Come, Holy Spirit!
- But Wisdom delivered those who served him from all evils.
- When the just man Jacob fled from the wrath of his brother Esau, Wisdom guided him along straight paths and showed him the kingdom of God. God gave him knowledge of holy things, prospered him in his labours and increased the fruits of his work.
- He stood by him against the greed of defrauders and made him rich.
- He protected him from his enemies and saved him from seducers. He gave him victory in his arduous struggle so that he might know that Wisdom is mightier than anything.
- He did not abandon Joseph, the just man, when he was old, but delivered him from the hands of sinners and went down with him into the well.
- He did not desert him in his chains until he brought him the sceptre of royalty and authority over his oppressors. He showed those who had defamed him to be liars and gave him an eternal renown.
- He liberated a holy people and a blameless race, the Hebrews, from a nation of oppressors.
- He entered the soul of God’s servant, Moses, and withstood fearsome kings with signs and wonders.
- He gave the holy ones the reward of their labours, led them along a perfect way, and became a shelter for them by day and shed a starry light upon them by night.
- He brought them across the Red Sea and led them through the deep waters.
- He submerged their enemies in the sea and gathered his own people up from the depths of the sea. Thus he carried off the spoils of the wicked.
- They extolled you in their songs, O Lord, and together praised your conquering hand.
- For Wisdom opened the mouths of the dumb and made the tongues of the babes speak with fluency.
- In the next chapter of the Book of Wisdom (Wisd. 11) the Holy Spirit describes the various evils from which eternal Wisdom delivered Moses and the Israelites during the time they lived in the desert. To this we may add those who were delivered from great dangers by eternal Wisdom in the Old and New Testaments. Among them were Daniel who was freed from the lions’ den, Susanna from the false crime she was accused of, the three young men from the furnace in Babylon, St Peter from prison, St John from the cauldron of boiling oil and numberless martyrs and confessors from the physical torments they were made to suffer and the calumnies which blackened their good name. All these were delivered and healed by eternal Wisdom. "O Lord, those who have pleased you from the beginning were healed by Wisdom (Wisd. 9:19).
- And now let us proclaim: "A thousand times happy is the man into whose soul Wisdom has entered to have his abode! No matter what battles he has to wage, he will emerge victorious. No matter what dangers threaten him, he will escape unharmed. No matter what sorrows afflict him, he will find joy and consolation. No matter what humiliations are heaped upon him, he will be exalted and glorified in time and throughout eternity."
1 Does not wisdom call, does not understanding raise her voice?
2 On the heights beside the way, in the paths she takes her stand;
3 beside the gates in front of the town, at the entrance of the portals she cries aloud:
4 “To you, O men, I call, and my cry is to the sons of men.
5 O simple ones, learn prudence; foolish men, pay attention.
6 Hear, for I will speak noble things, and from my lips will come what is right;
7 for my mouth will utter truth; wickedness is an abomination to my lips.
8 All the words of my mouth are righteous; there is nothing twisted or crooked in them.
9 They are all straight to him who understands and right to those who find knowledge.
10 Take my instruction instead of silver, and knowledge rather than choice gold;
11 for wisdom is better than jewels, and all that you may desire cannot compare with her.
12 I, wisdom, dwell in prudence, and I find knowledge and discretion.
13 The fear of the LORD is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate.
14 I have counsel and sound wisdom, I have insight, I have strength.
15 By me kings reign, and rulers decree what is just;
16 by me princes rule, and nobles govern the earth.
17 I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently find me.
18 Riches and honor are with me, enduring wealth and prosperity.
19 My fruit is better than gold, even fine gold, and my yield than choice silver.
20 I walk in the way of righteousness, in the paths of justice,
21 endowing with wealth those who love me, and filling their treasuries.
22 The LORD created me at the beginning of his work, the first of his acts of old.
23 Ages ago I was set up, at the first, before the beginning of the earth.
24 When there were no depths I was brought forth, when there were no springs abounding with water.
25 Before the mountains had been shaped, before the hills, I was brought forth;
26 before he had made the earth with its fields, or the first of the dust of the world.
27 When he established the heavens, I was there, when he drew a circle on the face of the deep,
28 when he made firm the skies above, when he established the fountains of the deep,
29 when he assigned to the sea its limit, so that the waters might not transgress his command, when he marked out the foundations of the earth,
30 then I was beside him, like a master workman; and I was daily his delight, rejoicing before him always,
31 rejoicing in his inhabited world and delighting in the sons of men.
32 And now, my sons, listen to me: happy are those who keep my ways.
33 Hear instruction and be wise, and do not neglect it.
34 Happy is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting beside my doors.
35 For he who finds me finds life and obtains favor from the LORD;
36 but he who misses me injures himself; all who hate me love death.”
By the way, The Legion of Mary was founded by a layman, whose cause is in Rome for Canonization along with two Legion of Mary members. Servant of God, Frank Duff was inspired by the writing of St. Louis De Montfort, as were Venerable Edel Quinn and Servant of God Alphonsus Lamb. You can read about them HEREWhere the Mother is, there too is the Son. When one moves away from the Mother, sooner or later he ends up keeping distant from the Son as well. It is no wonder that today, in various sectors of secularised society, we note a widespread crisis of faith in God, preceded by a drop in devotion to the Virgin Mother.