THE LOVE OF ETERNAL WISDOM BY ST. LOUIS DE MONTFORT - CHAPTER 12 & 13

CHAPTER TWELVE

THE PRINCIPAL UTTERANCES OF WISDOM INCARNATE WHICH WE MUST BELIEVE AND PRACTISE IF WE ARE TO BE SAVED

133. 1. If anyone wishes to follow me, let him deny himself, take up his cross and follow me. Lk. 9:23.
2. If anyone loves me, he will keep my commandments, and my Father will love him and we will come to him. Jn. 14:23.
3. If you present your gift at the altar and you remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift before the altar and go make peace with your brother. Mt. 23:24. 134.
4. If someone comes to me and does not hate his father, mother, wife, children, brothers and sisters and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Lk. 14:26.
5. Whoever has left his house, or brothers or sisters, or children, or inheritance, out of love for me, will receive a hundredfold reward and will possess eternal life. Mt. 19:29.
6. If you wish to be perfect, go sell what you possess and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven. Mt. 19:21.

135. 7. Not everyone who cries out to me, "Lord, Lord" will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who obeys the will of my heavenly Father will enter there. Mt. 7:21.
8. Whoever hears my words and obeys them is like a wise man who builds upon solid rock. Mt. 7:24.
9. I tell you solemnly, if you do not change and become as children you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Mt. 18:3.
10. Learn from me, for I am gentle and humble of heart and you will find rest for your souls. Mt. 11:29.

136. 11. When you pray, beware of acting like those hypocrites who love to stand and pray in their synagogues so that men may notice them. Mt. 6:5.
12. Of what use is it when you pray to use many words, since your heavenly Father knows your needs before you place them before him. Mt. 6:7.
13. As you prepare to pray, forgive your neighbour the wrongs he may have committed against you so that your heavenly Father may show mercy to you. Mk. 11:25.
14. When you ask God in prayer for anything, believe that you will receive it, and you will indeed receive it. Mk. 11:24.

137. 15. When you are fasting, do not imitate those gloomy hypocrites who go about looking worn out to show others they are fasting. I tell you solemnly, they have already received their reward. Mt. 6:16.

138. 16. There will be greater rejoicing in heaven when one sinner is seen to be penitent than when ninety-nine just people show no repentance. Lk. 15:7.
17. I have not come to call the just, but to call sinners and draw them to repentance. Lk. 5:32.

139. 18. Blessed are they who suffer persecution for the sake of justice, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Mt. 5:10.
19. Blessed are you when men hate you and reject you from their company because of the Son of man; rejoice, for your reward will be great in heaven. Lk. 6:22.
20. If the world hates you and persecutes you, recall that it hated me before you. If you belonged to the world, the world would love you as its own; but because I have chosen you, it will hate you. Jn. 15:18.

140. 21. Come to me all you who are afflicted and heavily-burdened and I will refresh you. Mt. 11:28.
22. I am the bread of life come down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread he will live for ever, and the bread that I give is my flesh. Jn. 6:51.
23. My food is the real food and my blood is the real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood lives in me and I live in him. Jn. 6:55,56.

141. 24. You will be hated by all men because of me, but I promise you, not a single hair of your head will be lost. Lk. 21:17-18.

142. 25. No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate one and love the other, or he will uphold one and despise the other. Mt. 6:24.

143. 26. Evil thoughts which come from the heart make a person unclean: but eating with unwashed hands does not make a person unclean. Mt. 15:19.
27. A good man draws only what is good from his store of goodness; but the wicked man can only draw what is evil from his store. Mt. 12:35.

144. 28. No one is worthy of the kingdom of God, if, after putting his hand to the plough, he looks behind him. Lk. 9:62.
29. Every hair of your head is counted; so never fear, you are worth more than many sparrows. Lk. 12:7.
30. God did not send his son into the world to judge and condemn the world, but that he might save the world. Jn. 3:17.

145. 31. Every man who does evil avoids the light; he is afraid his evil deeds will be exposed. Jn. 3:20.
32. God is a spirit and those who adore him must do so in spirit and in truth. Jn. 4:24.
33. It is the spirit that gives life to everything; the flesh has nothing to offer. The words I have spoken to you are words of life. Jn. 6:63.
34. Whoever commits sin becomes the servant and slave of sin, and the servant does not remain in the house for ever. Jn. 8:34-35.
35. Whoever is faithful in small things will be faithful in the greater; and whoever is dishonest in small things will be yet more dishonest in greater things. Lk. 16:10.
36. It is more likely that heaven and earth should perish than that one detail of the law should not be accomplished. Lk. 16:17.
37. Your light must shine before men so that they will see your good works and they will glorify your Father who is in heaven. Mt. 5:16.

146. 38. If your virtue is no better than that of the scribes and pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Mt. 5:20.
39. If your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out; for it is better for you to lose one part of your body than to have your whole body thrown into hell. Mt. 5:29.
40. The kingdom of heaven suffers violence and only those who are violent can take it by force. Mt. 11:12.
41. Do not store up a treasure on earth to be destroyed by moths and rust or stolen by thieves; rather store up a treasure in heaven which no one can steal. Mt. 6:19.
42. Do not judge, and you will not be judged; for God will judge you in the same way as you judge others. Mt. 7:1.

147. 43. Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing but who in their hearts are ravenous wolves; you will recognise them by their fruits. Mt. 7:15.
44. Beware of showing contempt for any of my little ones; their angels see the face of my Father who is in heaven. Mt. 18:10.
45. Be on the watch, for you do not know the day or the hour when the Lord will come. Mt. 25:13.

148. 46. Do not be afraid of those who can kill the body; fear rather the one who can kill the body, and then is able to cast the soul into hell. Lk. 12:4,5.
47. Do not worry over what you are to eat or how you are to clothe your body; your heavenly Father is well aware of all your needs. Lk. 12:22,30.
48. All that is hidden will be made known and all that is covered up will be revealed. Lk. 8:17.

149. 49. Anyone who aspires to be the greatest among you must become the servant of all, and anyone who wishes to be the first must serve as if he were the last. Mt. 20:26,27.
50. How difficult it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of heaven. Mk. 10:23.
51. It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven. Lk. 18:25.
52. And I say to you, love your enemies; do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who persecute and calumniate you. Mt. 5:44.
53. Alas for you who are rich; you have your consolation in this world. Lk. 6:24.

150. 54. Enter by the narrow gate, for the road that leads to perdition is broad and spacious and many pass along that way. But the gate and the road that lead to eternal life are narrow and only a few find them. Mt. 7:13,14.
55. The last will be first and the first will be last; for many are called but few are chosen. Mt. 20:16.
56. If anyone strikes you on the right cheek turn to him the other, and if anyone takes you to court to claim your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. Mt. 5:39,40.
57. You must always pray and never become discouraged. Lk. 18:1. Keep watch and pray, lest you fall into temptation. Mt. 26:41.
58. Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and everyone who humbles himself will be exalted. Lk. 14:11.
59. Give alms and everything will be clean for you. Lk. 11:41.
60. If your hand or your foot become a cause of sin for you, cut it off and cast it from you. If your eye is a cause of sin for you, pluck it out and cast it from you. It is better that you enter heaven with only one hand or foot or one eye than to enter hell with two hands, two feet, and two eyes. Mt. 18:8,9.

151. 61. The eight beatitudes 1. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs. 2. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. 3. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall find consolation. 4. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be fully satisfied. 5. Blessed are the merciful, for mercy shall be shown to them. 6. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. 7. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God. 8. Blessed are those who suffer persecution for the sake of righteousness, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs. Mt. 5:3-10.

152. 62. I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for having hidden these things from the wise and prudent of this world and for revealing them to humble and little ones; yes, Father, for that is what it has pleased you to do. Mt. 11:25.

153. Such is the summary of the great and important truths which eternal Wisdom came on earth to teach us, having first put them into practice himself. His aim was to rid us of the blindness and waywardness caused by our sins.
Blessed are those who understand these eternal truths.
Still more blessed are those who believe them.
Most blessed of all are those who believe them, put them into practice and teach them to others; for they will shine in heaven like stars for all eternity (Dan. 12:13).

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

SUMMARY OF THE UNBELIEVABLE SORROWS THE INCARNATE WISDOM CHOSE TO ENDURE OUT OF LOVE FOR US

[1. The most convincing reason for loving Wisdom]

154. Among all the motives impelling us to love Jesus Christ, the Wisdom incarnate, the strongest, in my opinion, is the sufferings he chose to endure to prove his love for us. "There is," says St Bernard, "one motive which excels all others which I feel most keenly and which urges me to love Jesus. It is, dear Jesus, the bitter chalice which you drank for our sakes, and the great work of our Redemption which makes you so lovable to us. Indeed this supreme blessing and incomparable proof of your love makes us want to return your love. This motive attracts us more agreeably, makes most just demands upon us, moves us more pressingly and influences us more forcibly." And he gives the reason in a few words, "Our dear Saviour has laboured and suffered much to accomplish our redemption. What pain and anguish he has endured!"

[2. The circumstances of his Passion]

155. But what makes us realise more clearly the infinite love of eternal Wisdom for us is the circumstances surrounding his sufferings.
(a) The first of these is the perfection of his person. Being infinite he gave infinite value to all the sufferings of his passion. Had God sent a seraph or an angel of the lowest order to become man and die for us, it would have been a stupendous thing and worthy of our eternal gratitude. But that the Creator of heaven and earth, the only Son of God, eternal Wisdom himself should come and offer up his life! This is inconceivable charity, for, compared with his life, the lives of all angels and all men and all creatures together are of infinitely less value than say, the life of a gnat when compared with the lives of the kings of this earth. Such an excess of love is shown to us in this mystery that our admiration and our gratitude should be great indeed.

156. (b) A second circumstance is the condition of the people for whom he suffered. They were human beings – unworthy creatures and his enemies, from whom he has nothing to fear nor anything to hope for. We sometimes hear of people dying for their friends; but are we ever likely to hear of anyone but the Son of God dying for his enemies? But Jesus Christ proved how well he loved us because though we were sinners - and consequently his enemies – he died for us.

157. (c) The third circumstance is the amount, the grievousness and the duration of his sufferings. Their extent was so great that he is called "Man of sorrows". "A man of every sorrow in whom there is no soundness from the sole of the foot to the top of the head." (Is 53.3) This dear friend of our souls suffered in every way exteriorly and inwardly, in body and soul.

158. He suffered even in material things, apart from the poverty of his birth, of his flight into Egypt and his stay there, and the poverty of his entire life; during his passion he was stripped of his garments by soldiers who shared them among themselves, and then fastened him naked to a cross without as much as a rag to cover his body.

159. He suffered in honour and reputation, for he was overwhelmed with insults and called a blasphemer, a revolutionary, a drunkard, a glutton and a possessed person. He suffered in his wisdom when they classed him as an ignorant man and an imposter, and treated him as a fool and a madman. He suffered in his power, for his enemies considered him a sorcerer and a magician who worked false miracles through a compact with the devil. He suffered in his disciples, one of whom bartered him for money and betrayed him; another, their leader, denied him; and the rest abandoned him.

160. He suffered from all kinds of people; from kings, governors, judges, courtiers, soldiers, pontiffs, priests, officials of the temple and lay members; from Jews and gentiles, from men and women; in fact, from everyone. Even his Blessed Mother's presence added painfully to his sufferings for, as he was dying, he saw her standing at the foot of the cross engulfed in a sea of sorrow.

161. Moreover, our dear Saviour suffered in every member of his body. His head was pierced with a crown of thorns. His hair and beard were torn out; his cheeks were buffeted; his face covered with spittle; his neck and arms bound with cords; his shoulders weighed down and bruised by the weight of the cross. His hands and feet were pierced by the nails, his side and heart opened by a lance; his whole body lacerated by more then five thousand strokes of the scourge, so that his almost fleshless bones became visible. All his senses were almost immersed in a sea of sufferings. He suffered in his sight as he beheld the mocking faces of his enemies and the tears of grief of his friends. He suffered in his hearing as he listened to insulting words, false testimonies, calumnious statements and horrible blasphemies which evil tongues vomited against him. He suffered in his sense of smell by the foulness of the filth they spat into his face. He suffered in his sense of taste by a feverish thirst in which he was only given gall and vinegar to drink. He suffered in his sense of touch by the excruciating pain of the lashes, thorns and nails.

162. His most holy soul was grievously tormented because every sin committed by man was an outrage against his Father whom he loved infinitely; because sin was the cause of the damnation of so many souls who would be lost despite his passion and death; and because he had compassion not only for all men in general but for each one in particular, as he knew them all individually. All these torments were much increased by the length of time they lasted, that is, from the first instance of his conception to the moment of his death, because all the sufferings he was to endure were, in the timeless view of his wisdom, always distinctly present to his mind. To all these torments we must add the most cruel and the most fearful one, namely his abandonment upon the cross which caused him to cry out, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"

[3. The great love with which he suffered]

163. From all this we must conclude with St. Thomas and the Fathers of the Church that our good Jesus suffered more than all the martyrs both those of past ages and those of the future up to the end of the world. Now if the smallest pain of the Son of God is more precious and more likely to stir our hearts than all the sufferings of angels and men together had they died and given up everything for us, how deep then should be our grief, our love and our gratitude for our Lord who endured for our sakes freely and with the utmost love all that a man could possibly suffer. "For the joy set before him, he endured the cross." (Heb 12.2) According to the Fathers of the Church, these words mean that Jesus Christ, Eternal Wisdom, could have remained in his heavenly glory, infinitely distant from our misfortunes. But he chose on our account to come down upon earth, take the nature of man and be crucified. Even when he had become man he could have imparted to his body the same joy, the same immortality, the same blessedness which he now enjoys. But he did not choose this because he wanted to be free to suffer.

164. Rupert adds to this that at the Incarnation, the eternal Father proposed to his Son the saving of the world either by joyful means or by suffering, by acquiring honours or by suffering contempt, by richness or by poverty, by living or by dying. Hence while remaining himself glorious and triumphant, he could have redeemed men and taken them with him along a way paved with joys, delights, honours and riches had he wished to do so. But he chose rather to endure the cross and sufferings in order to give to God his Father greater glory and to men a proof of greater love.

165. Further, he loved us so much that instead of shortening his sufferings he chose to prolong them and to suffer even more. That is why when he was hanging on the cross, covered with opprobrium and plunged deep in sorrow, as if not suffering enough, he cried out, "I thirst." For what was he thirsting? St. Laurence Justinian gives us the answer. "His thirst arose from the ardour of his love, from the depth and abundance of his charity. He was thirsting for us, thirsting to give himself to us and suffer for us."

[4. Conclusion]

166. Knowing all this are we not right in exclaiming with St. Francis of Paula, "O God who is love, what excesses of love you have shown us in suffering and in dying!" Or with St. Mary Magdalene of Pazzi, kissing the crucifix, "O Love, how little are you known!" Or St. Francis of Assisi, trudging along the dusty streets, "Jesus, my crucified Love, is not loved." Holy Church makes us repeat every day, "The world does not know Jesus Christ," (Jn 1.10) incarnate Wisdom; and in truth, to know what our Lord has endured for us, and yet like the world not to love him ardently, is morally impossible.

THE LOVE OF ETERNAL WISDOM BY ST. LOUIS DE MONTFORT - CHAPTER 10 & 11

CHAPTER TEN

THE CAPTIVATING BEAUTY AND THE INEXPRESSIBLE GENTLENESS OF INCARNATE WISDOM

117. As the divine Wisdom became man only to stir the hearts of men to love and imitate him, he took pleasure in gracing his human nature with every kind of quality, especially an endearing gentleness and a kindness without any defect or blemish.

[1. Wisdom is gentle in his origin]

118. If we consider him in his origin he is everything that is good and gentle. He is a gift sent by the love of the eternal Father and a product of the love of the Holy Spirit. He was given out of love and fashioned by love (Jn. 3:16). He is therefore all love, or rather the very love of the Father and the Holy Spirit. He was born of the sweetest, tenderest and the most beautiful of all mothers, Mary, the divinely favoured Virgin. To appreciate the gentleness of Jesus we must first consider the gentleness of Mary, his Mother, whom he resembles by his pleasing nature. Jesus is Mary's child; consequently there is no haughtiness, or harshness, or unpleasantness in him and even less, infinitely less, in him than in his Mother, since he is the eternal Wisdom and therefore pure gentleness and beauty.

[2.He is declared gentle by the Prophets]

119. The prophets, who had in advance been shown the incarnate Wisdom, referred to him as a sheep and a lamb because of his gentleness. They foretold that because of his gentleness "he would not break the bruised reed nor quench the smoking flax" (Is. 42:3). He is so full of kindness that even if a poor sinner be weighed down, blinded, and depraved by his sins, with already, as it were, one foot in hell, he will not condemn him unless the sinner compels him to do so. St John the Baptist for almost thirty years lived in the desert practising austerities to gain the knowledge and love of incarnate Wisdom. No sooner had he seen Jesus approaching than he pointed him out to his disciples, exclaiming, "Behold the Lamb of God. Behold him who takes away the sins of the world." (Jn. 1:29). He did not say, as seemingly he should, "Behold the Most High, behold the King of Glory, behold the Almighty." But knowing him more thoroughly than any man at any time, he said: Behold the Lamb of God, behold that eternal Wisdom who, to captivate our hearts and to take away our sins, has gathered into his person all that is meek in God and in man, in heaven and on earth.

[3. He is gentle in his name]

120. But what does the name of Jesus, the proper name of incarnate Wisdom signify to us if not ardent charity, infinite love and engaging gentleness? The distinctive characteristic of Jesus, the Saviour of the world, is to love and save men. "No song is sweeter, no voice is more pleasing, no thought is more appealing, than Jesus Son of God." How sweet the name of Jesus sounds to the ear and the heart of a chosen soul! Sweet as honey to the lips, a delightful melody to the ears, thrilling joy to the heart.

[4. He is gentle in his looks]

121. "Gentle is Jesus in his looks, and in his words and actions." The face of our loving Saviour is so serene and gentle that it charmed the eyes and hearts of those who beheld it. The shepherds who came to the stable to see him were so spellbound by the serenity and beauty of his face that they tarried for many days gazing in rapture upon him. The three Kings, proud though they were, had no sooner seen the tender features of this lovely child than, forgetting their high dignity, they fell down on their knees beside his crib. Time and again they said to one another,"Friend, how good it is to be here! There are no enjoyments in our palaces comparable to those we are experiencing in this stable looking at this dear Infant-God." When Jesus was still very young, children and people in trouble came from the country around to see him and find comfort and joy. They would say to each other, "Let us go and see young Jesus, the lovely child of Mary." St John Chrysostom says, "The beauty and majesty of his face were at once so sweet and so worthy of respect that those who knew him could not prevent themselves from loving him, and distant kings, hearing of his beauty, desired to have a painting of him. It is even said that our Lord by special favour sent his portrait to King Abogare. Some writers tell us that the Roman soldiers and the Jews covered his face in order to strike and buffet him freely because there was in his eyes and face such a kindly and ravishing radiance as would disarm the most cruel of men.

[5. He is gentle in his words]

122. Jesus is also gentle in his words. When he dwelt on earth he won everyone over by his gentle speech. Never was he heard to raise his voice or argue heatedly. The prophets foretold this of him (Is. 42:2). Those who listened to him with good intentions were charmed by the words of life which fell from his lips and they exclaimed, "No man has ever spoken as this man" (Jn. 7:46). Even those who hated him were so surprised at his eloquence and wisdom that they asked one another, "Where did he get such wisdom?" (Mt. 13:54). No man has ever spoken with such meekness and unction. "Where did he acquire such wisdom in his speech?" they asked. Multitudes of poor people left their homes and families and went even as far as the desert to hear him, going several days without food or drink, for his gentle words were food enough for them. The apostles were led to follow him by his kindly manner of speaking. His words healed the incurable and comforted the afflicted. He spoke only one word, - "Mary" - to the grief-stricken Mary Magdalene and she was overwhelmed with joy and happiness.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

THE GENTLENESS OF THE INCARNATE WISDOM IN HIS ACTIONS

[6. He is gentle in his actions]

123. Finally, Jesus is gentle in his actions and in the whole conduct of his life. "He did everything well" (Mt. 7:37), which means that everything he did was done with such uprightness, wisdom, holiness and gentleness that nothing faulty or distorted could be found in him. Let us consider what gentleness our loving Saviour always manifested in his conduct.

124. Poor people and little children followed him everywhere seeing him as one of their own. The simplicity, the kindliness, the humble courtesy and the charity they witnessed in our dear Saviour made them press close about him. One day when he was preaching in the streets the children who were usually about him, pressed upon him from behind. The apostles who were nearest to our Lord pushed them back. On seeing this Jesus rebuked his apostles and said to them, "Do not keep the children away from me" (Mt. 19:14). When they gathered about him he embraced and blessed them with gentleness and kindness. The poor, on seeing him poorly dressed and simple in his ways, without ostentation or haughtiness, felt at ease with him. They defended him against the rich and the proud when these calumniated and persecuted him, and he in his turn praised and blessed them on every occasion.

125. But how describe the gentleness of Jesus in his dealings with poor sinners: his gentleness with Mary Magdalene, his courteous solicitude in turning the Samaritan woman from her evil ways, his compassion in pardoning the adulterous woman taken in adultery, his charity in sitting down to eat with public sinners in order to win them over? Did not his enemies seize upon his great kindness as a pretext to persecute him, saying that his gentleness only encouraged others to transgress the law of Moses, and tauntingly called him the friend of sinners and publicans? With what kindness and concern did he not try to win over the heart of Judas who had decided to betray him, even when Jesus was washing his feet and calling him his friend! With what charity he asked God his Father to pardon his executioners, pleading their ignorance as an excuse.

126. How beautiful, meek and charitable is Jesus, the incarnate Wisdom! Beautiful from all eternity, he is the splendour of his Father, the unspotted mirror and image of his goodness. He is more beautiful than the sun and brighter than light itself. He is beautiful in time, being formed by the Holy Spirit pure and faultless, fair and immaculate, and during his life he charmed the eyes and hearts of men and is now the glory of the angels. How loving and gentle he is with men, and especially with poor sinners whom he came upon earth to seek out in a visible manner, and whom he still seeks in an invisible manner every day.

[7. He continues to be gentle in heaven]

127. Do you think that Jesus, now that he is triumphant and glorious, is any the less loving and condescending? On the contrary, his glory, as it were, perfects his kindness. He wishes to appear forgiving rather than majestic, to show the riches of his mercy rather than the gold of his glory.

128. Read the accounts of his apparitions and you will see that when Wisdom incarnate and glorified showed himself to his friends, he did not appear accompanied by thunder and lightning but in a kindly and gentle manner. He did not assume the majesty of a King or of the Lord of hosts, but the tenderness of a spouse and the kindliness of a friend. On some occasions he has shown himself in the Blessed Sacrament, but I cannot remember having read that he ever did so otherwise than in the form of a gentle and beautiful child.

129. Not long ago an unhappy man, enraged because he had lost all his money at gambling, drew his sword against heaven, blaming our Lord for the loss of his money. Then, instead of thunderbolts and fiery darts falling upon this man, there came fluttering down from the sky a little piece of paper. Quite taken aback, he caught the paper, opened it and read, "O God, have mercy on me." The sword fell from his hands, and, stirred to the depths of his heart, he fell on his knees and begged for mercy.

130. St Denis the Areopagite relates that a certain bishop, Carpas by name, had, after a great deal of trouble, converted a pagan. On hearing afterwards that a fellow-pagan had lost no time in making the new convert abjure the faith, Carpas earnestly prayed to God all night to wreak vengeance and punishment upon the guilty one for his attack on the supreme authority of God. Suddenly, when his fervour and his entreaties were reaching their peak, he saw the earth opening and on the brink of hell he saw the apostate and the pagan whom the demons were trying to drag into the abyss. Then lifting up his eyes, he saw the heavens open and Jesus Christ accompanied by a multitude of angels coming to him and saying, "Carpas, you asked me for vengeance, but you do not know me. You do not realise what you are asking for, nor what sinners have cost me. Why do you want me to condemn them? I love them so much that if it were necessary I would be ready to die again for each one of them." Then our Lord approached Carpas, and, uncovering his shoulders, said to him, "Carpas, if you want to take vengeance, strike me rather than these poor sinners."

131. With this knowledge of eternal Wisdom, shall we not love him who has loved us and still loves us more than his own life; and whose beauty and meekness surpass all that is loveliest and most attractive in heaven and on earth?

132. We read in the life of Blessed Henry Suso that one day the eternal Wisdom, whom he so ardently desired, appeared to him. It happened in this way. Our Lord appeared in human form surrounded by a bright transparent cloud and seated upon a throne of ivory. A brightness like the rays of the sun at noonday radiated from his eyes and face. The crown he wore signified eternity; his robe blessedness; his word meekness; his embrace the fullness of bliss possessed by all the blessed. Henry contemplated this spectacle of the divine Wisdom. What surprised him most was to see Jesus at one moment appearing as a young maiden of incomparable heavenly and earthly beauty and, at the next moment, appearing as a young man who, judging from his face, would seem to have espoused all that is beautiful in God's creation. Sometimes he saw him raise his head higher than the heavens and at the same time tread the chasms of the earth. Sometimes he looked wholly majestic and at other times condescending, gentle, meek and full of tenderness for those who came to him. Then he turned to Henry and said with a smile, "My son, give me your heart" (Prov. 23:26). At once Henry threw himself at his feet and offered him for all time the gift of his heart. Following the example of this holy man, let us offer eternal Wisdom for all time the gift of our heart. That is all he asks for.

THE LOVE OF ETERNAL WISDOM BY ST. LOUIS DE MONTFORT - CHAPTER 8 & 9

CHAPTER EIGHT

MARVELLOUS EFFECTS OF WISDOM IN THE SOULS OF THOSE WHO POSSESS HIM

90. Eternal Wisdom, ever transcendent in beauty, by nature loves everything that is good, especially the good of man (Wisd. 7:22), and consequently nothing gives him more pleasure than to communicate himself. That is why the Holy Spirit tells us that Wisdom is for ever seeking throughout the world for souls worthy of him (Wisd. 6:17), and he fills these holy souls with his presence making them "friends of God and prophets" (Wisd. 7:27).

In former times he entered into the soul of God's servant Moses and filled him with abundant light to see great things, and endowed him with prodigious power to work miracles and gain victories. "He entered the soul of the servant of God and withstood fearsome kings with signs and wonders" (Wisd. 10:16).

When divine Wisdom enters a soul, he brings all kinds of good things with him and bestows vast riches upon that soul. "All good things came to me along with him and untold riches from his hand" (Wisd. 7:11). This is Solomon's own testimony to the truth after he had received Wisdom.

91. Among the countless effects eternal Wisdom produces in souls, often in such a secret way that the soul is not aware of them, the most usual are the following:

92. (1) Eternal Wisdom communicates his Spirit of enlightenment to the soul that possesses him, "I prayed, and understanding was given to me. I pleaded and the spirit of wisdom came upon me" (Wisd. 7:7). This subtle and penetrating spirit (cf. Wisd. 7:22-24) enables a man, as it enabled Solomon, to judge all things with keen discernment and deep penetration. "Because of Wisdom, who communicated his spirit to me, I shall be found keen in judgement and even the great shall be surprised in my presence" (Wisd. 8:11).

93. Eternal Wisdom communicates to man the great science of holiness as well as the natural sciences, and even the most secret ones when they are needed. "If anyone desires deep knowledge, eternal Wisdom knows the past and can forecast the future. He understands the subtleties of speech and the lessons of parables" (Wisd. 8:8). To Jacob he gave the science of the saints (Wisd. 10:10). To Solomon he gave a true knowledge of the whole of nature (Wisd. 7:17). He revealed to him countless secrets that no one before him had ever known (Wisd. 7:21).

94. From this infinite source of light the great Doctors of the Church, like St Thomas (as he himself testifies) drew that eminent knowledge for which they are renowned. Note that this enlightened understanding given by eternal Wisdom is not dry, barren and unspiritual, but radiating splendour, unction, vigour and devotion. It moves and satisfies the heart at the same time as it enlightens the mind.

95. (2) Wisdom gives man not only light to know the truth but also a remarkable power to impart it to others. "Wisdom has the voice to convey knowledge" (Wisd. 1:7). Wisdom knows what we want to say and communicates to us the art of saying it well, for "he opened the mouths of those who were dumb and made the tongues of babies eloquent" (Wisd. 10:21).

He cured Moses of his impediment of speech (cf. Ex. 4:10- 12). He imparted his words to the prophets, enabling them "to root up and to pull down, to destroy and to demolish, to build and to plant" (Jer. 1:10), although they acknowledged that left to themselves they could speak no better than children (Jer. 1:6).

It was eternal Wisdom who gave the apostles the facility they had to preach the gospel everywhere and to proclaim the wonderful works of God (Acts 2:11). "He made their mouths a real treasury of words."

Since divine Wisdom is the Word of God throughout time and eternity, he has never ceased speaking and by his word everything was made and everything was restored (cf. Jn. 1:3- 13). He spoke through the mouths of the prophets and apostles (Cf. No. 47) and he will go on speaking through the mouths of those to whom he gives himself until the end of time.

96. But the words that divine Wisdom communicates are not just ordinary, natural, human words; they are divine, "truly the words of God" (1 Thess. 2:13). They are powerful, touching, piercing words, "sharper than a two-edged sword" (Heb. 4:12), words that go from the heart of the one through whom he speaks straight to the heart of the listener. Solomon is referring to this gift of Wisdom he himself had received when he said that God gave him the grace to speak according to the feelings of his heart (Wisd. 7:15).

97. These are the words which our Lord promised to his apostles, "I will give you an eloquence and a wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist" (Lk. 21:15).

How few preachers there are today who possess this most wonderful gift of eloquence and who can say with St Paul, "We preach the wisdom of God" (1 Cor. 2:7). Most of them speak according to the natural light of their minds, or from what they have taken from books. They do not speak under the impulse of divine Wisdom or from a heart filled to overflowing with wisdom (Mt. 12:34). That is why in these times we see so few conversions made through preaching. If a preacher had truly received from eternal Wisdom this gift of eloquence, his listeners would hardly be able to resist his words, as happened in the early days of the Church: "They could not resist the wisdom and the Spirit speaking in him" (Acts 6:10). Such a preacher would speak with so much unction and such authority (Mk. 1:22) that his words could never be ineffectual and void (cf. Is. 55:10-11).

98. (3) Eternal Wisdom, besides being the object of the eternal Father's delight, and the joy of angels (cf. Nos. 10,19,55), is also the source of purest joy and consolation for man who possesses him. He gives to man a relish for everything that comes from God and makes him lose his taste for things created. He enlightens his mind with the brightness of his own light and pours into his heart an indescribable joy, sweetness and peace even when he is in the midst of the most harrowing grief and suffering, as St Paul bears witness when he exclaims, "I exceedingly abound with joy in all our tribulations" (2 Cor. 7:4).

Whenever I go into my house, says Solomon, even though I am alone, I will take my rest with Wisdom because Wisdom's company is always pleasing, his companionship is never tedious but always satisfying and joyful (Wisd. 8:16). And not only at home did I find joy in conversing with him, but everywhere and in everything, because Wisdom went before me (Wisd. 7:12). There is a true and holy joy in Wisdom's friendship (Wisd. 8:18), while the joys and pleasures we find in created things are illusory, leading only to affliction of spirit.

99. (4) When eternal Wisdom communicates himself to a soul, he gives that soul all the gifts of the Holy Spirit and all the great virtues to an eminent degree. They are: the theological virtues - lively faith, firm hope, ardent charity; the cardinal virtues - well-ordered temperance, complete prudence, perfect justice, invincible fortitude; the moral virtues - perfect religion, profound humility, pleasing gentleness, blind obedience, complete detachment, continuous mortification, sublime prayer, etc. These are the wonderful virtues and heavenly gifts described briefly by the Holy Spirit when he says, "If anyone loves justice, great virtues are again Wisdom's handiwork, for he teaches temperance and prudence, justice and fortitude. Nothing in the world is more useful to man in this life than these" (Wisd. 8:7).

100. (5) Finally, as "nothing is more active than Wisdom" (Wisd. 7:24), he does not leave those who enjoy his friendship to languish in mediocrity and negligence. He sets them on fire, inspiring them to undertake great things for the glory of God and the salvation of souls. In order to discipline them and make them more worthy of himself, he permits them to engage in strenuous conflicts and in almost everything they undertake they encounter contradictions and disappointments.

At times, he allows the devil to tempt them, the world to calumniate and scorn them, their enemies to defeat and crush them, their friends and relatives to forsake and betray them. Sometimes they may have to suffer illness or loss of possessions, and at other times endure insults, sadness and heartbreak. In short, Wisdom tests them thoroughly in the crucible of tribulation like god is tested in a furnace.

"But their affliction", says the Holy Spirit, "was light and their reward will be great, for God has put them to the test and found them worthy of himself. He has tried them like gold in a furnace and accepted them as sacrificial victims. When the time comes, he will look upon them with favour" (Wisd. 3:4,6).

It is Wisdom who enriched the virtuous man in his labours and enabled him to reap the fruit of his toil. He came to his aid against those who were trying to deceive him and made him prosperous. He protected him against his enemies, shielded him against seducers and engaged him in combat so that he might come through victorious and so convince him that Wisdom is more powerful than anything in the world (Wisd. 10:10).

101. We read in the life of Blessed Henry Suso, a Dominican friar, that in his eagerness to possess Wisdom, he often offered himself to undergo any torment in return for his friendship. One day he said to himself, "Do you not know that lovers endure suffering upon suffering for the sake of the one they love? For them wakeful nights are pleasant, fatigue is delightful, labour is restful, once they are assured that the one they love is pleased and grateful. If men go to such lengths to please a mere mortal, are you not ashamed to show weakness in your resolve to obtain Wisdom? No, eternal Wisdom, I will never falter in my love for you, even though I have to plunge through thicket and bush to reach you, even though I have to undergo a thousand torments in body and soul. I will always prize your friendship more than anything else on earth and you will always have the first place in my affections."

102. While travelling a few days later, he fell into the hands of robbers who beat him so unmercifully that they themselves could not help pitying him. Seeing himself in such a state, Henry Suso forgot his resolution to be brave no matter what might happen and gave way to deep depression, weeping and wondering why God had afflicted him in this way. As he pondered over his plight, he fell asleep. Early next morning he heard a voice reproaching him, "Look at this warrior of mine. He can scale mountains, climb over rocks, break into strongholds, cut to pieces his enemies when everything is going right for him. But when he meets with adversity his courage fades and he is helpless and useless. In time of consolation he is a fierce lion, but in time of tribulation he is a timid deer. Wisdom does not share his friendship with such faint-hearted cowards."

At this reprimand, Blessed Henry confessed he was wrong in giving way to excessive discouragement, and went on to ask divine Wisdom to allow him to weep and so unburden his heart weighed down by grief.

"No," replied the voice, "all the saints in heaven would lose their respect for you,. were you to cry like a baby or a woman. Wipe away your tears and show the world a cheerful face."

103. The cross, then, is the portion and reward of those who desire or already possess eternal Wisdom. But our loving Saviour numbers, weighs and measures everything and sends crosses to his friends in proportion to their strength, and tempers them with divine unction to such an extent that their hearts are filled with joy.

CHAPTER NINE 

THE INCARNATION AND LIFE OF ETERNAL WISDOM

[1. The Incarnation]

104. When the eternal Word, eternal Wisdom, decided in the grand council of the Blessed Trinity (cf. Nos. 41-46) to become man in order to restore fallen humanity, it is possible he made it known to Adam, and Scripture tells us he promised the patriarchs of the Old Law that he would become man in order to redeem the world.

This explains why, during the 4,000 years since the creation of the world, all the holy people of the Old Law pleaded earnestly in their prayers for the coming of the Messiah. They groaned, they wept and cried out, "Clouds, rain forth the just one. Earth, bud forth the Saviour" (cf. Is. 45:8). "O Wisdom, who proceeded from the mouth of the Most High, come bring us deliverance."

But their cries, their prayers, and their sacrifices had not the power to draw the Son of God, Wisdom Eternal, from the bosom of his Father. They reached out towards heaven but their arms were not long enough to reach the throne of the Most High. They offered the sacrifice of their hearts unceasingly to God but they were not worthy enough to obtain the greatest of all graces.

105. At last, when the time appointed for the redemption of mankind came, eternal Wisdom built himself a house worthy to be his dwelling-place (Prov. 9:1). He created the most holy Virgin, forming her in the womb of St Anne with even greater delight than he had derived from creating the universe. It is impossible on the one hand to put into words the gifts with which the Blessed Trinity endowed this most fair creature, or on the other hand to describe the faithful care with which she corresponded to the graces of her Creator.

106. The torrential outpouring of God's infinite goodness which had been rudely stemmed by the sins of men since the beginning of the world, was now released precipitately and in full flood into the heart of Mary. Eternal Wisdom gave to her all the graces which Adam and his descendants would have received so liberally from him had they remained in their original state of justice. The fullness of God, says a saint, was poured into Mary, in so far as a mere creature is capable of receiving it. O Mary, masterpiece of the Most High, miracle of eternal Wisdom, prodigy of the Almighty, abyss of grace! I join all the saints in the belief that only the God who created you knows the height, the breadth and the depth of the grace he has conferred on you.

107. During the first fourteen years of her life the most holy Virgin Mary grew so marvellously in the grace and wisdom of God and responded so faithfully to his love that the angels and even God himself were filled with rapturous admiration for her. Her humility, deep as an abyss, delighted him. Her purity so other-worldly drew him down to her. He found her lively faith and her ceaseless entreaties of love so irresistible that he was lovingly conquered by her appeals of love. "So great was the love of Mary," explains St Augustine, "that it conquered the omnipotent God" - O quantus amor illius qui vincit omnipotentem.

Wondrous to relate, this divine Wisdom chose to leave the bosom of his Father and enter the womb of a virgin and there repose amid the lilies of her purity. Desiring to give himself to her by becoming man in her, he sent the archangel Gabriel to greet her on his behalf and to declare to her that she had won his heart and he would become man within her if she gave her consent. The archangel fulfilled his mission and assured her that she would still remain a virgin while becoming a mother. Notwithstanding her desire to be lowly, Mary wholeheartedly gave the angel that priceless consent which the Blessed Trinity, all the angels and the whole world awaited for so many centuries. Humbling herself before her Creator she said" "Behold the handmaid of the Lord. Let it be done to me according to your word" (Lk. 1:38).

108. Notice that at the very moment Mary consented to become the Mother of God, several miraculous events took place. The Holy Spirit formed from the most pure blood of Mary's heart a little body which he fashioned into a perfect living being: God created the most perfect soul that ever could be created. Eternal Wisdom, the Son of God, drew the body and soul into union with his person. Here we have the great wonder of heaven and earth, the prodigious excess of the love of God. "The Word was made flesh" (Jn. 1:14). Eternal Wisdom became incarnate. God became man without ceasing to be God. This God-man is Jesus Christ and his name means Saviour.

[2. Life of Wisdom Incarnate]

109. Here is a summary of his divine life on earth:

1. He wished to be born of a married woman, though she was indeed a virgin, lest he should be reproached as one born out of wedlock. Other important reasons are given by Fathers of the Church. His conception, as we have just said, was announced to the Blessed Virgin by the angel Gabriel. He became a child of Adam without inheriting Adam's sin.

110. 2. His conception took place on Friday, 25th March, and on 25th December the Saviour of the world was born at Bethlehem and was cradled in a manger in a poor stable. An angel brought the news of the Saviour's birth to shepherds who were keeping watch over their flocks in the fields. He invited them to go to Bethlehem to adore their Saviour. At the same time they heard celestial music, voices of angels singing, "Glory to God in the heavens and peace on earth to men who are God's friends" (Lk. 2:14).

111. 3. On the eighth day after his birth, as prescribed by the Law of Moses, he was circumcised, even though he was not subject to the law, and he was called Jesus, the name that came from heaven. Three wise men came from the east to adore him having learnt of his birth through the appearance of an extraordinary star which guided them to Bethlehem. This event is celebrated on 6th January, the feast of the Epiphany, that is, the manifestation of God.

112. 4. Forty days after his birth he chose to offer himself in the Temple, observing all that the Law of Moses prescribed for the redeeming of the first-born. Some time later the angel told St Joseph, spouse of the Blessed Virgin, to take the infant Jesus and his Mother into Egypt to escape the wrath of Herod. This he did. Some authors hold the opinion that our Lord stayed in Egypt for two years; others say for three, and others such as Baronius, think it was as many as eight years. He sanctified the whole of the country by his presence by making it worthy to be dwelt in by the holy hermits, as history has shown. Eusebius tells us that at the approach of Jesus the devils took to flight, and St Athanasius adds that the idols toppled over.

113. 5. At the age of twelve the Son of God, sitting among the doctors, questioned them with such wisdom that all his hearers were filled with admiration. After this incident the gospel makes no mention of him until his baptism when he was thirty years old. He then retired into the desert, abstaining from food and drink for forty days. There he fought the devil and vanquished him.

114. 6. After this he began to preach in Judea, choosing his apostles and working all the miracles related in the gospels. I need only mention that Jesus during the third year of his public preaching and at the age of thirty-three, raised Lazarus from the dead, made his triumphant entry into Jerusalem on the 29th day of March, and on the 2nd day of April which was Thursday, the fourteenth day of the month of Nisan, celebrated the Pasch with his disciples, washed the feet of the apostles and instituted the sacrament of the holy Eucharist under the species of bread and wine.

115. 7. On the evening of this day he was apprehended by his enemies with Judas the traitor at their head. The next day, 3rd April, even though it was a feast-day of the Jews, he was condemned to death after being scourged, crowned with thorns, and treated most shamefully.

That same day he was led to Calvary and nailed to a cross between two criminals. The God of all innocence thus chose to die the most shameful of all deaths and undergo the torments which should have been incurred by a robber named Barabbas whom the Jews had preferred to him. The ancient Fathers believed that Jesus was attached to the cross by four nails and that there was in the middle of the cross a wooden support on which his body rested.

116. 8. After languishing for three hours, the Saviour of the world died at the age of thirty-three. Joseph of Arimathea had the courage to ask Pilate for the body and laid it in a new sepulchre which he had built. We must not forget that nature showed its sorrow at the death of its maker by many marvellous happenings which took place at the moment of his death. He rose from the dead on the fifth day of April and appeared several times to his Mother and his disciples during forty days. On Thursday, 14th May, he took his disciples to Mount Olivet and there in their presence, by his own power he ascended into heaven to take his place at the right hand of his Father, leaving on this earth the imprint of his sacred feet.

THE LOVE OF ETERNAL WISDOM BY ST. LOUIS DE MONTFORT - CHAPTER 7

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHOICE OF TRUE WISDOM

74.  God himself has his Wisdom, the one and only true Wisdom
which we should love and seek as a great treasure.  The
corrupt world also has its wisdom which must be condemned and
detested, for it is evil and destructive.  Philosophers also
have their wisdom which must be spurned as useless for it can
often endanger our salvation.
     So far we have been speaking of God's wisdom to those who
are spiritually mature, as the Apostle calls them (cf. 1 Cor.
2:6), but lest they be deceived by the false glitter of
worldly wisdom, let us unmask its hypocrisy and malice.

[1. Wisdom of the world]

75.  The wisdom of the world is that of which it is said, "I
will destroy the wisdom of the wise (1 Cor. 1:19; cf. Is.
29:14), i.e. those whom the world calls wise."  "The wisdom of
the flesh is an enemy of God" (Rom. 8:7),  and does not come
from above.  It is earthly, devilish and carnal (Jas. 3:15).
     This worldly wisdom consists in an exact conformity to
the maxims and fashions of the world; a continual inclination
towards greatness and esteem; and a subtle and endless pursuit
of pleasure and self-interest, not in an uncouth and blatant
way by scandalous sin, but in an astute, discreet, and
deceitful way.  Otherwise the world would no longer label it
wisdom but pure licentiousness.

76.  In the opinion of the world, a wise man is one with a
keen eye to business; who knows how to turn everything to his
personal profit without appearing to do so.  He excels in the
art of duplicity and well-concealed fraud without arousing
suspicion.  He thinks one thing and says or does another.
Nothing concerning the graces and manners of the world is
unknown to him.  He accommodates himself to everyone to suit
his own end, completely ignoring the honour and interests of
God.  He manages to make a secret but fatal reconciliation of
truth and falsehood, of the gospel and the world, of virtue
and sin, of Christ and Belial.  He wishes to be considered an
honest man but not a devout man, and most readily scorns,
distorts and condemns devotions he does not personally approve
of.  In short, a man is worldly-wise who, following solely the
lead of his senses and human reasoning, poses as a good
Christian and a man of integrity, but makes little effort to
please God or atone by penance for the sins he has committed
against him.

77.  The worldly man bases his conduct on personal honour, on
"What will people say?", on convention, on high living, on
self-interest, on ceremonious manners, and on witty
conversation.  These seven principles are the irreproachable
supports on which, he believes, he can safely depend to enjoy
a peaceful life.
     The world will canonise him for such virtues as courage,
finesse, tactfulness, shrewdness, gallantry, politeness and
good humour.  It stigmatises as serious offences,
insensitiveness, stupidity, poverty, boorishness and bigotry.

78.  He obeys as faithfully as he can the commandments which
the world gives him:
     You shall be well acquainted with the world.
     You shall be respectable.
     You shall be successful in business.
     You shall hold on to whatever is yours.
     You shall rise above your background.
     You shall make friends for yourself.
     You shall frequent fashionable society.
     You shall seek the good life.
     You shall not be a kill-joy.
     You shall not be singular, uncouth or over-pious.

79.  Never has the world been so corrupt as it is now, for
never has it been so cunning, so wise in its own way, and so
crafty.  It cleverly makes use of the truth to foster untruth,
virtue to justify vice, and the very maxims of Jesus Christ to
endorse its own so that even those who are wisest in the sight
of God are often deceived.
     "Infinite is the number of these men, wise in the sight
of the world but foolish in the eyes of God" (Eccles. 1:15).

80.  Earthly wisdom of which St James speaks, is love for the
things of this world.  Worldly men secretly subscribe to this
wisdom when they set their hearts on worldly possessions and
strive to become rich.  They institute court proceedings and
engage in needless disputes to acquire wealth or hold on to
it.  Most of the time they are thinking, speaking, acting with
the sole aim of acquiring or keeping some temporal possession.
They pay little or no attention to their eternal salvation or
to the means of saving their souls, such as Confession, Holy
Communion, prayer, etc.; except in an offhand way out of
routine, once in a while, and for the sake of appearances.

81.  The wisdom of the flesh is the love of pleasure.  This is
the wisdom shown by the worldly-wise who seek only the
satisfaction of the senses.  They want to have a good time.
They shun everything that might prove unpleasant or mortifying
for the body, such as fasting, and other austerities.  Usually
they think only of eating, drinking, playing, laughing,
enjoying life and having a good time.  They must always be
comfortable and insist on having entertaining pastimes, the
best of food and good company.
     They regale themselves with all these pleasures without
the least scruple, with no disapproval from the world and no
inconvenience to their health.  Then they can go looking for
some broad-minded confessor (that is how they describe lax
confessors who shirk their duty) to obtain from him on easy
terms the peaceful sanction for their soft and effeminate way
of living and a generous pardon for their sins.  I say "on
easy terms" because these worldly people usually want as a
penance only a few prayers or a small offering to the poor.
They detest anything that could possibly cause them any bodily
discomfort.

82.  Diabolical wisdom is the love and esteem of honours.
This is the wisdom of the worldly-wise who, secretly, of
course, long for distinctions, honours, dignities and high
offices.  They strive to be seen, esteemed, praised and
applauded by men.  In their studies, their work, their
undertakings, their words and actions, all they want is the
esteem and praise of men, to be reputed as devout or learned
people, as great leaders, eminent lawyers, men of great and
distinguished merit or deserving of high consideration.  They
cannot bear insult or blame and so they hide their
shortcomings and parade their better qualities.

83.  We must, like our Lord Jesus Christ, incarnate Wisdom,
detest and condemn these three kinds of false wisdom if we are
to possess the true one, which is not self-seeking, not found
in the world nor in the heart of those who lead a comfortable
life, and which loathes everything that men consider great and
noble.

[2. Natural wisdom]

84.  Besides worldly wisdom, which is pernicious and must be
condemned, there is the natural wisdom of philosophers.
     It was this natural wisdom that the Egyptians and Greeks
eagerly sought for, "The Greeks look for wisdom" (1 Cor.
1:22). Those who had acquired this wisdom were called magi or
wise men.  This wisdom consists in an eminent knowledge of
nature in its primary elements.  It was given in full to Adam
before the Fall.  It was conferred on Solomon, and down
through the ages many great men have received it, as history
testifies.

85.  Philosophers boast that their wisdom is acquired through
philosophical argumentation.  Alchemists boast of cabalistic
secrets for finding the philosopher's stone in which, they
imagine, this wisdom is to be found.
     It is true that scholastic philosophy, when studied in a
truly Christian way, develops the mind and enables it to
understand the higher sciences, but it will never confer that
so-called natural wisdom which the ancients prided themselves
on possessing.

86.  The science of alchemists, which purports to teach that
natural bodies can be reduced to their basic principles, is
still more worthless and dangerous.  This science, although
valid in itself, has duped and deceived multitudes of people
regarding the end it proposes to attain.  Judging by my own
experience, I am sure that the devil is using this false
science to cause a loss of money and time, as well as grace,
and even the soul itself, under the pretext of finding the
philosopher's stone.  No other science claims to accomplish
such great effects by such obvious means.
     This science claims to produce the philosopher's stone or
a powder (which they call "projection") which, when thrown
upon any metal in a liquid state, will change it into silver
or gold, which will restore health, cure illnesses, even
prolong life, and effect countless marvels which ignorant
people believe are divine and miraculous.
     There is a group of people who consider themselves
experts in this science and who are called "Cabalists" and
these keep such a close guard on the hidden mysteries of this
science that they would rather lose their life than reveal its
so-called secrets.

87.  They justify what they teach by:
     (1) The history of Solomon, whom they firmly believe had
been given the secret of the philosopher's stone, and as proof
they produce a secret book which is false and insidious,
entitled "The Clavicle of Solomon".
     (2) The history of Esdras, to whom God gave a heavenly
liquid to drink and which gave him "wisdom", as is related in
the seventh book of Esdras.
     (3) The history of Raymond Lully and of several great
philosophers who say they have found this philosopher's stone.
     (4) Finally, the better to cover their imposture with a
cloak of piety, they call it a gift of God, which is given
only to those who have persevered in asking for it and who
have merited it by their works and prayers.

88.  I have given an account of the fantasies or illusions of
this futile science so that like many others you may not be
deceived.  I know that some who, after having spent so much
money and wasted so much time, under the most laudable and
pious pretexts in the world and in a most devoted manner, have
finally regretted everything and confessed their pretence and
their delusions.
     I do not admit that the philosopher's stone is a
possibility.  A learned man named Del Rio is certain it is and
has given proofs; others deny it.  Be that as it may, it is
not befitting, it is even dangerous, for a Christian to occupy
himself in seeking it.  It would be an insult to Jesus Christ,
Wisdom incarnate, in whom are found all the treasures of
wisdom and knowledge of God (Col. 2:3) as well as every gift
of nature, grace and glory.  It implies disobedience to the
Holy Spirit who tells us in Ecclesiasticus 3: "Do not seek
what is beyond your capabilities" (Sir. 3:22).

[3. Conclusion]

89.  So let us remain with Jesus, the eternal and incarnate
Wisdom.  Apart from him, there is nothing but aimless
wandering, untruth and death.  "I am the way, I am the truth,
I am the life" (Jn. 14:6).  Now let us see the effects of
Wisdom in souls.

THE LOVE OF ETERNAL WISDOM BY ST. LOUIS DE MONTFORT - CHAPTER 6

CHAPTER SIX

EARNEST DESIRE OF DIVINE WISDOM  TO GIVE HIMSELF TO MEN

64.  The bond of friendship between eternal Wisdom and man is
so close as to be beyond our understanding.  Wisdom is for man
and man is for Wisdom.  "He is an infinite treasure for man,"
(Wisd. 7:14) and not for angels or any other creatures.
     Wisdom's friendship for man arises from man's place in
creation, from his being an abridgement of eternal Wisdom's
marvels, his small yet ever so great world, his living image
and representative on earth (cf. Nos. 35-38).  Since Wisdom,
out of an excess of love, gave himself up to death to save
man, he loves man as a brother, a friend, a disciple, a pupil,
the price of his own blood and co-heir of his kingdom.  For
man to withhold his heart from Wisdom or to wrench it away
from him would constitute an outrage.

[1. Eternal Wisdom's letter of love]

65.  This eternal beauty, ever supremely loving, is so intent
on winning man's friendship that for this very purpose he has
written a book in which he describes his own excellence and
his desire for man's friendship.  This book reads like a
letter written by a lover to win the affections of his loved
one, for in it he expresses such ardent desires for the heart
of man, such tender longings for man's friendship, such loving
invitations and promises, that you would say he could not
possibly be the sovereign Lord of heaven and earth and at the
same time need the friendship of man to be happy.

66.  In his pursuit of man, he hastens along the highways, or
scales the loftiest mountain peaks, or waits at the city
gates, or goes into the public squares and among the
gatherings of people, proclaiming at the top of his voice,
"You children of men, it is you I have been calling so
persistently; it is you I am addressing; it is you I desire
and seek; it is you I am claiming.  Listen, draw close to me,
for I want to make you happy" (Prov. 8:4).
     And the better to attract men, Wisdom says to them, "It
is through me and through my grace that kings reign, princes
rule, monarchs and sovereigns bear the sceptre and crown, I
inspire legislators with the ability to enact just laws for
the good of their people.  I give magistrates the courage to
administer justice fairly and fearlessly."

67.  "I love those who love me and those who seek me
diligently find me," and in finding me they will find good
things in abundance.  "For riches, glory, honours, dignities,
real pleasure and true virtue are found in me; and it is far
better for a man to possess me than to possess all the gold
and silver, all the precious stones, and all the wealth of the
whole universe.  Those who come to me, I will lead along the
paths of justice and prudence.  I will enrich them with the
inheritance due to rightful children and fulfil their greatest
desires (cf. Prov. 8:15-21).  Rest assured, it is my greatest
pleasure and purest delight to converse and to abide with the
children of men" (cf. Prov. 8:31).

68.  "And now, my children, listen to me.  Happy are those who
keep my ways.  Hear my instructions, be wise and do not ignore
them.  Happy is the man who listens to me, watching at my
gates every day, waiting beside my door.  He who finds me
finds life and obtains salvation from the Lord, but he who
sins against me, wounds his own soul.  All who hate me love
death" (Prov. 8:32-36).

69.  Even though eternal Wisdom has spoken so kindly and so
reassuringly to win the friendship of men, he still fears that
they, filled with awe at his glorious state and sovereign
majesty, will not dare approach him.  That is why he tells
them that "he is easily accessible, is quickly recognised by
those who love him and is found by those who seek him; that he
hastens to meet those who desire him and that anyone who rises
early to look for him will have no trouble, for he will find
him sitting at his door, waiting for him" (Wisd. 6:13b-15).

[2. Incarnation, Death and the Eucharist]

70.  Finally, in order to draw closer to men and give them a
more convincing proof of his love, eternal Wisdom went so far
as to become man, even to become a little child, to embrace
poverty and to die upon a cross for them.
     How many times while here on earth could he be heard
pleading, "Come to me, come to me, all of you.  Do not be
afraid, it is I.  Why are you afraid?  I am just like you; I
love you.  Are you afraid because you are sinners?  But they
are the very ones I am looking for; I am the friend of
sinners.  If it is because you have strayed from the fold
through your own fault, then I am the good shepherd.  If it is
because you are weighted down with sin, covered with grime and
utterly dejected, then that is just why you should come to me
for I will unburden you, purify you and console you."

71.  Eternal Wisdom, on the one hand, wished to prove his love
for man by dying in his place in order to save him, but on the
other hand, he could not bear the thought of leaving him.  So
he devised a marvellous way of dying and living at the same
time, and of abiding with man until the end of time.  So, in
order fully to satisfy his love, he instituted the sacrament
of Holy Eucharist and went to the extent of changing and
overturning nature itself.
     He does not conceal himself under a sparkling diamond or
some other precious stone, because he does not want to abide
with man in an ostentatious manner.  But he hides himself
under the appearance of a small piece of bread - man's
ordinary nourishment - so that when received he might enter
the heart of man and there take his delight.  Ardenter
amantium hoc est - Those who love ardently act in this way.
"O eternal Wisdom," says a saint, "O God who is truly lavish
with himself in his desire to be with man."

[3. The ingratitude of those who refuse]

72.  How ungrateful and insensitive we would be if we were not
moved by the earnest desire of eternal Wisdom, his eagerness
to seek us out and the proofs he gives us of his friendship!
     How cruel we would be, what punishment would we not
deserve even in this world, if, instead of listening to him,
we turn a deaf ear; if, instead of loving him, we spurn and
offend him.  The Holy Spirit tells us, "Those who neglected to
acquire Wisdom not only inherited ignorance of what is good,
but they actually left in the world a memorial of their folly
in that their sins could not go unnoticed" (Wisd. 10:8).
     Those who during their lifetime do not strive to acquire
Wisdom suffer a triple misfortune.  They fall (a) into
ignorance and blindness, (b) into folly, (c) into sin and
scandal.
     But how unhappy they will be at the door of death when,
despite themselves, they hear Wisdom reproach them, "I called
you and you did not answer (Prov. 1:24).  All the day long I
held out my hands to you and you spurned me.  Sitting at your
door, I waited for you but you did not come to me.  Now it is
my turn to deride you (Prov. 1:26).  No longer do I have ears
to hear you weeping, eyes to see your tears, a heart to be
moved by your sobs, or hands to help you."
     How great will be their misery in hell!  Read what the
Holy Spirit himself has to say about the miseries, the
wailings, the regrets and the despair of the fools in hell
who, all too late, realise their folly and misfortune in
rejecting the eternal Wisdom of God.  "They are now beginning
to speak sensibly - but they are in hell" (Wisd. 5:14).

[4. Conclusion]

73.  Above all else let us seek and long for divine Wisdom.
"All other things that are desired are not to be compared with
Wisdom" (Prov. 3:15).  And again, "Nothing that you desire can
be compared with him" (Prov. 8:11).  You may desire the gifts
of God and even heavenly treasures, but if you do not desire
Wisdom you desire always something of far less worth.
     If only we could realise what Wisdom actually is, i.e. an
infinite treasure made for man - and I must confess that what
I have said about him really amounts to nothing at all - we
would be longing for him night and day.  We would fly as fast
as we could to the ends of the earth, we would cheerfully
endure fire and sword, if need be, to merit this infinite
treasure.
     But we must beware of choosing a wrong wisdom, because
there is more than one kind.

THE LOVE OF ETERNAL WISDOM BY ST. LOUIS DE MONTFORT - CHAPTER 5

CHAPTER FIVE

MARVELLOUS EXCELLENCE OF ETERNAL WISDOM

52.  In the eighth chapter of the Book of Wisdom, the Holy
Spirit shows the excellence of eternal Wisdom in terms so
sublime and yet so clear that we need only quote them here,
adding a few reflections.

53.  1. "Wisdom reaches mightily from one end of the earth to
the other and orders all things graciously."
     Nothing is so gracious as eternal Wisdom.  Of his very
nature he is gracious without bitterness; gracious to those
who love him, never showing displeasure; gracious in his
conduct, never showing severity.  He is so gentle and
unobtrusive that you might often think that he is not present
when you meet with accidents and contradictions.  But,
possessed of invincible power, he quietly but effectively
brings all things to a happy issue in ways unknown to men.
After his example, the wise man should be graciously firm and
firmly gracious - suaviter fortis et fortiter suavis.

54.  2. "From my youth I have loved and sought him and desired
to take him for my inseparable companion."
     Whoever wishes to find this precious treasure of Wisdom
should, like Solomon, search for him (a) early and, if
possible, while still young; (b) purely and spiritually as a
chaste young man seeks a bride; (c) unceasingly, to the very
end, until he has found him.  It is certain that eternal
Wisdom loves souls so much that he even espouses them,
contracting with them a true, spiritual marriage which the
world cannot understand.  History furnishes us with examples
of this.

55.  3. "Wisdom shows his glorious origin by being so
intimately in union with God and by being loved by him who is
Lord of all."
     Wisdom is God himself - such is his glorious origin.  God
the Father has testified that he is pleased with him proving
how much Wisdom is loved (Cf. Chapter One and No. 98).

56.  4. "Wisdom is the teacher of the knowledge of God and
director of all his works."
     Eternal Wisdom alone enlightens every man that comes into
this world (Jn. 1:9).  He alone came from heaven to teach the
secrets of God (Cf. Jn. 1:18; Mt. 11:27; 1 Cor. 2:10).  We
have no real teacher (Mt. 23:8,10) except the incarnate
Wisdom, whose name is Jesus Christ.  He alone brings all the
works of God to perfection, especially the saints, for he
shows them what they must do and teaches them to appreciate
and put into practice all he has taught them.

57.  5. "If it is riches we seek in this life, who is richer
than divine Wisdom who created all things?"
     6. "If the mind of man can produce things, who is more
able than the fashioner of everything that exists?"
     7. "If someone loves holiness, again the great virtues
are the handiwork of Wisdom, for he teaches temperance and
prudence, justice and fortitude, and nothing in this life is
more useful than these."
     Solomon clearly shows that since we should love Wisdom
alone, then from Wisdom alone we should expect all things -
material goods, knowledge of nature's secrets, all spiritual
good, the theological and cardinal virtues.

58.  8. "If anyone desires knowledge, eternal Wisdom knows the
past and can forecast the future.  He understands the
subtleties of speech and the lessons of parables.  He
recognises signs and wonders and knows all that is going to
happen as seasons and ages pass by."
     If anyone desires to possess a deep, holy and special
knowledge of the treasures of grace and nature, and not merely
dry, common and superficial knowledge, he must make every
effort to acquire Wisdom.  Without him, man is nothing in the
sight of God, no matter how learned he may appear in the eyes
of men.  "He will count for nothing" (Wisd. 3:17).

59.  9. "I therefore resolved to take him as my companion in
life, knowing that he would share his goods with me and be my
consolation in my cares and sorrows."
     Eternal Wisdom is so rich and generous; how can anyone
who possesses him be poor?  He is so gentle, attractive and
tender; how can anyone who possesses him be unhappy?  But
among all those who seek eternal Wisdom how many can honestly
say with Solomon, "I have resolved to possess him"?  The
majority of men do not make such a resolution with real
sincerity.  Their decisions are mere wishful thinking or at
best weak and wavering resolves.  That is why they never find
eternal Wisdom.

60.  10. "Through him, I shall be acclaimed among the people
and, although still a youth, honoured by the elders."
     11. "I shall be considered shrewd when I sit in
judgement.  The most powerful will be surprised when they see
me and princes will show their admiration for me."
     12. "When I am silent, they will wait for me to speak;
when I speak, they will pay attention to what I say.  If I
speak at some length, they will place their hands on their
lips."
     13. "He it is who will give me immortality, and through
him I shall leave an everlasting remembrance to those who come
after me."
     14. "I shall govern people through him and nations shall
be my subjects."
     St Gregory has this comment to make on Solomon's self-
praise, " Those whom God has chosen to write his sacred words
are filled with the Holy Spirit.  In a way, they seem to rise
above themselves and enter into the very one who possesses
them.  Thus they become mouthpieces of God himself, for they
are concerned with God alone in everything they say, and they
speak of themselves as though speaking of someone else."

61.  15. "The most formidable kings shall be afraid when they
hear of me.  I shall show myself kind to my people and valiant
in war."
     16. "When I go home, I shall be at my ease with Wisdom,
for his conversation is never disagreeable nor his company
unpleasant.  With him there is only contentment and joy."
     17. "I thought about these things and I reflected in my
heart that immortality is found in union with Wisdom."
     18. "I found pure contentment in his friendship,
inexhaustible wealth in his accomplishments, understanding in
his teaching and conversation, and great joy listening to his
counsels; and so I went about seeking him everywhere to make
him my companion."
     After summing up his previous commentary, Solomon draws
this conclusion: "I went about seeking for eternal Wisdom in
all directions."  To possess him we must seek ardently; in
other words, we must be ready to give up everything, to suffer
everything, in order to obtain possession of him.  Only a few
find him because only a few look for him in a manner worthy of
him.

62.  In the seventh chapter of the Book of Wisdom, the Holy
Spirit speaks of the excellence of eternal Wisdom in these
terms: "In Wisdom there is a spirit that is intelligent, holy,
unique, fruitful, subtle, eloquent, active, unsullied, lucid,
gentle, benevolent, keen, irresistible, beneficent, kindly,
firm, unfailing, unperturbed, all-powerful, all-seeing,
possessing every spirit, understandable, pure and subtle.  For
Wisdom is more active than any active thing.  He is so pure he
penetrates all things" (Wisd. 7:22-24).
     "Wisdom is an infinite treasure for men.  Those who have
utilised this treasure have become God's friends, and
praiseworthy for their gifts of knowledge".
63   After reading such powerful but tender words which the
Holy Spirit uses to show the beauty, the excellence and the
treasures of eternal Wisdom, we cannot but love him and search
for him with all our strength.  All the more so since he is an
inexhaustible source of riches for man who was made for him
and infinitely eager to give himself to man.

THE LOVE OF ETERNAL WISDOM BY ST. LOUIS DE MONTFORT - CHAPTER 4

CHAPTER FOUR

MARVELS OF WISDOM'S GOODNESS AND MERCY BEFORE HIS INCARNATION


41. Eternal Wisdom was deeply moved by the plight of Adam and all his descendants. He was profoundly distressed at seeing his vessel of honor shattered, his image torn to pieces, his masterpiece destroyed, his representative in this world overthrown.

He listened tenderly to man's sighs and entreaties and he was moved with compassion when he saw the sweat of his brow, the tears in his eyes, the fatigue of his arms, his sadness of heart, his affliction of soul.

The Incarnation is decreed

42. I seem to see this lovable Sovereign convoking and assembling the most holy Trinity, a second time, so to speak, for the purpose of rehabilitating man in the state he formerly created him (cf. Gen. 1:26). We can picture a kind of contest going on in this grand council between eternal Wisdom and God's justice.

43. I seem to hear eternal Wisdom, in his plea on behalf of man, admit that because of his sin man and all his descendants deserve to be condemned and to spend all eternity with the rebel angels. Still, man should be pitied because he sinned more through ignorance and weakness than through malice. He points out that it would be a pity if such an exquisite masterpiece were to become the slave of the devil for ever, and millions upon millions of men were to be lost eternally, through the sin of only one man. Besides, eternal Wisdom draws attention to the places left vacant by the fall of the apostate angels. Would it not be fitting to fill these places? And would not God receive great glory in time and in eternity if man were saved?

44. It seems to me that I hear the God of justice replying that the sentence of death and eternal damnation has been pronounced against man and his descendants, and it must be carried out without pardon or mercy, just as happened in the case of Lucifer and his followers. Man has shown himself ungrateful for the gifts he received, has followed the devil in pride and disobedience and should therefore follow him in his punishment, for sin must necessarily be punished.

45. Eternal Wisdom seeing that nothing on earth can expiate man's sin, that nothing can satisfy divine justice and appease God's anger and still, wishing to save unfortunate man whom he cannot help loving, finds a wonderful way of accomplishing this.

Wonder of wonders! With boundless and incomprehensible love, this tender-hearted Lord offers to comply with his justice, to calm the divine anger, to rescue us from the slavery of the devil and from the flames of hell, and to merit for us eternal happiness.

46. His offer is accepted; a decision is reached and made. Eternal Wisdom, the Son of God, will become man at a suitable time and in determined circumstances. For about four thousand years - from the creation of the world and Adam's sin until the Incarnation of divine Wisdom - Adam and his descendants were subject to death, just as God had decreed. But in view of the Incarnation of the Son of God, they received the graces they needed to obey his commandments and do salutary penance for any they might have transgressed. If they died in the state of grace and in God's friendship, their souls went to Limbo, there to await their Savior and Deliverer who would open the gates of heaven for them.

The time before the Incarnation

47. During the whole time preceding his Incarnation, eternal Wisdom proved in a thousand ways his friendship for men and his great desire to bestow his favors on them and to converse with them. "My delight is to be with the children of men" (Prov. 8:31). He went about seeking those worthy of him (Wisd. 6:16), that is those worthy of his friendship, his precious gifts, his very person. He passed through different nations, making them prophets and friends of God (Wisd. 7:27; cf. 7:14). He it was who instructed all the holy patriarchs, all the friends of God, all the saints and prophets of the old and new testaments (Wisd. 7).

This same Wisdom inspired men of God and spoke by the mouths of the prophets. He directed their ways and enlightened them in their doubts. He upheld them in their weakness and freed them from all harm.

48. This is how the Holy Spirit tells it in the tenth chapter of the Book of Wisdom (Wisd. 10:1-21).

1. It was Wisdom who safeguarded Adam, the first man, created alone to be the father of all men.

2. He rescued him from his sin and gave him power to control and rule over all things.

3. When the sinful Cain in anger withdrew from Wisdom, he perished because through his fury he became the murderer of his brother.

4. When the Deluge flooded the earth, because of him, it was Wisdom again who saved it, piloting the just man Noah in a frail wooden ark.

5. When the nations conspired together to do evil, Wisdom discerned the just man, Abraham, preserved him in innocence before God and kept him resolute in overcoming the pity he felt for his son, Isaac.

6. Wisdom rescued the righteous man, Lot, when he fled from the company of wicked men who perished as fire descended upon the Five Cities.

7. Evidence of their wickedness still remains - a smoking wasteland, plants bearing fruit that never ripen, and a pillar of salt standing as a monument to an unbelieving soul.

8. For those who neglected to see Wisdom were not only kept from knowledge of good, but they also left to mankind a memorial of their folly, and so their crime could never remain hidden.

49.9. But Wisdom delivered those who served him from all evils.

10. When the just man Jacob fled from the wrath of his brother Esau, Wisdom guided him along straight paths and showed him the kingdom of God. God gave him knowledge of holy things, prospered him in his labors and increased the fruits of his work.

11. He stood by him against the greed of defrauders and made him rich.

12. He protected him from his enemies and saved him from seducers. He gave him victory in his arduous struggle so that he might know that Wisdom is mightier than anything.

13. He did not abandon Joseph, the just man, when he was old, but delivered him from the hands of sinners and went down with him into the well.

14. He did not desert him in his chains until he brought him the scepter of royalty and authority over his oppressors. He showed those who had defamed him to be liars and gave him an eternal renown.

15. He liberated a holy people and a blameless race, the Hebrews, from a nation of oppressors.

16. He entered the soul of God's servant, Moses, and withstood fearsome kings with signs and wonders.

17. He gave the holy ones the reward of their labors, led them along a perfect way, and became a shelter for them by day and shed a starry light upon them by night.

18. He brought them across the Red Sea and led them through the deep waters.

19. He submerged their enemies in the sea and gathered his own people up from the depths of the sea. Thus he carried off the spoils of the wicked.

20. They extolled you in their songs, O Lord, and together praised your conquering hand.

21. For Wisdom opened the mouths of the dumb and made the tongues of the babes speak with fluency.

50. In the next chapter of the Book of Wisdom (Wisd. 11) the Holy Spirit describes the various evils from which eternal Wisdom delivered Moses and the Israelites during the time they lived in the desert. To this we may add those who were delivered from great dangers by eternal Wisdom in the Old and New Testaments. Among them were Daniel who was freed from the lions' den, Susanna from the false crime she was accused of, the three young men from the furnace in Babylon, St Peter from prison, St John from the cauldron of boiling oil and numberless martyrs and confessors from the physical torments they were made to suffer and the calumnies which blackened their good name. All these were delivered and healed by eternal Wisdom. "O Lord, those who have pleased you from the beginning were healed by Wisdom (Wisd. 9:19).

Conclusion

51. And now let us proclaim: "A thousand times happy is the man into whose soul Wisdom has entered to have his abode! No matter what battles he has to wage, he will emerge victorious. No matter what dangers threaten him, he will escape unharmed. No matter what sorrows afflict him, he will find joy and consolation. No matter what humiliations are heaped upon him, he will be exalted and glorified in time and throughout eternity."

THE LOVE OF ETERNAL WISDOM BY ST. LOUIS DE MONTFORT - CHAPTER 3

CHAPTER THREE

THE MARVELLOUS POWER OF DIVINE WISDOM SHOWN IN THE CREATION OF THE WORLD AND MAN

[1. In the creation of the world]

31.  Eternal Wisdom began to manifest himself outside the
bosom of God the Father when, after a whole eternity, he made
light, heaven and earth.  St John tells us that everything was
made through the Word, that is eternal Wisdom: "All things
were made by him" (Jn. 1:3; cf. Heb. 1:2; Col. 1:16-17).
     Solomon says that eternal Wisdom is the mother and maker
of all things.  Notice that Solomon does not call him simply
the maker of the universe but also its mother because the
maker does not love and care for the work of his hands like a
mother does for her child (Wisd. 7: 12,21).

32.  After creating all things, eternal Wisdom abides in them
to contain, maintain and renew them (Wisd. 1:7; 7:27).  It was
this supremely perfect beauty who, after creating the
universe, established the magnificent order we find there.  He
it was who separated, arranged, evaluated, augmented and
calculated everything.
     He spread out the skies; he set the sun, the moon, the
stars and the planets in perfect order.  He laid the
foundations of the earth and assigned limits and laws to the
sea and depths to the ocean.  He raised mountains and gave
moderation to all things even to the springs of water.
Finally, he says, "I was with God and I disposed everything
with such perfect precision and such pleasing variety that it
was like playing a game to entertain my Father and myself"
(Prov. 8:30-31).

33.  This mysterious game of divine Wisdom is clearly seen in
the great variety of all he created.  Apart from considering
the different species of angels whose number is well-nigh
infinite, and the varied brightness of the stars and the
different temperaments of men, we are filled with wonderment
at the changes we see in the seasons and the weather, at the
variety of instincts in animals, at the different species of
plants, at the diversified beauty of the flowers and the
different tastes of the fruits.  "Let him who is wise
understand these things" (Hos. 14:10; cf. Jer. 9:12; Ps.
106:43).  Who is the one to whom eternal Wisdom has
communicated his wisdom?  That person alone will understand
these mysteries of nature.

34.  Eternal Wisdom has revealed these things to the saints,
as we learn from their biographies.  At times they were so
astonished at the beauty, the harmony and the order that God
has put into the smallest things, such as a bee, an ant, an
ear of corn, a flower, a worm, that they were carried away in
rapture and ecstasy.

[2. In the creation of man]

35.  If the power and gentleness of eternal Wisdom were so
luminously evident in the creation, the beauty and order of
the universe, they shone forth far more brilliantly in the
creation of man.  For man is his supreme masterpiece, the
living image of his beauty and his perfection, the great
vessel of his graces, the wonderful treasury of his wealth and
in a unique way his representative on earth.  "By your wisdom
you appointed man to have dominion over every creature you
made" (Wisd. 9:2).

36.  For the glory of this magnificent and powerful Worker I
must describe the original beauty and excellence of man as
created by divine Wisdom.  But the state of man's grievous sin
has fallen upon me, poor miserable child of Eve, dulling my
understanding to the point that I can describe only very
imperfectly the work of man's creation.

37.  We might say that eternal Wisdom made copies, that is,
shining likenesses of his own intelligence, memory, and will,
and infused them into the soul of man so that he might become
the living image of the Godhead.  In man's heart he enkindled
the fire of the pure love of God.  He gave him a radiant body
and virtually enshrined within him a compendium of all the
various perfections of angels, animals, and other created
things.

38.  Man's entire being was bright without shadow, beautiful
without blemish, pure without stain, perfectly proportioned
without deformity, flaw, or imperfection.  His mind, gifted
with the light of wisdom, understood perfectly both Creator
and creature.  The grace of God was in his soul making him
innocent and pleasing to the most High God.  His body was
endowed with immortality.  He had the pure love of God in his
heart without any fear of death, for he loved God ceaselessly,
without wavering and purely for God himself.  In short, man
was so godlike, so absorbed and rapt in God that he had no
unruly passions to subdue and no enemies to overcome.
     Such was the generosity shown to man by eternal Wisdom
and such was the happiness that man enjoyed in his state of
innocence.

39.  But, alas, the vessel of the Godhead was shattered into a
thousand pieces.  This beautiful star fell from the skies.
This brilliant sun lost its light.  Man sinned, and by his sin
lost his wisdom, his innocence, his beauty, his immortality.
In a word, he lost all the good things he was given and found
himself burdened with a host of evils.  His mind was darkened
and impaired.  His heart turned cold towards the God he no
longer loved.  His sin-stained soul resembled Satan himself.
The passions were in disorder; he was no longer master of
himself.  His only companions are the devils who have made him
their slave and their abode.  Even creatures have risen up in
warfare against him.
     In a single instant, man became the slave of demons, the
object of God's anger (Cf. Eph. 2:3), the prey of the powers
of hell.
     He became so hideous in his own sight that he hid himself
for shame.  He was cursed and condemned to death.  He was
driven from the earthly paradise and excluded from heaven.
With no hope of future happiness, he was doomed to eke out a
pitiable life upon an earth under curse (cf. Gen. 3:10; 17:23;
4:11,12).  He would eventually die like a criminal and after
death, together with all his posterity, share the devil's
damnation in body and soul.
     Such was the frightful calamity which befell man when he
sinned.  Such was the well-deserved sentence God in his
justice pronounced against him.

40.  Seeing himself in such a plight, Adam came close to
despair.  He could not hope for help from angels or any of
God's creatures.  Nothing could restore his privileges because
he had been so eminently fair, so very magnificently fashioned
when he was created, and now by his sin he had become so
hideous, so repulsive.  He saw himself banished from Paradise
and from the presence of God.  He could see God's justice
pursuing him in all his descendants.  He saw heaven closed and
no one to open it; he saw hell open and no one to close it.