There is need of only one thing

8 OCTOBER (Lk 10,38-42)

It is characteristic of wisdom to free from troubles. The reason for this truth lies in the vision that it gives to man to see everything in its usefulness or uselessness, opportunity or inappropriateness, injustice or justice, value and non value, goodness or non goodness, necessity or vanity. Everything viewed in its purest reality, we come to learn that among all the things we do one is useful and a thousand useless, one is good and ten thousand bad, one necessary and a hundred thousand unnecessary.

Resplendent and unfading is Wisdom, and she is readily perceived by those who love her, and found by those who seek her. She hastens to make herself known in anticipation of men’s desire; he who watches for her at dawn shall not be disappointed, for he shall find her sitting by his gate. For taking thought of her is the perfection of prudence, and he who for her sake keeps vigil shall quickly be free from care; Because she makes her own rounds, seeking those worthy of her, and graciously appears to them in the ways, and meets them with all solicitude. For the first step toward discipline is a very earnest desire for her; then, care for discipline is love of her; love means the keeping of her laws; To observe her laws is the basis for incorruptibility; and incorruptibility makes one close to God (Wis 6,12-19).

Wisdom ensures that the same spirit of truth and holiness which is in God lives in us. With this spirit everything acquires its truth. Unnecessary things are seen as unnecessary, not as useful, good things as good and not bad. But even the bad things are seen as bad, never as good. This vision of truth frees us from every trouble.

For Wisdom, the artificer of all, taught me. For in her is a spirit intelligent, holy, unique, Manifold, subtle, agile, clear, unstained, certain, Not baneful, loving the good, keen, unhampered, beneficent, kindly, Firm, secure, tranquil, all-powerful, all-seeing, And pervading all spirits, though they be intelligent, pure and very subtle. For Wisdom is mobile beyond all motion, and she penetrates and pervades all things by reason of her purity. For she is an aura of the might of God and a pure effusion of the glory of the Almighty; therefore nought that is sullied enters into her. For she is the refulgence of eternal light, the spotless mirror of the power of God, the image of his goodness. And she, who is one, can do all things, and renews everything while herself perduring; And passing into holy souls from age to age, she produces friends of God and prophets. For there is nought God loves, be it not one who dwells with Wisdom. For she is fairer than the sun and surpasses every constellation of the stars. Compared to light, she takes precedence; for that, indeed, night supplants, but wickedness prevails not over Wisdom (Wis 7,22-30).

Mary, putting herself in the school of wisdom, learns from the Divine Master, what is useful and necessary for her life and the lives of the brothers. Marta, acting without any consultation with the Divine Master, remains tangled and imprisoned in the many services that she herself had thought were useful, good, holy and righteous.

As they continued their journey he entered a village where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him. She had a sister named Mary (who) sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak. Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving? Tell her to help me.” The Lord said to her in reply, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.”

When life becomes a useless, vain and dangerous agitation, when time eludes us, fails, is never enough, then it is time to stop the run, to stop for a moment, not to rebuke Jesus, wanting to drag him in our own mental and spiritual chaos. We stop to throw ourselves at his feet and beg for the wisdom that frees us from anxiety and from that wild ride that makes us work for nothing.

That is why it is necessary that every day we feed on wisdom in the same way we breathe oxygen. Three minutes without oxygen one cannot resist. Three minutes without wisdom and it is already chaos and failure in life. One thought conceived without wisdom is able to ruin the whole life. Nothing is more damaging to a man of a single decision taken without wisdom. All existence and even eternity go up in smoke.

Virgin Mary, Mother of the Redemption, Angels and Saints teach us true wisdom.