The “Wisdom” of St. Paul
Last month while preparing my monthly reflection for this ministry, I shared insights from St. Paul’s discourse on the existence of God in Rom 1:16-25. We saw then, the evidence for God is so clear in His creation, that no one has an excuse for continued disbelief.
Furthermore, if a person denies the true God, that person will simply invent a substitute god, in the form of an animal, a being, or an object. God created us in His image and likeness, and nonbelievers in their rebellion, react by creating a god in their own image and likeness. One might then turn to a worship of the self-serving gods of power, sex, or wealth.
I suggested last month that all gods, especially invented ones, demand something of us. False gods enslave through addiction in a misplaced search for happiness, while the true God frees us from such an addiction through the knowledge of truth and our obedient acts of love.
Finally, St. Paul suggested that God sometimes leaves us to our idolatry and its natural, unsatisfying consequence, precisely so we can see its futility. Such a burdened person might then search out the Truth of a loving God and capture the satisfaction of fulfilling the purpose for which we were in fact created.
A Slow Read of Today’s First Reading
So, as I write today, I find myself again contemplating the same topic in today’s First Reading from the book of Wisdom, Chapter 13.
Did St. Paul borrow from this more ancient text when he wrote his Roman Epistle? St. Paul was certainly aware of the book of Wisdom. It is found in the Septuagint.
I must confess my love for today’s First Reading – and cannot improve on its poetic flavor, beauty, and logic. — Here it is, reproduced for your further reflection. Enjoy.
All men were by nature foolish who were in ignorance of God, and who from the good things seen did not succeed in knowing Him who is, and from studying the works did not discern the artisan;
But either fire, or wind, or the swift air, or the circuit of the stars, or the mighty water, or the luminaries of heaven, the governors of the world, they considered gods.
Now if out of joy in their beauty they thought them gods, let them know how far more excellent is the Lord than these; for the original source of beauty fashioned them.
Or if they were struck by their might and energy, let them from these things realize how much more powerful is He who made them. For from the greatness and the beauty of created things their original author, by analogy, is seen.
But yet, for these the blame is less;
For they indeed have gone astray perhaps, though they seek God and wish to find Him. For they search busily among His works, but are distracted by what they see, because the things seen, are fair.
But again, not even these are pardonable.
For if they so far succeeded in knowledge that they could speculate about the world, how did they not more quickly find its Lord?
God Bless.
Jerry, thanks for this reflection. I’ve often thought about those who seek false gods, and our own human tendency to worship idols of our own making, rather than the one true God. You are right that idol-making involves a “misplaced search for happiness.” I also love this passage from Wisdom! So insightful; we can appreciate those who saw something holy in nature, but also exhort them to seek God who is the author of creation rather than to worship creation itself.