Monday
of the Thirty-second Week in ordinary Time
(Wisdom
1:1-7; Luke 17:1-6)
More than
most of us, government officials are subject to corruption. People pursue them because fortunes – no
longer millions or billions, but sometimes trillions – are dependent on their
decisions. To stay morally righteous,
they need wisdom. To provide them with
it, the author of the Book of Wisdom wrote his text.
Today’s passage
constitutes the book’s beginning. The
author urges officials to love justice.
He does not mean the police or social equality but a solidly moral life. He says that God cannot abide a deceitful
person. People commonly say, “God helps
those who help themselves.” The author
has a different message. He says that
God helps those who seek Him with integrity.
That is, God will assist those who obey His commands and pray to Him for
guidance.
Of course,
the admonishments offered in this text applies to all of us. We have to live righteously if we expect God
to come to aid us. We are wise as well
to ask for the specific assistance we need to fulfill our responsibilities.
