The Wisdom of the Saints

You can look to the stories of the saints for ways to live compassionate, faith-filled lives.

By Mary Ann Getty, STD

At St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican, 140 sculptures of saints stand atop the Colonnades. The history of our faith is rich with stories of saintly men and women whose love of wisdom empowered them to pursue righteousness, live lives of virtue, and grow in holiness.

Catholics have sometimes been accused of worshipping saints. In overcorrecting, we seem to have lost something worthwhile in the honor we have always given to the saints’ role in our lives as guides, inspiration, and encouragement. There was and still is value to appreciating and invoking the examples of saints. Since Christianity is fundamentally incarnational, it helps us to know that we stand on the shoulders of holy ones, our spiritual ancestors, who have gone before us. In this regard, the Book of Wisdom is one of our treasured resources, illustrating a way of holiness.

Consistent with the rest of the Old Testament, the Book of Wisdom does not use the term saints or holy ones as the New Testament does. Rather, the Old Testament refers to just ones as those who pursue righteousness. Jews sought justice while Greeks sought wisdom, which might include knowledge and understanding but was so much more.

Yet for more than two centuries before Christ, Jews suffered persecution particularly in the great cities outside of Israel where Hellenism prospered. In Alexandria, Egypt, for instance, where the Book of Wisdom was composed, this was particularly true. Among Jews, there developed a great distrust for all things Greek. But the Book of Wisdom, written in Greek, demonstrates an intellectual, cultural, and spiritual openness to both Jews and gentiles, showing what they held in common, how their legacies were compatible, what values they could offer one another. Wisdom thus represents a model for us who may want to draw on, defend, and advance our Catholic faith while also adapting to our traditional religious values, the best of our culture, and scientific curiosity about truth.

WISDOM IN NOVEMBER

It is entirely fitting that in November we commemorate All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day as if to summarize toward the end of the liturgical year reasons we seek to live our lives, in the words of St. Paul, “worthy of the gospel” (Phil 1:27). As believing people, it is especially fitting that we celebrate our collective memory of those who are examples to us and whose virtues we try to imitate.

The first two weeks of November give us a special opportunity to focus on what makes a saint, to be motivated by the liturgy, and to draw inspiration from the Book of Wisdom.

This is the only time of the liturgical year when we ponder the lessons from this extraordinary book that was composed very late among the biblical writings, a mere 50 years or so before Jesus.

Yet the link between the Book of Wisdom and saints is more than a liturgical one—it is also practi cal. The Lectionary selections “I have no idea where I am provide the basis of our reflection going. But I believe that the on the virtues of saints and help desire to please you does, in us discover how to become more fact, please you. . . . And I know like them. Wisdom has much to that if I do this, you will lead me say about what makes a saint holy or, in the words of the book itself, how we can identify “friends of God and prophets” (7:27) and why by the right road, though I may know nothing about it.” —Thomas Merton they can be called saints.

The Lectionary for All Souls’ Day as well as for the second week in November selects passages to entice us to read more of the book itself, for there is much to help us become wise and holy. The following are some thoughts on Wisdom’s advice to would-be saints—past, present, and future—found in these liturgical readings.

THE PRAYER OF SOLOMON

Prayer sometimes seems like a last resort when it probably should be the first, as it was for Solomon and many saints after him. The Book of Wisdom pictures Solomon, facing the consequences and responsibilities of assuming the throne of his father, David—who was undoubtedly the most famous and beloved king in Israel’s history—praying for wisdom before anything else. As it happened, all other gifts were then added after that initial request was granted. Although it appeared in writing about a thousand years after him, the Book of Wisdom is ascribed to Solomon, who is also known as the Sage. Borrowing on Solomon’s authority and reputation, the writer of Wisdom has Solomon invoke “God of my ancestors, Lord of mercy,” and ask for wisdom, “knowing that I could not otherwise possess her unless God gave it.” While acknowledging that he is “weak and short-lived and lacking in comprehension of judgment and of laws,” Solomon expresses confidence that with the guidance of divine wisdom, his deeds will be acceptable, he will judge people justly, and he will be worthy of the throne of David (see Wis 8:21— 9:1, 4–6, 10–12). Solomon knew that, without grace, he would not succeed. But if God answered his prayer that he be granted wisdom, he would be enabled to fulfill the daunting task before him. So it should be with us. When we are faced with an uncertain future or responsibilities that seem too great for us, it does no good to fret and worry—we should pray. Try the spirit of the prayer Jesus taught us, saying, “Our Father, . . . give us this day our daily bread”—which means all that we need. Praying in the spirit of Thomas Merton, who, like Solomon, expressed his trust in God, provides another possibility. Merton prayed: “I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. But I believe that the desire to please you does, in fact, please you. . . . And I know that if I do this, you will lead me by the right road, though I may know nothing about it.”

In Wisdom 7:27–28, we read: “Passing into holy souls from age to age, she [Wisdom] produces friends of God and prophets. For God loves nothing so much as the one who dwells with Wisdom.” This Old Testament book reminds us that prophets such as Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, and Nahum—pictured on the left as sculptures that adorn the west portal of the Strasbourg Cathedral in France—were guided by the power of wisdom in their response to the prophetic call.

In addition to seeking God’s grace for wisdom in overcoming uncertainty, Solomon displays another common virtue of saints when he introduces his prayer and his reign by showing gratitude, not only for our talents and available resources, but also for the gaps and needs that distress us as we assess the challenges of our day. His prayer begins, “Now, I was a well-favored child, and I came by a noble nature” (Wis 8:19). Thanksgiving begets kindness and tolerance, as Wisdom says, “For wisdom is a kindly spirit” (Wis 1:6).

LEARNING FROM THE SAGE

Solomon is an example to those in a position of authority over others to seek wisdom above all. “Kings and magistrates” are reminded that “the lowly may be pardoned out of mercy but the mighty shall be mightily put to the test” (6:6). That means that while the poor firmly hope in divine mercy, the powerful will be judged on their own record; their only recourse is whether they have acted wisely or wickedly.

Wisdom suggests that authorities rule as God rules, and there is an implied warning in this advice: “To you therefore, O princes, are my words addressed that you may learn wisdom and that you may not fall away” (6:9). The best hope for those with power over others is to act humbly while seeking wisdom. Authorities do well to remember that humility is another name for truth.

Saints, therefore, are called to become lovers of wisdom. In exuberant language the Sage describes wisdom as “the reflection of eternal light, the spotless mirror of the power of God, the image of his goodness” (7:26). Wisdom reminds us that saints are not figures of the past long dead. Rather they live among us in every time, inspiring and encouraging us to seek and cherish wisdom above all else. We read in 7:27–28: “Passing into holy souls from age to age, she produces friends of God and prophets. For God loves nothing so much as the one who dwells with Wisdom.”

Wisdom is truth and compassion as opposed to dishonesty, malice, and hatred. The Scripture cautions that truth will prevail and gentle kindness should guide our words and actions. Wisdom says that “those who utter wicked things will not go unnoticed. . . . For the devices of the wicked shall be scrutinized, and the sound of their words shall reach the Lord. . . . A lying mouth destroys the soul” (1:8–9, 11).

We are assured that if one loves justice, the fruits of wisdom are the virtues of “moderation and prudence, righteousness and fortitude, and nothing in life is more useful than these” (Wis 8:7). By contrast, the Sage warns, the multiple forms of idolatry are as seductive today as ever. We need to discern wisdom and reject its counterfeits. All creation, with its beauty, truth, and goodness, points us toward the Creator when we have eyes to truly see.

The Book of Wisdom advises us to not only pass on experience and strength to future generations, but also take care of the earth and all its resources. The centuriesold Angel Oak tree near Charleston, South Carolina, is a powerful symbol of the Book of Wisdom’s call for us to be stewards of the natural world.

THE ASSURANCES OF WISDOM

Th e Book of Wisdom assures us of the goodness of creation: “For [God] fashioned all things that they might have being, and the creatures of the world are wholesome” (1:14). Th e Scripture advises would-be saints to be provident stewards of the earth’s natural resources, but also of our personal heritage and spiritual traditions, so as to pass on to succeeding generations experience, strength, and hope that can inspire, motivate, and enable them also to be blessed in inheriting the earth.

An assurance is also seen in Wisdom 3:1–9, which gives guidance especially fi tting for a celebration of the feast of All Souls. Th at is a time when we might ponder the mystery of suff ering, especially innocent suff ering, and its implications for faith. Th e sting of suff ering is the strain it puts on faith. Suff ering can threaten to break the slender thread that binds us to a caring and loving God. But Wisdom promises that “the souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and no torment shall touch them. . . . But they are in peace” (3:1, 3).

Here is a call to trust in God’s loving care as well as God’s promise that we shall dwell in peace. St. Francis de Sales expressed similar ideas when he urged us: “Th e same everlasting Father who cares for you today will take care of you tomorrow and every day. Either he will shield you from suff ering, or he will give you unfailing strength to bear it. Be at peace then, and put aside all anxious thoughts and imaginations.”

Th e Book of Wisdom concludes with a meditative review of the Exodus (Wis 18—19), the foundational event in the life of Israel. Th e Exodus event transcended its historical roots through celebration of the Passover liturgy. Th e pattern of bondage-liberation-covenant that we see in the Exodus was one that is repeated over and over in the lives of saints as they assume their place in salvation history.

As such, the saint contributed to the faith of generations of the children of Adam and Eve, Abraham and Sarah, Jacob and Rachel, Joseph, Moses, David, Solomon, and Jesus, and continuing into the present and future. Because of God’s providence, the Israelites were spared while their persecutors died, as the Book of Wisdom recalls.

Th us, “all creation . . . was being made over anew, serving your commands, that your children might be preserved unharmed” (Wis 19:6).

WE CAN ALL BE SAINTS

And so the Book of Wisdom, represented by the November reading selections, circles back to its initial fundamental advice to saints: “Love righteousness; . . . think of the Lord in goodness, and seek [God] in integrity of heart” (1:1). Clearly, confi dence and trust in God are the basis of the holiness of all saints.

In fact, the Book of Wisdom might be considered a description of every saint because every saint is someone who has accepted and acted on God’s wisdom, no longer complaining that God’s wisdom takes too long and produces uneven results. Saints are people who have given up trying to fi nd a shortcut around God’s ways. Aren’t “friends of God and prophets” (Wis 7:27) all really saints?

Wisdom off ers advice to would-be saints on the essentials of sainthood. Th ese include valuing God’s will and wisdom; expressing gratitude, especially in prayer, for one’s own talents, responsibilities, and roles in life; a sense of humility; and a willingness to cooperate with God’s will. Th e saints also conveyed trust in God and stewardship for creation.

Th ese holy women and men recognized that our personal and collective religious history puts us in solidarity with those who have gone before us in faith along with those to whom we hope to pass on the legacy of a life well lived.

Mary Ann Getty, STD, has a doctorate in theology with a specialization in Scripture from the Catholic University of Louvain, Belgium. She taught Scripture for over 40 years and has written extensively on New Testament topics.

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