4 December, Saturday — The good in counsel and wisdom is managed by God’s grace

Dec 4 – Memorial for St. John Damascene, priest, doctor of the Church

St. John Damascene was born in Damascus about 675. After holding public office for a time, he withdrew to the monastery of Sabas near Jerusalem. He wrote ‘The Fount of Wisdom’, in which he presented a comprehensive teaching on Christian doctrine, which had great influence on later theology. He died about 750.

• the Weekday Missal

Isa 30:19-21,23-26
Mt 9:35-10:1,5,6-8

Whether you turn to right or left, your ears will hear these words behind you, “This is the way, follow it.”

Wise counsel is like wisdom — it is paired with justification and concrete reasoning and together, they propel and guide those who listen to the command of God in all ramifications. The ensuing nature of man, and as it exists in every human being, is programmed with free will, the ability to rely on intuition, and enabling self-determination and conviction. When a person walks against the run of wisdom, it is recourse to personal desire and judgment, and it goes with consequences. In every decision and action, there is a weighted shift on the scale of preference that absorbs the result good or bad. Those that trust in God and grow in confidence are guided by the voice of wisdom; for wisdom is better than the choicest gold. The pursuits of things that lead to wisdom are accomplished through righteousness, humility, and fear of God. In that condition, the word of wisdom admonishing us in tracking the path of a good deed comes from God and is transmitted through the virtuous flow of spiritual guidance. Our world today is confronting a daily breed of unending social youth infirmity, the drift is a result of the moral flaw and the inability to draw from the wells of wisdom.

There is a disturbing trend of debasement sweeping across the social space of the Southeast part of Nigeria today. It is the wavering destruction of the fabric of the youth architecture in that sub-region. In the last two years, there is an incredible dump of methamphetamine or ‘Crystal Meth’, a very dangerous, illicit drug that looks like ice or white chalk crystal, referred to and called ‘Mkpuru Mmiri’ in the local term. It is an addictive stimulant that puts the user in a hyperactive state and prone to destructive tendencies. The situation is attracting deep social concern across the sub-region and many young people are caught in the web. To address this disturbing menace, two Catholic priests have initiated a rehabilitation program called ‘COME BACK’ that is employing counselling and wisdom modeling to intone the sense of these drug users. The approach has turned in considerable progress and today, some twenty-five youth involved in this destructive mission have retraced their steps and are currently engaged in the charity outreach mission of the ‘COME BACK’ initiative, and their ears are bearing the content of the admonition in counsel and wisdom.  In truth, the good in counsel and wisdom is managed by God’s grace.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Julius Otusorochukwu Dike, JP)

Prayer: Lord, we are determined to be guided by wisdom. Continue to lead us in counsel, and provide us with the means of survival and correction. We believe and pray that you will grant us this request, Lord. Amen.

Thanksgiving:  Dear Lord, and our Father in Heaven, we thank you for giving us the wisdom to guide and lead us through the paths of this world. We thank you, Lord. Amen.