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w_stewart
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What is wisdom? Please define it.
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Starwynd
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There are several ways one can know wisdom:
The function of wisdom is to discriminate between good and evil
To know when to be generous and when firm—that is wisdom
One’s first step in wisdom is to question everything - and one’s last is to come to terms with everything.
Wisdom consists of the anticipation of consequences.
The beginning of wisdom is found in doubting; by doubting we come to the question, and by seeking we may come upon the truth.
Six essential qualities that are the key to success: Sincerity, personal integrity, humility, courtesy, wisdom, charity.
The function of wisdom is to discriminate between good and evil
To know when to be generous and when firm—that is wisdom
One’s first step in wisdom is to question everything - and one’s last is to come to terms with everything.
Wisdom consists of the anticipation of consequences.
The beginning of wisdom is found in doubting; by doubting we come to the question, and by seeking we may come upon the truth.
Six essential qualities that are the key to success: Sincerity, personal integrity, humility, courtesy, wisdom, charity.
K
kentuckyliz
Guest
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Pr 1:7)…not the doubt of the Lord! That would be the beginning of folly. The fool says in his heart, there is no God. (Pr)
It is one of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit as listed by Isaiah:
The Spirit of the Lord will rest upon him–the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of fear of the Lord. (Is 11:2)
Wisdom is the highest and most privileged gift of the Holy Spirit. It is like an overflowing of the Uncreated Wisdom. St. Bernard calls it the supernatural Gift of the Holy Spirit which enables us to know God and rejoice in perfect love. Wisdom not only illumines the mind, but it inflames the heart with love for God, gives us a relish for divine things, and an ardent desire for heavenly treasures–especially a longing to possess God and to see Him face to face. It detaches our hearts from the goods of this world and removes us from everything opposed to our last end. In its light, we see more and more clearly the nothingness of things created. (Devotion to the Holy Spirit)
The last couple of sentences seem contra to the wisdom of the world…but when I saw my mom suffer for months before her death, I saw this increasing detachment from the meaningless **** of the world…when you know the glory is coming, 99% of the stuff of this life is just dust, really. However, that is not a pessimistic attitude. Knowing this, one can joyfully participate in this life while one awaits the glory moment…because joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit!
Wikipedia’s current article about the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit is actually pretty good at the moment.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_gifts_of_the_Holy_Spirit
I love the personification of wisdom in Pr 8.
Proverbs 8
** Wisdom’s Call **
1 Does not wisdom call out?
Does not understanding raise her voice? 2 On the heights along the way,
where the paths meet, she takes her stand;
3 beside the gates leading into the city,
at the entrances, she cries aloud:
4 "To you, O men, I call out;
I raise my voice to all mankind.
5 You who are simple, gain prudence;
you who are foolish, gain understanding.
6 Listen, for I have worthy things to say;
I open my lips to speak what is right.
7 My mouth speaks what is true,
for my lips detest wickedness.
8 All the words of my mouth are just;
none of them is crooked or perverse.
9 To the discerning all of them are right;
they are faultless to those who have knowledge.
10 Choose my instruction instead of silver,
knowledge rather than choice gold,
11 for wisdom is more precious than rubies,
and nothing you desire can compare with her.
12 "I, wisdom, dwell together with prudence;
I possess knowledge and discretion.
13 To fear the LORD is to hate evil;
I hate pride and arrogance,
evil behavior and perverse speech.
14 Counsel and sound judgment are mine;
I have understanding and power.
15 By me kings reign
and rulers make laws that are just;
16 by me princes govern,
and all nobles who rule on earth.
17 I love those who love me,
and those who seek me find me.
18 With me are riches and honor,
enduring wealth and prosperity.
19 My fruit is better than fine gold;
what I yield surpasses choice silver.
20 I walk in the way of righteousness,
along the paths of justice,
21 bestowing wealth on those who love me
and making their treasuries full.
22 "The LORD brought me forth as the first of his works,
before his deeds of old;
23 I was appointed from eternity,
from the beginning, before the world began.
24 When there were no oceans, I was given birth,
when there were no springs abounding with water;
25 before the mountains were settled in place,
before the hills, I was given birth,
26 before he made the earth or its fields
or any of the dust of the world.
27 I was there when he set the heavens in place,
when he marked out the horizon on the face of the deep,
28 when he established the clouds above
and fixed securely the fountains of the deep,
29 when he gave the sea its boundary
so the waters would not overstep his command,
and when he marked out the foundations of the earth.
30 Then I was the craftsman at his side.
I was filled with delight day after day,
rejoicing always in his presence,
31 rejoicing in his whole world
and delighting in mankind.
32 “Now then, my sons, listen to me;
blessed are those who keep my ways.
33 Listen to my instruction and be wise;
do not ignore it.
34 Blessed is the man who listens to me,
watching daily at my doors,
waiting at my doorway.
35 For whoever finds me finds life
and receives favor from the LORD.
36 But whoever fails to find me harms himself;
all who hate me love death.”
The divine attribute is personified with a feminine pronoun, interestingly enough, and in the Gk Septuagint, wisdom is Sophia. (Good name for your daughter!)
Our Lady is called the Seat of Wisdom, because she was overshadowed with the Holy Spirit and filled yet again with it at Pentecost–and she is the Seat of Wisdom, because her Son, Who is Wisdom, sat upon her lap as a child…and God gifted her with certain gifts and dispositions and special graces because of her special mission as Theotokos…and the mother of all who keep the commandments of God and bear witness to Jesus Christ (Rev 12)…a very big job indeed!
Wisdom is infinite in God, of course, and Jesus is God and the ikon of the invisible God, so when he walked upon this earth, the veil was really drawn aside and his very life, all the events, all his teachings, all his actions, show forth the wisdom of God.
Pray for wisdom, as the gift of the Holy Spirit that is the inheritance of all Christians, and may we love wisdom and live it out in a way that shows forth God’s wisdom…
Our Lady, Seat of Wisdom, pray for us!
It is one of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit as listed by Isaiah:
The Spirit of the Lord will rest upon him–the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of fear of the Lord. (Is 11:2)
Wisdom is the highest and most privileged gift of the Holy Spirit. It is like an overflowing of the Uncreated Wisdom. St. Bernard calls it the supernatural Gift of the Holy Spirit which enables us to know God and rejoice in perfect love. Wisdom not only illumines the mind, but it inflames the heart with love for God, gives us a relish for divine things, and an ardent desire for heavenly treasures–especially a longing to possess God and to see Him face to face. It detaches our hearts from the goods of this world and removes us from everything opposed to our last end. In its light, we see more and more clearly the nothingness of things created. (Devotion to the Holy Spirit)
The last couple of sentences seem contra to the wisdom of the world…but when I saw my mom suffer for months before her death, I saw this increasing detachment from the meaningless **** of the world…when you know the glory is coming, 99% of the stuff of this life is just dust, really. However, that is not a pessimistic attitude. Knowing this, one can joyfully participate in this life while one awaits the glory moment…because joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit!
Wikipedia’s current article about the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit is actually pretty good at the moment.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_gifts_of_the_Holy_Spirit
I love the personification of wisdom in Pr 8.
Proverbs 8
** Wisdom’s Call **
1 Does not wisdom call out?
Does not understanding raise her voice? 2 On the heights along the way,
where the paths meet, she takes her stand;
3 beside the gates leading into the city,
at the entrances, she cries aloud:
4 "To you, O men, I call out;
I raise my voice to all mankind.
5 You who are simple, gain prudence;
you who are foolish, gain understanding.
6 Listen, for I have worthy things to say;
I open my lips to speak what is right.
7 My mouth speaks what is true,
for my lips detest wickedness.
8 All the words of my mouth are just;
none of them is crooked or perverse.
9 To the discerning all of them are right;
they are faultless to those who have knowledge.
10 Choose my instruction instead of silver,
knowledge rather than choice gold,
11 for wisdom is more precious than rubies,
and nothing you desire can compare with her.
12 "I, wisdom, dwell together with prudence;
I possess knowledge and discretion.
13 To fear the LORD is to hate evil;
I hate pride and arrogance,
evil behavior and perverse speech.
14 Counsel and sound judgment are mine;
I have understanding and power.
15 By me kings reign
and rulers make laws that are just;
16 by me princes govern,
and all nobles who rule on earth.
17 I love those who love me,
and those who seek me find me.
18 With me are riches and honor,
enduring wealth and prosperity.
19 My fruit is better than fine gold;
what I yield surpasses choice silver.
20 I walk in the way of righteousness,
along the paths of justice,
21 bestowing wealth on those who love me
and making their treasuries full.
22 "The LORD brought me forth as the first of his works,
before his deeds of old;
23 I was appointed from eternity,
from the beginning, before the world began.
24 When there were no oceans, I was given birth,
when there were no springs abounding with water;
25 before the mountains were settled in place,
before the hills, I was given birth,
26 before he made the earth or its fields
or any of the dust of the world.
27 I was there when he set the heavens in place,
when he marked out the horizon on the face of the deep,
28 when he established the clouds above
and fixed securely the fountains of the deep,
29 when he gave the sea its boundary
so the waters would not overstep his command,
and when he marked out the foundations of the earth.
30 Then I was the craftsman at his side.
I was filled with delight day after day,
rejoicing always in his presence,
31 rejoicing in his whole world
and delighting in mankind.
32 “Now then, my sons, listen to me;
blessed are those who keep my ways.
33 Listen to my instruction and be wise;
do not ignore it.
34 Blessed is the man who listens to me,
watching daily at my doors,
waiting at my doorway.
35 For whoever finds me finds life
and receives favor from the LORD.
36 But whoever fails to find me harms himself;
all who hate me love death.”
The divine attribute is personified with a feminine pronoun, interestingly enough, and in the Gk Septuagint, wisdom is Sophia. (Good name for your daughter!)
Our Lady is called the Seat of Wisdom, because she was overshadowed with the Holy Spirit and filled yet again with it at Pentecost–and she is the Seat of Wisdom, because her Son, Who is Wisdom, sat upon her lap as a child…and God gifted her with certain gifts and dispositions and special graces because of her special mission as Theotokos…and the mother of all who keep the commandments of God and bear witness to Jesus Christ (Rev 12)…a very big job indeed!
Wisdom is infinite in God, of course, and Jesus is God and the ikon of the invisible God, so when he walked upon this earth, the veil was really drawn aside and his very life, all the events, all his teachings, all his actions, show forth the wisdom of God.
Pray for wisdom, as the gift of the Holy Spirit that is the inheritance of all Christians, and may we love wisdom and live it out in a way that shows forth God’s wisdom…
Our Lady, Seat of Wisdom, pray for us!
E
ERose
Guest
Not taking away from the other posts but here is my two cents:
- Knowledge is data collecting.
- Understanding is understanding what that data means.
- Wisdom is knowing how to implement what you learned.
J
JohnJFarren
Guest
JMJ / MMM 080513 Tuesday
Hello w_stewart –
Let’s put knowledge and wisdom together on one side // and on the other side understanding.
Knowledge is our grasp things, separate things, groups of things, facts. The more we are able to interconnect the things of knowledge into higher and more comprehensive matters, the more we begin to partake of wisdom. Until finally – and God does this – God Knows all things and how they all are related to each other and to higher groups … until (Wisdom) Knows all things, actual and possible, in One Single Word, and Eternally Begets the Son, the Second Divine Person.
Understanding is our power to grasp the MEANING of something or group or situation.
First we know (knowledge) a couple facts … but don’t understand them or their interrelationship. But then we grasp the MEANING of some of these singles or groups (understanding). As those meanings become more and more related and our picture begins to approach a whole picture, we grow in wisdom.
Without understanding and MEANING our knowing would be of facts only, without understanding their meaning, and would never even begin to build wisdom. This is the knowing of an animal.
Understanding underlies all our human knowledge.
John (JohnJFarren) Trinity5635@aol.com
Hello w_stewart –
Let’s put knowledge and wisdom together on one side // and on the other side understanding.
Knowledge is our grasp things, separate things, groups of things, facts. The more we are able to interconnect the things of knowledge into higher and more comprehensive matters, the more we begin to partake of wisdom. Until finally – and God does this – God Knows all things and how they all are related to each other and to higher groups … until (Wisdom) Knows all things, actual and possible, in One Single Word, and Eternally Begets the Son, the Second Divine Person.
Understanding is our power to grasp the MEANING of something or group or situation.
First we know (knowledge) a couple facts … but don’t understand them or their interrelationship. But then we grasp the MEANING of some of these singles or groups (understanding). As those meanings become more and more related and our picture begins to approach a whole picture, we grow in wisdom.
Without understanding and MEANING our knowing would be of facts only, without understanding their meaning, and would never even begin to build wisdom. This is the knowing of an animal.
Understanding underlies all our human knowledge.
John (JohnJFarren) Trinity5635@aol.com
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