23rd Sunday, Year C

Dear brothers and sisters, today we hear about doubt and wisdom. One does not necessarily exclude the other. It is human to doubt sometimes. ‘The thoughts of mortals are unsure,’ says the Book of Wisdom. Often, uncertainty arises from everyday concerns about our health, our children, our relationships, or our possessions. The Book of Wisdom puts it this way: ‘our earthly bondage hinders the agile mind.’ Yet these worries can be very real. But we hear in that same reading that we do not have to remain stuck in worry and uncertainty. It is God himself who gives us insight, says the Book of Wisdom. We can understand this better by first looking at small examples. When you are working on a particular problem, for example, looking for a word in a crossword puzzle, it may suddenly occur to you. Or, when you look at a work of art, you may suddenly understand what the painter or sculptor probably wanted to express with it. With such insight, it quickly becomes clear that this is being given to you.

The same applies to bigger things. When a writer is inspired to write a book, we also say: when he has the spirit, he is capable of great things. And inventors can often remember the moment when they first had their idea.

The first reading makes it clear to us that God sends us his Holy Spirit, through whom we can gradually come to know the will of God. This is not easy, discernment is needed, in order to walk in the right paths and be saved.

How can we acquire this wisdom? First of all, through prayer. ‘I prayed, and insight was given to me; I pleaded, and the spirit of wisdom came to me,’ says the author of the Book of Wisdom. In prayer, we can also bring very personal matters before the Lord, trusting that He knows who we are and what we need.

As you probably know, I am a Jesuit, this weekend exactly 25 years. Every Jesuit who begins religious life does a 30-day retreat in the first year. Such a retreat means a quiet time, with a spiritual director with whom you have a conversation every day. A wonderful time! As Jesuits, we are accustomed to going on retreat for eight days every year.

The founder of the Jesuit order, Saint Ignatius of Loyola, strongly emphasises that in our silent prayers we should ask the Lord for what we desire. We can even present our desires to Jesus as we would to a friend. The best attitude to have in this regard could be described as one of spiritual poverty. This means that we do not seek wealth or honour, because these things can actually keep us away from God. In the Gospel,

we also heard that a disciple of Jesus detaches himself from what he possesses. This does not always have to mean poverty in a material sense, but above all an attitude of humility towards God.

It is therefore also important, as we heard from the man who wanted to build a tower, that our desires are realistic, and even holy. This means that we dare to look honestly at ourselves to see what is possible and what is not. Another aspect of this is that we are not stubborn, thinking that we can do it all ourselves. This also applies to our prayer life. When we take our prayer seriously, it can sometimes be very helpful to discuss with someone else how that actually works. That other person could be your partner, a good friend, or a spiritual guide. They can help you to objectify your own desires.