Sirach 50:22-24, 27-29; 51:1-30(Third Wednesday of Lent)
And now bless the God of all, who everywhere works great wonders who fosters our growth from birth,
and deals with us according to his mercy.
May he give us gladness of heart, and may there be peace in our days in Israel, as in the days of old.
May he entrust to us his mercy, and may he deliver us in our days!
Instruction in understanding and knowledge I have written in this book,
Jesus son of Eleazar son of Sirach of Jerusalem, whose mind poured forth wisdom.
Happy are those who concern themselves with these things, and those who lay them to heart will become wise.
For if they put them into practice, they will be equal to anything, for the fear of the Lord is their path.
I give you thanks, O Lord and King, and praise you, O God my Saviour.
I give thanks to your name, for you have been my protector and helper and have delivered me from destruction
and from the trap laid by a slanderous tongue, from lips that fabricate lies.
In the face of my adversaries you have been my helper and delivered me, in the greatness of your mercy and of your name, from grinding teeth about to devour me, from the hand of those seeking my life, from the many troubles I endured, from choking fire on every side, and from the midst of fire that I had not kindled,
from the deep belly of Hades, from an unclean tongue and lying words— the slander of an unrighteous tongue to the king.
My soul drew near to death, and my life was on the brink of Hades below. They surrounded me on every side,
and there was no one to help me; I looked for human assistance, and there was none.
Then I remembered your mercy, O Lord, and your kindness from of old, for you rescue those who wait for you
and save them from the hand of their enemies.
And I sent up my prayer from the earth, and begged for rescue from death.
I cried out, ‘Lord, you are my Father; do not forsake me in the days of trouble, when there is no help against the proud.
I will praise your name continually, and will sing hymns of thanksgiving.’
My prayer was heard, for you saved me from destruction and rescued me in time of trouble.
For this reason I thank you and praise you, and I bless the name of the Lord.
While I was still young, before I went on my travels, I sought wisdom openly in my prayer. Before the temple I asked for her, and I will search for her until the end. From the first blossom to the ripening grape my heart delighted in her; my foot walked on the straight path; from my youth I followed her steps. I inclined my ear a little and received her, and I found for myself much instruction. I made progress in her; to him who gives wisdom I will give glory.
For I resolved to live according to wisdom, and I was zealous for the good, and I shall never be disappointed. My soul grappled with wisdom, and in my conduct I was strict;
I spread out my hands to the heavens, and lamented my ignorance of her. I directed my soul to her, and in purity I found her. With her I gained understanding from the first; therefore I will never be forsaken. My heart was stirred to seek her; therefore I have gained a prize possession. The Lord gave me my tongue as a reward, and I will praise him with it.
Draw near to me, you who are uneducated, and lodge in the house of instruction. Why do you say you are lacking in these things, and why do you endure such great thirst? I opened my mouth and said, Acquire wisdom for yourselves without money. Put your neck under her yoke, and let your souls receive instruction; it is to be found close by. See with your own eyes that I have laboured but little and found for myself much serenity. Hear but a little of my instruction, and through me you will acquire silver and gold.
May your soul rejoice in God’s mercy, and may you never be ashamed to praise him. Do your work in good time, and in his own time God will give you your reward.
Commentary
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the protection of the Almighty.I commend these lines to you, so that none may place their hope in themselves, but put all their hope in him in whom our strength lies. We conquer by virtue of his shelter, not of our own presumption. Therefore the Almighty protects us if we say the next words to the Lord:He will say to the Lord: You are my helper and my refuge, my God, in whom 1 shall trust; for he will save me from the hunter’s trap and from the harsh word.I emphasise this; for in their fear of the harsh word many people fall into the hunter’s trap. You are taunted for being a Christian, and are sorry you became a Christian, and because of a harsh word you fall into the devil’s trap. You are even taunted for living a better life than most Christians, and because you are afraid of the taunters and their harsh words you fall into the devil’s snares, so as not to be wheat on the threshing-floor but to follow the chaff. But one who trusts in God is saved from the hunter’s trap and the harsh word. But how does God protect you? He will cover you between his shoulders; that is, he will hold you to his heart, to protect you with his wings; provided only that you acknowledge your weakness, so that you flee like a weak little chicken under the wings of your mother, to avoid being snatched away by the kite. For the powers of the air, the devil and his angels, are kites; they are bent on seizing our weakness. Let us flee under the wings of our mother Wisdom, for even Wisdom herself became weak for our sake; for the Word became flesh. Just as the hen becomes weak with her chickens, to protect them with her wings, so our Lord Jesus Christ, who, since he was in the form of God, did not think equality with God was something to be seized, to become weak with us and protect us with his wings, emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, made in human likeness and found in human appearance. And you will find refuge under his wings.(St. Augustine of Hippo)
Musical Selection (St. Hidlegard of Bingen)
O virtus Sapientie, que circuiens circuisti, comprehendendo omnia in una via que habet vitam, tres alas habens, quarum una in altum volat et altera de terra sudat et tercia undique volat. Laus tibi sit, sicut te decet, O Sapientia.
O power of Wisdom, you, circling round and round, have encompassed all things, by uniting them on the one path possessed of life. You have three wings, one of which soars on high, the second exudes from the earth, and the third flies about in every direction. Praise to you, as it befits you, O Wisdom.
Collect
God of wisdom, throughout these forty days you instruct your people and nourish them with your word of life. Teach us through self-denial to bind our hearts to your service and make us one through constant prayer. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen.