Again today we ponder words from St. Louis de Montfort’s book, "The Love of Eternal Wisdom". – encouraging us to listen carefully – to what God says in both the New and the Old Testaments of Scripture. How tenderly Jesus gives us the parable of the man who knocks on the door of his friend, that we may knock on the door of God’s Heart! How tenderly Jesus called His Disciples friends! (cf Jn 15:15)
No, it is not those who are careless and inconstant in their prayers and searchings who obtain Wisdom, but those rather who are like the man in the Gospel who goes during the night to knock at the door of a friend, wanting to borrow three loaves of bread (cf Lk 11.15). Note that it is divine Wisdom Himself who in this parable or story teaches us how we should pray if we wish to be heard. This man knocked and repeated his knocking and entreaties four or five times with increased force and insistence, in spite of the untimely hour, near midnight, and his friend having already gone to bed; and in spite of having been rebuffed and told repeatedly to be off and not make himself a selfish nuisance. At length the friend became so annoyed by the persistence of the man that he got out of bed, opened the door and gave him all he asked for. (cf Lk 11.5-8)
That is how we must pray to obtain Wisdom. And assuredly God wants to be importuned, will sooner or later rise up, open the door of his mercy and give us the three loaves of Wisdom, that is, the bread of life, the bread of understanding and the bread of angels. (cf Sir 15.3; Jn 6.35) Here is a prayer composed by the Holy Spirit to ask for divine Wisdom:
[Prayer of Solomon] 191. God of my fathers, God of mercy, you created all things by your word, and by your wisdom you formed man that he might have dominion over all the creatures you have made; that he might govern the world in fairness and justice and pronounce judgement with an upright heart; give me this Wisdom that sits with you on your throne. Do not exclude me from the number of your children for I am your servant and the son of your handmaid, a man who is weak and short- lived, with little understanding of judgement and laws. For even though a person be considered perfect among the children of men, he is nonetheless worthless if your Wisdom does not dwell in him.
Come Holy Spirit, bring us into all Truth that we may be truly Children of God, whom Jesus calls His friends! Jesus we trust in You! Mary, Mother of the Church, pray for us.
Thanks for your reply, dear OScarlett! Someone said that prayer is like oxygen in so far as a Christian cannot live without prayer any more than a human person can live without air.
Thank your all for your “hearts”, letting us know you read and appreciated the words from St. Louis de Montfort’s book, “The Love of Eternal Wisdom”. Today is the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, let us pray especially to Mary, our Mother and Model for the Church, that she may help us to Pray WELL. As St. Teresa of Avila told her Carmelite sisters, to pray with “Attention and Devotion”.
We will never acquire Wisdom if we do not pray well – we cannot simply recite words, but we need pray to with both mind and heart, as Mary did.
Thanks for your “faithful heart” as well as others whove clicked a “heart” for this thread. – You have faithfully followed these threads and it is encouraging to me and to others, I’m sure, who can feel quite alone today in this culture when so often our Mother Mary goes “unappreciated” as do her feasts and her “champions” like St. Louis de Montfort, and her Carmelite Saints like St. John of the Cross and St. Teresa of Avila and others.
Nevertheless, it seems to me St. Louis is truly a “man for all seasons” and especially now in our own day, his words continue to ring True. May you be blessed in special ways today on Mary’s Feast and always remain in Jesus in His Words and In His Love, as she did!
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