wisdom

WISDOM STORY: The Monk’s Three Sins by Nathalie Leone

November 30, 2017

From: Christian Stories of Wisdom A monk felt resentment toward the abbot of the monastery. Unable to rid himself of this aggression – rather the reverse – he brooded over it, justifying it, and making excuses; thus, the hatred increased rapidly. In the solitude of his cell he was assailed by a terrible thought: He wished to see the abbot dead. Hardly had this thought taken root in his mind than the abbot had an apoplectic fit. He collapsed and died forthwith. That very evening the Devil appeared to the monk. He greeted the monk, but the poor brother did not reply. He moaned, wrung his hands, rolled on the ground, and blamed himself for this vile act. The Devil deployed all his artifices, but the monk could not be [...]

WISDOM STORY: Saint Francis And The Wolf by Nathalie Leone

November 16, 2017

From: Christian Stories of Wisdom Francis loved animals. He saw a sacred link between animals and men and spoke to all his brothers in the same way, whether they were feathered or furred, and whether they walked upright or on all fours. One day Francis was on his way to the abbey of Gubbio. He walked at a brisk pace, leading his donkey by its bridle. Just as he began to see the towers of the abbey coming into view above the trees, his path was blocked by some peasants. “Brother Francis, do not go any further! Ferocious wolves are prowling around. They are starving and will devour you if you go on!” “I have not hurt them at all and neither has my soul. Don’t worry. Return to God! Good night.” Francis then passed by [...]

WISDOM STORY: The Clothes Chest by Nathalie Leone

November 9, 2017

From: Christian Stories of Wisdom Father Poemen used to say, “If you have a chest full of clothes and do not open it for a long time, the clothes inside will go moldy.” The same is true of the thoughts in our heart. If we do not act upon them, they eventually spoil and change for the [...]

WISDOM STORY: The Miser by Nathalie Leone

November 2, 2017

From: Christian Stories of Wisdom Once upon a time there was a miser, a man whose hands were shaped like an eagle’s claws. The moment he held anything, he was unable to let it go. This was useful for grabbing hold of branches if he fell from trees, but painful if he grasped a poker the wrong way. If his stomach had functioned the way his money did, it would have split as soon as he was born, like a bag bursting at the seams. And yet his avarice ruined even his health, for the larger his nest egg grew, the more worn out the merchant became. In fact, he constantly checked his stash of money; he no longer slept or ate, as he was so anxious about its security. However, one night in the small hours an idea occurred to him. In his [...]

WISDOM STORY: Three Pieces Of Advice From A Bird by Nathalie Leone

October 26, 2017

From: Christian Stories of Wisdom A man caught a small bird. “I am no use to you as a captive,” the bird said to him, “but give me back my freedom and I will give you three pieces of advice that will be more useful than the miserable scrap of flesh that you might garner from my small body.” The bird said it would give the first piece of advice while still in the man’s hand, the second from a nearby branch, and the third from the top of the mountain. The winged creature was scrawny, so the man accepted. The bird’s first piece of advice was this: “If you lose something – even if you value it as much as your life – do not be distressed.” The man released the bird, which then settled on a branch. It ruffled its [...]

WISDOM STORY: The Knight And The Keg by Nathalie Leone

October 19, 2017

From: Christian Stories of Wisdom The knight was as comely as an angel. Even if he rode all day, on his return he was fresh and the folds in his clothing were as unruffled as they had been before he set out. And yet he spread horror. He desecrated, burned, killed, and ravaged men and beasts who crossed his path. He was so cruel that people even thought he was born heartless. He did not distinguish between respected holy days and normal days, never went to church, and never fasted, not even during Lent. And rumor had it that he had never in his life heard a sermon. “He isn’t even baptized,” it was whispered. He instilled the fear of an antichrist. On Good Friday, the knight joyfully proposed to his companions that they [...]

WISDOM STORY: Providence by Nathalie Leone

October 12, 2017

From: Christian Stories of Wisdom A priest had shut himself in his cell to write a sermon on divine providence. Suddenly he heard an explosion. The dam that protected the small town had just given way and the river burst its banks in a roar of flood water that swept along everything in its path. The priest, distraught, was about to give way to panic when he caught sight of his sermon on divine providence. He pulled himself together and calmed down. The village was flooded and most people stayed cloistered indoors. Some of them, however, did venture out, waist-deep in water, in search of help. A rescue boat soon arrived under the presbytery windows. The rowers called out to the priest, gesticulating to him. “No, no,” he said to [...]

WISDOM STORY: Prayers Heard! by Nathalie Leone

October 5, 2017

From: Christian Stories of Wisdom Two men in conversation were seated on the edge of a pubic fountain whose fine jet of water splashed them gently. The first man said: “When I need a favor, either for myself or others, I ask for it on my knees, behaving with the good Lord as I would with a merchant who seeks only to dispense his surplus knowledge. And I pray, ask, and beg.” “Are your prayers always answered?” asked the other man, skeptical. “Always. Either the favor is granted or I feel my will merge in such a manner with God’s will that, at that very moment, I wish for everything he wishes [...]

WISDOM STORY: The Louse by Nathalie Leone

September 28, 2017

From: Christian Stories of Wisdom In a monastery in the Loire region, there lived twelve monks under the lax law of their father abbot. Lulled by the rhythm of the seasons, working in the fields, transcribing manuscripts, and fulfilling duties, they were quite happy and had no other desires. But one day the father abbot died. After respecting the mourning period, the twelve monks gathered one morning in the common hall, where they looked at one another in dismay. Having entered the monastery at almost the same time, they were like true brothers. So who amongst them was going to take the place of father abbot? “Brother Jacques.” “No,” Brother Jacques moaned in response. “I… I… would never be able to. I… I… [...]

POETRY: The Beginning Of Wisdom by Denise Levertov

September 23, 2017

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding. (Proverbs 9:10) You have brought me so far. • I know so much. Names, verbs, images. My mind overflows, a drawer that can’t close • Unscathed among the tortured. Ignorant parchment uninscribed, light strokes only, where a scribe tried out a pen. • I am so small, a speck of dust moving across the huge world. The world a speck of dust in the universe. • Are you holding the universe? You hold only my smallness. How do you grasp it, how does it not slip away? • I know so little. • You have brought me so [...]

WISDOM STORY: The Desert And The Locust by Nathalie Leone

September 21, 2017

From: Christian Stories of Wisdom A young monk who had just reached the desert decided to consult an elder. “Father, I have been living here for one year and locusts have come six or seven times already. You know what a scourge they are. They infiltrate everything, enter the tents, slip between the blankets, make their way into clothing. They even hop into food. I’m at my wit’s end.” The elder, who had been living in the desert for forty years, answered him: “The first time a locust fell in my soup I threw away the lot. On the second occasion I threw out the locust and kept the soup. The third time I ate everything – soup and locust. Now when a locust attempts to get out of my soup, I put it back in.” [...]

WISDOM STORY: A Conscientious Monk by Nathalie Leone

September 14, 2017

From: Christian Stories of Wisdom A monk, having at a very young age entered the monastery where he spent twenty years, had misgivings as to his progress. He decided to visit Father Joseph, who welcomed him warmly and listened to him. “Father,” began the monk, “I am trying to follow the rules. I fast, I observe the contemplative silence, I carry out the work in monastery, I pray, I endeavor to banish vain thoughts. What more can I do?” The old man stood up, looked at the sky, raised his arms, and, stretching out his fingers that resembled rays, said to him, “Why don’t you turn yourself into a flame [...]

WISDOM STORY: Bernard and Francis by Nathalie Leone

September 7, 2017

From: Christian Stories of Wisdom Francis had just withdrawn from the world and had embraced complete poverty. But the people of Assisi, his friends, his parents, and his acquaintances of long standing all thought him mad. They held him in contempt. When he went into town, people jostled him, threw nuts at him, and scolded him. They insulted him to his face and hurled at him all abuse they could think of. Francis bore everything, without getting angry. He never even answered them. Now a man was observing him from the window of his house. He was surprised to see him put up with such scorn so readily. “Either he really is completely mad,” he said to himself, “or he has received special grace from God.” This man’s name was Bernard [...]

CHRISTIAN WISDOM: The Way From Here by Frederica Mathewes-Green

August 31, 2017

From: The Illuminated Heart Illumine our hearts, O Master who lovest mankind with the pure light of thy divine knowledge, and open the eyes of our minds to the understanding of thy Gospel teachings, for thou art the illumination of our souls and bodies, O Christ our God. (Prayer before the reading of the Gospel Liturgy of St. James, Fourth Century) This has been a very brief exposition of the spiritual path of the ancient church. The good news is that this path has been preserved, and resources are available to those who would undertake it seriously today. There are many excellent books, a few of which are listed in the bibliography. But the primary need is for personal guidance from a spiritual father or mother. This is because we [...]

CHRISTIAN WISDOM: Dealing With Others—The Larger Circle by Frederica Mathewes-Green

August 24, 2017

From: The Illuminated Heart Illumine our hearts, O Master who lovest mankind with the pure light of thy divine knowledge, and open the eyes of our minds to the understanding of thy Gospel teachings, for thou art the illumination of our souls and bodies, O Christ our God. (Prayer before the reading of the Gospel Liturgy of St. James, Fourth Century) In the smaller circle, that collection of people we encounter in our daily lives, the primary task is to grow in humility. In the larger community there are opportunities to gain other virtues, for example compassion and generosity. For early Christians, prayer and fasting were joined by a third spiritual discipline, that of almsgiving. “Our prayers and fastings are of less avail [...]

CHRISTIAN WISDOM: Dealing With Others—The Smaller Circle by Frederica Mathewes-Green

August 17, 2017

From: The Illuminated Heart Illumine our hearts, O Master who lovest mankind with the pure light of thy divine knowledge, and open the eyes of our minds to the understanding of thy Gospel teachings, for thou art the illumination of our souls and bodies, O Christ our God. (Prayer before the reading of the Gospel Liturgy of St. James, Fourth Century) Anna misses her brother, the monk Timothy, every day, but some days she envies him. On days like today she would rather sleep on the ground and eat dry bread than go to dinner at her mother-in-law’s house. Irene is a beautiful woman, accomplished, musically talented, and intelligent. Even her hair is perfect. In her presence Anna feels like a country mouse. In Irene’s house, [...]

CHRISTIAN WISDOM: The Jesus Prayer by Frederica Mathewes-Green

August 10, 2017

From: The Illuminated Heart Illumine our hearts, O Master who lovest mankind with the pure light of thy divine knowledge, and open the eyes of our minds to the understanding of thy Gospel teachings, for thou art the illumination of our souls and bodies, O Christ our God. (Prayer before the reading of the Gospel Liturgy of St. James, Fourth Century) Theodore keeps reading over a letter he and Anna received last year from Anna’s brother, Timothy, who joined a group of monks on Mr. Sinai a few years ago. Timothy wrote that he was being taught to abide in prayer by repeating a short verse from scripture over and over, whenever his mind would otherwise be idle – or not idle, since we all know how the restless nous seeks trouble. He [...]

POETRY: Wisdom by Thomas Merton

August 4, 2017

I studied it and it taught me nothing. I learned it and soon forgot everything else: Having forgotten, I was burdened with knowledge— The insupportable knowledge of nothing. How sweet my life would be, if I were wise! Wisdom is well known When it is no longer seen or thought of. Only then is understanding [...]

CHRISTIAN WISDOM: More About The Passions, And Disciplines Of The Mind by Frederica Mathewes-Green

August 3, 2017

From: The Illuminated Heart Illumine our hearts, O Master who lovest mankind with the pure light of thy divine knowledge, and open the eyes of our minds to the understanding of thy Gospel teachings, for thou art the illumination of our souls and bodies, O Christ our God. (Prayer before the reading of the Gospel Liturgy of St. James, Fourth Century) “Pray constantly” is another very good piece of advice. But how do you ever do it? Not just saying prayers or interceding for others – how can you abide in a state of prayer, so that your every heartbeat, your very breath, is united with Christ? Some of us are familiar with customs like holding oneself mindful of the presence of God, or of asking what Jesus would do. These [...]

CHRISTIAN WISDOM: Introduction To The Passions, And Disciplines Of The Body by Frederica Mathewes-Green

July 27, 2017

From: The Illuminated Heart Illumine our hearts, O Master who lovest mankind with the pure light of thy divine knowledge, and open the eyes of our minds to the understanding of thy Gospel teachings, for thou art the illumination of our souls and bodies, O Christ our God. (Prayer before the reading of the Gospel Liturgy of St. James, Fourth Century) In the last chapter we heard Saint Paul say, “Be transformed by the renewal of your mind.” That sounds like a fine prescription, but perhaps a little vague. How would a person begin to grapple with his own mind? Wouldn’t it be that same fallen mind that was doing the grappling? And, hey, what about this body that’s always hanging around? Wherever the mind goes, [...]

CHRISTIAN WISDOM: Repentance, Both Door And Path by Frederica Mathewes-Green

July 20, 2017

From: The Illuminated Heart Illumine our hearts, O Master who lovest mankind with the pure light of thy divine knowledge, and open the eyes of our minds to the understanding of thy Gospel teachings, for thou art the illumination of our souls and bodies, O Christ our God. (Prayer before the reading of the Gospel Liturgy of St. James, Fourth Century) The first time Jesus appears, in the first gospel, the first instruction he gives is “Repent.” From then on, it’s his most consistent message. In all times and every situation, his advice is to repent. Not just the scribes and Pharisees, not just the powerful – he tells even the poor and oppressed that repentance is the key to eternal life. In an incident that would [...]

CHRISTIAN WISDOM: Why We Don’t Like Repentance by Frederica Mathewes-Green

July 13, 2017

From: The Illuminated Heart Illumine our hearts, O Master who lovest mankind with the pure light of thy divine knowledge, and open the eyes of our minds to the understanding of thy Gospel teachings, for thou art the illumination of our souls and bodies, O Christ our God. (Prayer before the reading of the Gospel Liturgy of St. James, Fourth Century) When I began writing this book I ran into a road bump. I said to my husband, “I’m having a hard time figuring out how to make repentance appealing.” And I realized that that statement summarized the whole problem. We’re a nation of shoppers. Everything has to be appealing. Before we begin to learn about Anna’s understanding of repentance, we need to find out [...]

CHRISTIAN WISDOM: Where We’re Going by Frederica Mathewes-Green

July 6, 2017

From: The Illuminated Heart Illumine our hearts, O Master who lovest mankind with the pure light of thy divine knowledge, and open the eyes of our minds to the understanding of thy Gospel teachings, for thou art the illumination of our souls and bodies, O Christ our God. (Prayer before the reading of the Gospel Liturgy of St. James, Fourth Century) Let’s start with a basic question. Where are we trying to go, anyway? Is our goal the same as Anna’s? A modern Christian might say that the point of this Earthly life is to be like Jesus. We want to cultivate the virtues that Christ had, we want to have a loving heart like the Father’s, we ask what Jesus would do. We have decided to follow Jesus – and that’s [...]

CHRISTIAN WISDOM: So Who Cares? by Frederica Mathewes-Green

June 29, 2017

From: The Illuminated Heart Illumine our hearts, O Master who lovest mankind with the pure light of thy divine knowledge, and open the eyes of our minds to the understanding of thy Gospel teachings, for thou art the illumination of our souls and bodies, O Christ our God. (Prayer before the reading of the Gospel Liturgy of St. James, Fourth Century) Sounds nice, but why should we be interested in Anna’s approach? Christians today experience and express their faith in many ways. Isn’t this just one more? Why should we care how Anna and Theodore lived, prayed, and understood the scriptures? They lived a long time ago, after all; don’t times change? It’s because times change that we should especially take notice [...]

CHRISTIAN WISDOM: A Challenging Answer by Frederica Mathewes-Green

June 24, 2017

From: The Illuminated Heart Illumine our hearts, O Master who lovest mankind with the pure light of thy divine knowledge, and open the eyes of our minds to the understanding of thy Gospel teachings, for thou art the illumination of our souls and bodies, O Christ our God. (Prayer before the reading of the Gospel Liturgy of St. James, Fourth Century) A modern Christian may well feel perplexed by the questions at the end of the last chapter. We think, “But we know what the answer has to be: Jesus is the answer.” So we try each day better to love and follow him, and yet the life we lead would not readily be described as “victorious.” To tell the truth, we don’t even attempt anything that strenuous. We know [...]

CHRISTIAN WISDOM: The Central Question by Frederica Mathewes-Green

June 15, 2017

From: The Illuminated Heart Illumine our hearts, O Master who lovest mankind with the pure light of thy divine knowledge, and open the eyes of our minds to the understanding of thy Gospel teachings, for thou art the illumination of our souls and bodies, O Christ our God. (Prayer before the reading of the Gospel Liturgy of St. James, Fourth Century) You are holding a small book with an old-fashioned title. It might seem like a messenger from the past, or from no time at all, like one of those books you pull off the shelf at a musty old retreat house. That’s pretty much what I’m aiming for. The shelves at your local bookstore are bulging with titles addressing urgent, transitory concerns, but this book intends a different [...]

CHRISTMAS WITH EVELYN UNDERHILL: The Magi

January 3, 2017

From Light of Christ Now to accept historical Christianity as God’s supreme self-revelation does not mean some elaborate philosophy of the spirit. It means accepting the gospel story as touching our lives significantly at every point, because it is conveying God. If we are ever to learn all that this record can mean for us, we must never forget that these, beyond all other facts of history, are indwelt, molded, brought into being by the Living Spirit of God, while plastic to his creative thought. And if we thus feel God within these events, some so strange and some so homely, inspiring this action and record, then we also accept all these incidents as conveying something of his overruling will and thought, having something in [...]

POETRY: Hagia Sophia, by Thomas Merton

October 28, 2016

I. Dawn. The Hour of Lauds There is in all visible things an invisible fecundity, a dimmed light, a meek namelessness, a hidden wholeness. This mysterious Unity and Integrity is Wisdom, the Mother of all, Natura naturans. There is in all things an inexhaustible sweetness and purity, a silence that is a fount of action and joy. It rises up in wordless gentleness and flows out to me from the unseen roots of all created being, welcoming me tenderly, saluting me with indescribable humility. This is at once my own being, my own nature, and the Gift of my Creator’s Thought and Art within me, speaking as Hagia Sophia, speaking as my sister, Wisdom. I am awakened, I am born again at the voice of this my Sister, sent to me from the [...]

FOOLISHNESS: The Wisdom Of Holy Fools by Peter C. Phan

October 6, 2016

From Being Religious Interreligiously Folly as Virtue The archetypal wise fool is Socrates, who explicitly claimed that his wisdom was derived from his awareness of his ignorance and whose distinctive teaching method consisted in exposing the foolishness of the wise. Jesus, whom Christian tradition proclaims to be the Logos and the Wisdom of God, was regarded during his life as insane by his family and was deemed by his opponents to be possessed by Beelzebul. Not only was his behavior scandalous to the religious establishment but his teaching, from his beatitudes to his parables, challenged the sacred text and offended traditional wisdom. Even Peter, who should have known better, was shocked by Jesus’s prediction of his [...]

SCRIPTURE: The Cross And The Foolishness Of God by John Proctor

October 6, 2016

From First and Second Corinthians For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.” Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, God decided, through the foolishness of our proclamation, to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those [...]