Daily Reflection Tuesday of the Twenty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time or Memorial of Saint Robert Bell

Today in addition to its being Tuesday of the twenty-fourth week in ordinary time it is also the memorial of Saint Robert Bellarmine. I was torn between using the readings of the day and the readings for the memorial of Saint Bellarmine, whom I might add was a Jesuit and named bishop and doctor of the Church. One is Saint Paul’s letter to the Corinthians and the other is from the Book of Wisdom. Both are wonderful readings. The links to both readings are above, and I highly recommend reading both as they compliment each other. 

Saint Paul reminds us that we are all Christ’s Body, with individual gifts and Wisdom reminds us to pray for the Spirit of Wisdom to come to us. For if we pray for wisdom to recognize our God given gifts then we cannot help but put them to use. Image if we all prayed to God for Wisdom just as it is written in the passage, “Now God grant I speak suitably and value these endowments at their worth: He is the guide of Wisdom and the director of the wise.” The last line in the reading from Wisdom is as follows: “For both we and our words are in his hand, as well as all prudence and knowledge of crafts." The last line in the reading from St. Paul is: “Strive eagerly for the greatest spiritual gifts." Both readings go together beautifully. We all have unique gifts, and we can make the world a much better place by surrendering to the wisdom of God and putting the gifts we have been blessed with to good use whether by word or deed.