with God and one another is at the heart of Christianity.

Hidden in every Good Friday can be Easter joy. Think about it.

Someone loses a job or home, or is diagnosed with a life-threatening illness, or sees a relationship unravel, or realizes a loved one has an addiction. The family tries, as best it can, to deal with this “cross” and thereby brings hope, healing, forgiveness and resurrection to their life.

Or a student can’t understand a calculus problem. The teacher, who wants to go home after a long week, patiently walks the student through the problem. After a lot of work and patience, the “lights come on.”

The point is we sometimes find ourselves stuck in a situation – our problems may batter and even overwhelm us. Yet faith challenges us to remember that good ultimately will conquer evil, love transforms hate, light shatters darkness. The ministry of Jesus did not end in the tragedy of the cross but in the triumph of the Resurrection.

In his book “The Night,” a memoir of his experiences in Auschwitz and Buchenwald, Elie Wiesel describes how the SS marched all the inmates outside and there hung a youngster – as a warning not to try an escape. As the youngster hung dying, Elie Wiesel, a youngster himself, heard a voice say: Where is God now?

This is an eternal question. The entire planet yearns for God’s healing grace. There is of course no satisfactory answer to the mystery of suffering and evil. Suffering does sometimes result from immoral behavior, from the misuse of freedom, and from a universe in progress, to paraphrase St. Paul’s letter to the Romans.

But ultimately, how respond to suffering? First, remember that God is always near us, forever bringing us to fuller life. Chisel in our memories the words of Isaiah, “Can a mother forget her infant…and, even if she does, I will never forget you.”

Second, remember that the mystery of suffering can have healing and redemptive power. Why do I say that? Because Jesus, through the mystery of his own passion in Gethsemane, death on Calvary, and resurrection from the tomb, re-established the relationship we had at the beginning with God.

Yes, our inescapable aches and pains, borne with love, can be redemptive, can bring forth new life in ourselves and in others. The sufferings of Jesus did precisely that.

We can bring Easter hope to someone's "Good Friday" by reaching out with a helping hand, a listening ear, or an encouraging word.