[3. Preliminary observations]
5. I did not want, my dear reader, to mingle my poor words
with the inspired words of the Holy Spirit. Yet I make bold
to offer a few comments:
1. How gentle, attractive and approachable is eternal
Wisdom who possesses such splendour, excellence and grandeur.
He invites men to come to him because he wants to teach them
the way to happiness. He is for ever searching for them and
always greets them with a smile. He bestows blessings on them
many times over and forestalls their needs in a thousand
different ways, and even goes as far as to wait at their very
doorstep to give them proofs of his friendship.
Who could be so heartless as to refuse to love this
gentle conqueror?
6. 2. How unfortunate are the rich and powerful if they do
not love eternal Wisdom. How terrifying are the warnings he
gives them, so terrifying that they cannot be expressed in
human terms: "He will appear to you terribly and swiftly ...
those who rule will be judged severely ... the mighty will be
punished mightily ... the great are threatened with greater
punishment" (Wisd. 6:6,7,9).
To these words can be added those he uttered after he
became man: "Woe to you who are rich (Lk. 6:24) ... it is
easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than
for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven" (Mat. 19; Mk.
10; Lk. 18).
So often were these last words repeated by divine Wisdom
while on earth that the three evangelists handed them down
without the least variation. They ought to make the rich weep
and lament: "And now, you rich people, weep and wail over the
miseries that are coming upon you" (Jas. 5:1).
But alas! they find their consolation (Lk. 6:24) here on
earth; they are as though captivated by the riches and
pleasures they enjoy and are blind to the evils that hang over
their heads.
7. 3. Solomon promises that he will give a faithful and
exact description of divine Wisdom and that neither envy nor
pride - both contrary to love - can prevent him from making
known this heaven-sent knowledge, and he has not the least
fear that anyone will surpass him or equal him in knowledge
(cf. Wisd. 6:24-26).
Following the example of this great man, I am going, in
my simple way, to portray eternal Wisdom before, during and
after his incarnation and show by what means we can possess
and keep him.
But as I do not have Solomon's profound learning or his
insights I have less to fear from pride and envy than from my
incompetence and ignorance, which I trust, in your kindness,
you will overlook.
