Wisdom Of Heart

 

The Spiritual Waiting Room

Wisdom Of Heart

Redemption      Adoption

Aright     Gain     Freedom

Carry Your Own Cross

Disciple

(photo and poem by Kathy McNamara)

Collect (23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time)

God, you have redeemed us and adopted us. Please give us true freedom and an eternal inheritance through our faith in Jesus.

Psalm 90:12

Help us to count our days aright so that we might gain wisdom of the heart.

Luke 14:27 and 33

"Whoever does not carry his own cross and follow Me cannot really be My disciple."

"If you do not give up all your possessions, you cannot truly be My disciple."

Reflection

Our readings point us in the direction of a different kind of wisdom. It is a wisdom that at first seems too difficult to embrace.

The Collect reminds us that we have been both redeemed and adopted. Jesus has come to offer us a gift: the gift of His life given to us. He wants us to be one with Him. He has adopted us into His family. 

What an amazing thought---we are in God's family. Since we have been adopted and we are part of God's family, we are entitled to an inheritance. It is a pretty special inheritance because it is one that will last forever. We will all take that type of inheritance!

The Psalm points us to true wisdom. When we follow God's path and walk aright with integrity, we develop a "wisdom of the heart". This type of wisdom helps us to see how God works in our lives.

It is a wisdom that leads us to embrace our crosses each day. In taking up those daily crosses, we are able to follow Jesus and to become truly free. When we resist our crosses and run away from them, we are living in fear. We are not trusting that Jesus will be with us and assist us.

If we truly believe we have been adopted and we are part of God's family, God will help us as we carry those crosses. 

Jesus also challenges us to give up our material possessions.

We ask ourselves why we have to give up so much. Jesus knows that we can easily become slaves to those possessions. They can dominate our lives and we can wind up just striving for more and more "things". 

If that happens, we are not free. We become slaves to acquiring material things. It becomes impossible to follow Jesus and to be His disciples because our interests and desires lie in a different direction. 

We all face this struggle. It is the wisdom of the heart that leads us to realize that we have been redeemed and adopted. 

We are part of an amazing family. Jesus wants us to be free and to be happy.

 Forever!

1. How do you feel when you realize that God wants to adopt us?

2. What do you think of when you hear about this "wisdom of the heart"?

3. Why does taking up our crosses each day lead us to true freedom?

4. Do you think it is important for you to give up your material possessions if you want to be a true disciple of Jesus?

(collect and scripture adaptations, reflection, and questions by John J. McNamara)