CHAPTER TWO
ORIGIN AND EXCELLENCE OF ETERNAL WISDOM
15. Here, with St. Paul, we must declare, "O the depth, the
immensity and the incomprehensibility of the Wisdom of God"
(Rom. 11:33) : Generationem ejus quis enarrabit? (Is. 53:8;
Acts 8:33). Who is the angel so enlightened, who is the man
rash enough as to attempt to give us an adequate explanation
of the origin of eternal Wisdom? For here all human beings
must close their eyes so as not to be blinded by the vivid
brightness of his light.
All should be silent for fear of tarnishing his perfect
beauty by attempting to portray him.
Every mind should realise its inadequacy and adore, lest
in striving to fathom him, it be crushed by the tremendous
weight of his glory.
[1. Wisdom in reference to the Father]
16. Adapting himself to our weakness, the Holy Spirit offers
this description of eternal Wisdom in the Book of Wisdom which
he composed just for us.
"Eternal Wisdom is a breath of the power of God, a pure
emanation of the glory of the Almighty. Hence nothing defiled
gains entrance into him. He is the reflection of eternal
light, the spotless mirror of God's majesty, the image of his
goodness" (Wisd. 7:25,26).
17. He is the substantial and eternal idea of divine beauty
which was shown to St. John the Evangelist in his ecstatic
vision on the island of Patmos, when he exclaimed, "In the
beginning was the Word - the Son of God, or eternal Wisdom -
and the Word was in God and the Word was God" (Jn. 1:1).
18. This is the eternal Wisdom of which Solomon often speaks
in his book (cf. Sir. 1:4,8; 24:14) when he says that Wisdom
was created - that is, produced - from the very beginning
before anything was made or even before the beginning of time.
Speaking of himself, Wisdom says, "I was begotten from
eternity, before the creation of the world. The depths did
not exist as yet and I was already conceived" (Prov. 8:23,24).
19. God the Father was well pleased with the sovereign beauty
of eternal Wisdom, his Son, throughout time and eternity, as
he himself explicitly testified on the day of his Son's
baptism and his transfiguration, "This is my beloved Son with
whom I am well pleased" (Mt. 17:5; cf. Mt. 3:17. Cf. Nos. 55,
98).
This splendour of dazzling and incomprehensible light of
which the apostles caught a glimpse in the Transfiguration,
filled them with delight and lifted them to the heights of
ecstasy:
Illustre quiddam (cernimus)
Sublime, celsum, interminum,
Antiquius caelo et chao:
This eternal Wisdom is -
Something resplendent,
Sublime, immense, and infinite,
More ancient than the universe.
My words fail to give even the faintest idea of his
beauty and supreme gentleness, and fall infinitely short of
his excellence: for who can ever form an adequate idea of him?
Who could ever portray him faithfully? You alone, great God,
know who he is and can reveal him to all you wish (cf. Mt.
11:27; Lk. 10:22).
[2. The activity of eternal Wisdom in souls]
20. This is how divine Wisdom himself describes in the
twenty-fourth chapter of Ecclesiasticus the effects of his
activity in souls. I shall not mingle my poor words with his
for fear of diminishing their clarity and sublime meaning.
1. Wisdom will sing her own praises. She will be honoured
in the Lord and will proclaim his glory before his own
people.
2. In the assembly of the Most High she will open her
mouth; she will glorify herself in the armies of the
Lord.
3. She will be raised up in the midst of her own people
and will be admired in the assembly of all the saints.
4. In the multitude of the elect she will be praised and
will be blessed by those who are blessed by God. She will
say:
21. 5. I came forth from the mouth of the Most High; I was
born before all creatures.
6. I made an unquenchable light appear in the sky and I
covered the whole earth like a mist.
7. I had my dwelling in the heights and my throne was in
a pillar of cloud.
8. Alone I compassed the vault of heaven; I penetrated
into the depths of the abyss; I walked on the waves of
the sea,
9. and travelled all over the earth.
22. 10. I held sway over every people and every nation.
11. By my power I have trodden underfoot the hearts of
all men, great and small;
and among all these things I searched for a resting-place
and a dwelling in the heritage of the Lord.
23. 12. Then the Creator of the universe commanded me and
spoke to me: he who created me rested in my tent.
13. And he said to me: "Dwell in Jacob, let Israel be
your heritage, and take root in my elect."
24. 14. In the beginning, before all ages, he created me and
through the ages I shall never cease to be,
and in the holy tabernacle I ministered before him.
15. I fixed my abode in Sion;
I found rest in the holy City, and Jerusalem became my
domain.
25. 16. I took root in the people whom the Lord had honoured,
whose heritage is the portion of the Lord.
I fixed my abode in the assembly of all the saints.
17. Like a cedar on Lebanon and like a cypress on Mount
Sion I have grown tall.
18. I raised my branches high like a palm-tree in Engedi
and like the rose-bushes of Jericho.
19. I grew tall like a beautiful olive-tree in the
field,like a plane-tree planted along the road near the
water.
20. I gave forth fragrance like cinnamon or the most
precious balm;
I gave forth perfume like the most exquisite myrrh.
21. I have filled my house with sweet fragrance as of
galbanum, onycha, myrrh and with the sweet smell of
incense;
I exude the scent of the purest balm.
22. I spread out my branches like a terebinth and my
branches are glorious and graceful.
23. I have grown sweet-smelling flowers like the vine; my
blossoms are the fruits of glory and wealth.
26. 24. I am the mother of pure love, of fear, of knowledge
and of holy hope.
25. In me is all grace of the way and of the truth; in me
is all hope of life and strength.
27. 26. Come to me, all you who desire for me, and be filled
with my fruits.
27. For my spirit is sweeter than honey and my
inheritance more delightful than the sweetest honeycomb.
28. My renown will endure down through the ages.
28. 29. Those who eat of me will hunger for more; those who
drink of me will thirst for more.
30. Those who listen to me will not be put to shame;
those who work with me will not sin.
31. Those who make me known will possess eternal life.
32. All this is the book of life, the covenant of the
Most High, and the knowledge of the truth."
29. Eternal Wisdom compares himself to all these trees and
plants, characterised by their varied fruits and qualities
which illustrate the great variety of states, functions and
virtues of privileged souls. These resemble cedars by the
loftiness of their hearts raised up towards heaven, or cypress
trees by their constant meditation on death. They resemble
palm-trees by their humble endurance of labour, or rose-bushes
by martyrdom and the shedding of their blood. They resemble
plane-trees planted along river banks, or terebinths with
their branches spread out wide, signifying their great love
for their fellow-men. They resemble all the other less
noticeable but fragrant plants like balm, myrrh and others
which symbolise all those retiring souls who prefer to be
known by God more than by man.
30. Divine Wisdom shows himself to be the mother and source
of all good and he exhorts all men to give up everything and
desire him alone. Because, as St Augustine says, "he gives
himself only to those who desire him and seek him with all the
zeal such a lofty aim deserves."
In verses 30 and 31 divine Wisdom lists three degrees in
holy living, the last of which constitutes perfection:
(1) Listen to God with humble submission;
(2) Act in him and through him with persevering fidelity;
(3) Seek to acquire the light and unction you need to
inspire others with that love for Wisdom which will lead them
to eternal life.
