Luke 17:1-6

Wisdom 1:1-7

Psalm 139:1b-3, 4-6, 7-8, 9-10

Luke 17:1-6

Jesus said to his disciples,

“Things that cause sin will inevitably occur,

but woe to the one through whom they occur.

It would be better for him if a millstone were put around his neck

and he be thrown into the sea

than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin.

Be on your guard!

If your brother sins, rebuke him;

and if he repents, forgive him.

And if he wrongs you seven times in one day

and returns to you seven times saying, ‘I am sorry,’

you should forgive him.”

And the Apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.”

The Lord replied, “If you have faith the size of a mustard seed,

you would say to this mulberry tree,

‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.”

Opening Prayer: Lord God, increase my faith. I want to be generous in forgiving my brothers and sisters. I pray that I be forgiven by you to the degree I forgive others. You are so bountiful in mercy. You are perfect love.

Encountering the Word of God

1. Forgiveness and Faith: The second part of Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem in the Gospel of Luke (Luke 13:22-17:10) focuses on the Kingdom of God and the attitudes we should have. Jesus has just warned his disciples (Luke 16:1-13) and the Pharisees (Luke 16:14-31) about the dangers of wealth. Jesus knows that it will always be a temptation for any leader in the Church, in politics, or in business to use their position just to increase their wealth and neglect the material needs of their flock, their community, or their employees. Today’s Gospel speaks about how to think about sin. On the one hand, “things that cause sin” will inevitably occur. Even in God’s Kingdom on earth, there will be weeds alongside wheat and wolves amid the sheep. We need to call out sin when we see it in an effort to bring our brothers and sisters to repentance. And we need to be ready to forgive, not stingily but perfectly. “Seven times” is an expression meaning completeness or perfection. This teaching leads the Apostles to ask for a deeper faith. They recognize that mere human effort is insufficient to overcome sin and be merciful toward sinners.

2. The Wisdom of Solomon: All this week, the First Reading will be taken from the Wisdom of Solomon. This was likely the last book of the Old Testament written – sometime after 100 B.C. The author, who wrote nine centuries after Solomon, writes, however, in the voice of King Solomon (especially in Wisdom 6:22-9:18). The book has three main parts. The first part focuses on the themes of life and death and how to pursue wisdom in a world full of both righteousness and wickedness. It teaches not only that we will be judged after our death, but also contains the clearest Old Testament teaching on the gift of immortality that God offers the righteous. Part Two centers on Solomon and his quest for wisdom. Just as Solomon prayed for wisdom and was granted it, so also those who seek divine wisdom should do so through prayer. The last part of the book presents salvation as another gift of God given to his chosen people. It retells the story of the Exodus and draws out the lessons that God wanted to teach Israel. This final part of the book “shows that God uses creation to bless the righteous and to correct the wicked, according to the principle that ‘one is punished by the very things by which he sins’ (Wisdom 11:16)” (Giszczak, Wisdom of Solomon, 25). As we work through Wisdom this week, we are encouraged to reflect on our lives, what we pursue above all else, how we will be judged after our death, and how God has wisely acted in our lives.

3. Love Righteousness: The opening chapter of Wisdom begins with an exhortation to “love righteousness” (1:1) and ends by saying that “righteousness is immortal” (1:15). “Love of righteousness leads us through righteousness to immortality. This opening exhortation helps us meditate on genuine devotion to God by examining the obstacles human beings can put in the way of wisdom: sinful thoughts (vv. 4-5), words (vv. 6-11), and actions (v. 12). Only by loving, thinking of, and seeking the Lord can one rise above sin, embrace righteousness, and find the path to immortality” (Giszczak, Wisdom of Solomon, 33). Seeking and finding God in this life requires sincerity. We cannot be double-minded, trying to love the things of this world like money and pleasure just as much as we love God. We need a firm and single mind and a genuine commitment to the Lord. Sin and moral failings cloud the mind, leading us into ignorance, while humble truth-seeking leads to God and the gift of wisdom.

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, you are the incarnation of divine wisdom and the model of true righteousness. Guide my thoughts today as I encounter you and the Father in prayer. Enlighten my mind to choose what is good and not give in to the temptation to sin.

Living the Word of God: The Liturgy of the Word this week offers us six passages from the Wisdom of Solomon. Can I spend time in prayer, reading, and meditating on the entire book this week? Today, read Wisdom 1-2; Tuesday, Wisdom 3-5; Wednesday, 6-8; Thursday, Wisdom 9-13; Friday, Wisdom 14-16; and Saturday, Wisdom 17-19. Can I highlight the verses that speak the most to me each day and put them into practice?