Breaking the Word

8^th Week in Ord. Time, Saturday – 3^rd June 2023 – Sirach 51,12-20; Mark 11,27-33

In Quest for Wisdom

The first reading brings to focus the theme of wisdom and presents a canticle in praise of wisdom. It is arranged with Hebrew alphabets describing one’s quest for wisdom. Today’s reading suggests that wisdom comes through prayer, persistent study of God’s word, and attention to instruction. To assist in the process of gaining wisdom, one must avoid sin, seek enlightenment, and possess ardent desire. Wisdom can be attained by being in relationship with the God of wisdom. God is the source of all wisdom and it is perhaps the greatest gift that God can give to anyone. Wisdom gives vision, the ability to see and understand the meaning and direction of life.  Through wisdom, we understand how all things relate to each other, to God and to ourselves. It is based, not on knowledge, but on deep insight into what we know. Wisdom consists in being able to see with great clarity. Therefore, the search for wisdom is one we should pursue all our life.

8^th Week in Ord. Time, Friday – 2^nd June 2023 – Sirach 49,1.9-13; Mark 11,11-26

Living the Memory Lane

The first reading apparently stresses on the good people living on after their death by being remembered by their family and friends. It was a practice held in ancient Hebrew times, an understanding of their belief about the afterlife. Sirach recalls two sets of people – both the famous and the unknown. Through this eulogy, he shows how a devout Jew of the 2^nd century BCE thought of the history of his people. In today’s reading, Sirach recalls those countless good people who have lived down through the ages but of whom nothing is known and everything forgotten. Generation after generation, they brought children into the world and handed on their traditions and will continue to do so. Their ancestors are glorious because of their recognition of God, their honourable achievements, their recognition by their own generations, their godlikeness, their legacy to their children, and their lasting name and memory. Here the real emphasis is on how God remembers those who have done good deeds. God is to be praised in the good and faithful actions of people, since goodness should always point back to the one who is good. It is again an opportunity to recall with gratitude our ancestors for setting up our social and religious structures and handing on the cultural and sacred treasures of our earlier ages.