“Let everything that breathes praise the Lord!”

The Psalms and Wisdom Writings

Psalms, Proverbs, and Sirach

God speaks to us through His human authors with His sacred Scripture. Throughout the Psalms, Proverbs, and Sirach and the entire Bible you can see a common theme. The common message of these great books is to stay faithful and to completely place our trust in God. We can see through history of God’s people that they suffer in some way which leads them to cry out to Him for deliverance. Because of their perseverance and loving trust in God, He delivers them from whatever they struggle through.

Is the Psalms we read that the righteous are blessed. God knows them and they will stand through God’s judgment. The sinners of the world, the great kings of earth try and fool God but their schemes do not work. Only through serving God will we be truly blessed. The sinners may persecute the believers of God, and it may feel as though God has forgotten us, but He has not. They may taunt us and make us suffer but God will always come through. The evil in this world will not triumph. They will be put to shame when God returns to judge the world with justice and truth. We are to remain hopeful and persevere in time of agony because we know that God is coming and He will not forget those who love him and follow His laws. Through out lives we are to praise Him, lifting our song for all to hear of His wonder. He created the earth and all that is in it so we are called to glorify Him through our actions and our life and goodness. When he humbles the proud and exalts His humble and faithful servants we are to rejoice and praise Him. In Psalm, King David tells how our fathers sinned in Exodus by worshipping false gods, forgetting the one true God who had delivered them from bondage in Egypt. The people tempted God and angered him. He had freed them from oppression like but they forget Him and sacrifice to other gods. His love still endures, and he will continue to deliver them even though He knows they will be unfaithful. Just as God still loves us and forgives us when we sin against Him. It is important for us to live our lives completely for God, placing all of our trust in Him and following His commandments.

Proverbs 31 describes what a good woman is. The mother of Lemuel, the king of Massa, describes what a good wife is. She is hardworking, fears the Lord and takes care of her family holding nothing back. It says that she is “far more precious than jewels”. In Proverbs 12 it says that, “a good wife is the crown of her husband.” She brings him honor. The fruit of her hands will bring her praise. Like a good wife God will care for His children and not forget them. We are also all called to serve God like a good wife willingly serves and loves her family.

The book of Sirach tells of the importance of wisdom. If you desire wisdom, then keep God’s commandments. Sirach is full of wisdom, offering the reader advice on how to live one’s life, how to act. It says we are supposed to bring honor to our parents; one who truly honors them will be blessed. Sirach tells not to honor things of sinful nature or those people who are proud, do good to the humble. Also be humble yourself in your wisdom. Do not ignore those who suffer, if you are good to them, God will bless you. Be good to your friends; if they mistreat you do not do the same to them. A person who fears the Lord will do this, strive to grow in wisdom and honor God with their life. One who is wise in his actions and follows Gods commandments will be blessed. There will be consequences for those who act wrongfully. Those who trust in God will bless them and gain Heaven. For in Proverbs chapter 3 is says, “Who ever persevered in the fear of the Lord and was forsaken?” The Lord is a merciful and loving God. He created us capable of knowledge; we should use this gift in order to know God and live our lives fully glorifying His wonderful name.

"Let us give thanks to the Lord our God"

Ch. 14 #3

In the Old Testament, a great amount of importance was given to the many laws which needed to be followed in order to be faithful. Unfortunately, man people acted only to fulfill these laws and forgot about the importance of the intentions and their love for God. This resulted in many hypocrites who followed the rules minimally and acted against God’s law outside of their religious lives. What are some examples of hypocrisy in today’s society? How can this topic relate to Catholic politicians and their belief in the dignity of life? How can this relate to Catholics and their belief in the Holy Eucharist?

So you are sitting next to a woman at Mass, she reaches into her Burberry tote with a price tag of $1000 grabs her $500 Louis Vuitton wallet pulls out a few bucks to drop into the collection basket. People are much more concerned with how much they spend on what they look like rather than helping out the church. The fact that this (completely fictional) woman spent over $1500 on her accessories alone on just today’s outfit is just one example of hypocrisy today. Today’s celebrities are praised for giving only thousands of dollars away to charities while making millions on just one movie. The pretend to give so much away to the poor of the world but it only ends up as though a person of a modest income gave a dollar.

Today’s average politician will tell the voters of his ethics and outstanding moral convictions but are not so strong when it comes to take a stand on a touchy issue such as abortion. They might say that as apart of their Christian beliefs abortion is wrong, but they would not want to take away a woman’s right to choose for the life or death of their baby. They will say they are Christian and believe it is wrong but not truly live and practice their faith in their daily life. In some cases they will openly support issues that are against the Church’s teaching and still come to Mass to receive the Holy Eucharist. They seek only to fulfill the image of a dedicated Christian without truly loving God and His commandments. Their only interest is showing that they have some ties or connections to God but are not willing to sacrifice comfort or wide-spread acceptance because of their views.

Many Catholics today, struggle with the idea that the Holy Eucharist is actually the body and blood of Jesus Christ. Many just go through the motions of attending Sunday Mass, receiving the Eucharist and nonchalantly returning to their seats not understanding the awesome wonder of what they just took part in. Like the ancient Israelites who would just show up at the temple offer what meaningless little sacrifice, many Catholics live not really offering anything back to God.

We need to learn from the Israelites mistakes and learn to live our lives fully dedicated to what God wants us to do and how he wants us to live. By making meaningful sacrifices apart of our daily routine we can grow closer to Him. God really wants us to love Him completely and offer our trials and shortcomings of each day to Him. We must not be hypocrites and live purely for our own satisfaction but for love of God and do everything with Him in mind.

"I have sinned, O Lord, I have sinned, and I know my transgressions."

Ch. 13 #1

Manasseh became king after his father, the good king Hezekiah, died. Manasseh was a wicked kind and quickly reversed all the reforms his father has set in place. He set up pagan altars, defile the Temple of God, and even persecuted God’s faithful. When the Assyrians attacked, why did Manasseh finally turn to God? How did God respond? What sacrament can this story be related to? How does this story show how the sacrament is of great importance?

As he was being dragged away by the Assyrians, Manasseh finally humbled himself and turned to God for help. When all his power was taken from him and he was in great distress, he realized that he was nothing. When he had been defeated by the great Assyrians he humbled himself, realized all the wrong he had done and turned to God for forgiveness. After he saw how he had offended God by leading Jerusalem astray Manasseh called out to the Lord, offered supplication and God heard him.

God did not ignore Manasseh’s desperate call. God responded by letting Manasseh come back to rule his kingdom. By the time Manasseh returned to Jerusalem he was totally changed. Before is conversion he built up pagan altars, encouraged foreign cults, and defiled the Temple. After he realized that the Lord was God he got rid of the pagan altars and cults. In the Temple he offered sacrifices of thanksgiving to make up for his actions.

This sacrament that relates to the story of Manasseh is confession. He committed grave sins, he acknowledged it and asked God for forgiveness. Like in confession we realize we have offended God and ask him for forgiveness. Confession is our first step in making our way back to God. By Manasseh’s desire to change his old ways he is making an effort to build his relationship with God. Like in confession as soon as we repent from our sins and we are honestly sorry for our sins God forgives us, just as God forgave Manasseh. Also as we are given penance by the priest, Manasseh offered sacrifices of thanksgiving as a form of penance.

This story shows us just how important confession is. Without asking God for forgiveness Manasseh would never have turned around. God is all loving and willing to forgive any sins we commit as long as we have a contrite heart. We need confession to realize that we have a chance to start new. God gave Manasseh a new start even though he made God’s chosen people suffer and stray from God. We need to realize that with God will forgive us any of our transgressions.

“Answer me, O Lord, answer me.”

Ch. 12 # 5

Reread the section on Elijah at Sinai. Elijah’s vision of God started not with a powerful presence but with a “still small voice.” How does this revelation tie in with the idea that God has given us complete freedom to choose whether or not to accept his will? How does this revelation help us in our search to know God’s will?

Elijah was hiding in the desert from Jezebel who wanted him dead after he had killed her false god’s prophets. All Elijah wanted was for God to just end his life, but God had a different plan for him. God had an interesting way to deliver his plan to the prophet Elijah. While Elijah was sitting in his cave praying that his life be taken and waiting for his answer from God, a strong powerful wind came crashing through the mountains breaking rocks, an earthquake followed the might wind and after the earthquake there was a great fire. But in all of this Elijah did not hear the Lord calling him. After that powerful demonstration Elijah finally heard God answering him in a “still small voice.” When he heard this, in great reverence he covered his face and went to the mouth of the cave to receive God’s plan for him. Elijah heard and listened to God’s plan. God gave Elijah the strength he needed, through heavenly food to make the great journey to Mount Sinai.

We can see through this great story, our free will combined with our faith in God we can manage anything. When God came to Elijah, who was praying for death, he didn’t barge into the cave pick him up and yell at him to get back up and get over to Sinai. God came to him not in all his power and might but in a small whisper. Elijah could have chosen to ignore this tiny little voice telling him to do something that seemed quite impossible. We have to consciously choose to hear God’s whisper and to accept it. He isn’t forcing us to do anything, he isn’t physically dragging us to where we are supposed to be. We have to make the effort to get up, trust in His will and take action.

After hearing God’s “still small voice” Elijah was filled with strength from God to make the journey ahead. God will not give us a challenge or a cross that we really can’t handle. He knows us inside and out. Our crosses are meant to test our faith and challenge us to be who He wants us to be, not to kill us. He will give us the grace needed to complete the trials ahead if we place ourselves totally in his care. We should strive daily to live according to God’s will for us, to search endlessly for ways to get closer to Him. To live according to His will is the only way to live our lives, and it is all up to us to choose that way.

"Give me now wisdom and knowledge...for who can rule this thy people, that is so great?"

Ch. 11 #1

When God asked Solomon what he wanted from him, all Solomon requested was wisdom enough to rule God’s people. In return for his unselfishness, God granted him wisdom and promised him wealth and power beyond any of the other kings of Israel. How did Solomon’s wisdom and power bring others to God? How did this spreading of the faith help to fulfill the Davidic covenant? What does God expect us to do with the talents he has given us?

People from all over the world were attracted to Solomon’s wisdom and power. His wisdom “surpassed the wisdom of all the people of the East and all the wisdom of Egypt” 1 Kings 30. People would travel from the ends of the earth to witness and test his wisdom. The people of King Solomon’s time were just as fascinated with the rich, knowledgeable, and powerful as we are today. Just as in Solomon’s day, the important and well known people in the media and political worlds of today have the power to affect people’s ideas on hot topics. So many times we see campaigns for an awareness of a disease or a problem in another country with a famous spokesperson supporting it. King Solomon has the same if not more sway and charisma that our superstars have today. God used King Solomon as a tool to attract people to Jerusalem. By making this new city a destination for so many peoples from around the world God made them come and see His glory.

This new covenant with God was fulfilled by King Solomon spreading the faith. Solomon’s kingdom was inviting to all peoples from around the world. With the new covenant God wanted to bring all nations in. With the building of the temple in Jerusalem, people were drawn there to witness the Wisdom of Solomon, which was all apart of God’s plan. Unlike the old covenant, the new Davidic covenant was designed to bring all nations to God through Jerusalem and its Temple.

Each of the seven features of the Davidic covenant is fulfilled with King Solomon’s Kingdom. God gave David a kingdom which was passed onto Solomon who is apart of David’s dynasty. King David and Solomon were both God’s adopted sons when they were anointed kings. The new city was unlimited in time and space it was booming large and well known city that was going to last through the ages. King Solomon moved the Ark of the Covenant to the city so Jerusalem became the new spiritual center of the world. To honor God’s presence, King Solomon built a massive Temple to house the Ark. Also with the new covenant God gave a new law for all people in the wisdom literature.

God has given each of us certain talents. Like King Solomon we are meant to use them for the greater glory of God. God blessed Solomon with wisdom and power, he, in turn used that wisdom and knowledge to spread the faith and bring people to God. We are all called by God to use the talents He has blessed us with to glorify Him and help others to see His glory. We should do everything to the very best of our ability and with God in mind. We should never abuse the blessings God has given us for evil or selfish motives. We need to give God thanksgiving as the people did in the Davidic Covenant. It is so important to realize that we are nothing without God. We need to do our best daily and offer our triumphs and struggles to God in thanksgiving for all He has done for us. Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam

"Nothing will be impossible to you"

Ch. 9 #1

The Israelites went about conquering Jericho in a very interesting way. God used this event to show that the conquest of the Promised Land would be a gift from him, and not gained by the merits of Israel or its military prowess. All the people of Israel had to do was to follow God’s orders and he led them to victory, even though it seemed the orders were not very oriented toward military strategy. What important lesson is God giving the people of Israel? What gift does God want to give everyone on earth in the same way he gave Israel the Promised Land? How might this affect the way we look at our daily lives and our obedience to God’s Word?

Through this story of the Israelites, conquering what seems like an unbeatable challenge, we can see that God wants the people of Israel to have complete trust in Him. Through this great act of faith God is showing them all they need is to trust Him and He will keep His promise. The way that God directs the Israelites to conquer the huge city seems crazy. However the people of Israel followed God and trusted Him completely so He did not let them down. By simply walking around the city of Jericho with the Arc of the Covenant and through the power of God Jericho was destroyed. After all this time spent wandering in the desert and by just trusting in God the Promise Land was theirs. The Israelites can see that God kept His promise to Moses about giving the Chosen people the Promise Land.

God wants to give everyone on earth the way to get to Heaven the same way he gave Israel the Promised Land. God wants us to trust Him the same way that the Israelites trusted Him when going into Jericho to conquer it. He has promised His people the great reward of entering into Heaven and all we need to do is follow his instructions and we will enter into it. Just as He had special instructions for the Israelites, He has special instructions and guidelines of just how we can make it into this new Promise Land.

This story shows us just how important it is that we are obedient in our daily lives to God’s word. Just as the Israelites were wandering and waiting in the desert, we go through problems and struggles in our own lives. We despair or feel like relief or a solution will never come, just as though we are the ones in the desert. By trusting in God’s will and his plan for us to go through these temporary struggles will help us to grow and become the person he wants us to be. A person he can use for His plan, whatever it may be. He knows us through and through. We can see that what God has planned for us is the best possible solution. It is crucial that we trust Him completely with our lives so that we can indeed live for his glory and in the end make it into Heaven. In Matthew 17 verse 20, Jesus says, “if you have the faith as a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move hence to yonder place,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you.” This shows us that with God’s grace and in doing his will we can accomplish anything through Him. Just thinking about this amazing gift of faith, realizing and knowing that God can and will take care of us is comforting and gives us hope. Listening to God’s word, living it and obediently following His direction can and will get us into Heaven.

"Oh, my Lord, send, I pray, some other person"

Ch. 7 The story of Moses offers us another opportunity to analyze how God calls each of us to fulfill a certain part of his plan. God chose Moses to lead the people of Israel out of slavery in Egypt, and Moses was at first unwilling. Read Exodus 4:1-17 and list all of the ways Moses tries to convince God that he would not be able to be free Israel. How does God respond? What does this tell us about what God may be calling us to do?

When God called Moses to guide the Israelites from Egypt he was unwilling and weary of the task that lay ahead of him. In Exodus 4:1-17 God is talking to Moses and trying to convince him to follow His will. Moses is trying to make God see he is just not the right man for the job. Moses then tries to convince God he must be mistaken. Moses first tells God that no one will believe him or listen to him. He claims they will not trust him when he says the Lord appeared to him. God gave Moses three things he could show the people so they will listen to his voice. The first sign God told Moses was to throw his staff on the ground. It turned into a snake, when Moses picked the snake up by the tail as God instructed him to, the snake turned back into his staff. The second sign God told Moses was to put his hand into his bosom. When Moses did this it turned the skin of his hand from the natural color into a leprous pale color. But just as God had done before, when Moses put his hand into his bosom again it was turned back to its original state. Finally God told Moses that if the first two signs did not convince the people that he had seen the Lord, he could pour water from the Nile on the ground and it will become blood.

After these three signs Moses was still weary about his ability to take on the huge job of leading God’s chosen people from bondage. Moses persisted still and told God he could not possibly manage to use his simple speech to convince the powerful nation of Egypt to let his people go and also persuade the Israelites to follow him. The Lord assures him that, as the creator of man’s mouth, He will be with him and will teach him what he needs to speak. God also told Moses to use the speaking talents of his brother Aaron to aid him in accomplishing this daunting task.

In our own lives we are just like Moses in being unsure about what we are undertaking by saying yes to God. There are times in our lives when it seems almost impossible to just keep moving forward. By reading the story of Moses it is comforting in a way to see that we are not alone in this fear. Following in Moses’ footsteps and looking at how many times God did indeed keep his word; we can see just how important it is to have complete faith in Him. When doing His will, God will probably not give us a staff that we can turn into a snake to prove we are right, but he will surely not let us down.

“You meant evil against me; but God meant it for good”

Ch. 6 #3 Joseph's brothers committed a terrible sin when they intended to leave Joseph for dead and then sold him into slavery in Egypt. God, however, used the situation to let Joseph assume a place of power in Egypt and eventually save his whole family from starvation. How does this relate to the story of Noah? How does this story relate to the suffering and death of Jesus Christ?

We can see through the stories of Joseph, the Flood, and Jesus, God can implement His plan through a ‘moral evil’ caused by a part of His creation. Not that the evil becomes good, but God uses an event to show that His good plan will triumph over any evil. He shows us that His goodness can come from the consequences of any evil in this world.

There are many similarities between the story of Joseph and his brothers and the story of Noah and the flood. When God sent the flood, like in the story of Joseph, God makes something bad happen so the outcome can have a positive effect. The idea of God sending a flood to cover the whole world is terrifying. God used this event to reclaim the world. To wash out the evil and to save the world for the good people, like Noah. Something bad had to happen in order for the will of God to take place.

This story can also be related to the death and sacrifice of Jesus Christ. God used the horrific crucifixion to bring His people to salvation. All of our sins caused the brutal death of Jesus. So in spite of the evil which took place on Calvary, God took it and made it into something wonderful.

So through all the hardships, temptations, and failings in life we should persevere and trust in God as we see Joseph, Noah, and Jesus do. God puts us through these trials and tests so He can show His wonder in our lives. The reward from suffering and persevering through what God’s will is for us is great.

"Sin is crouching at the door: its desire is for you, but you must master it." (Gn 4:7)

Ch. 3 Question 2

In the story of the fall, the serpent tempts Adam and Eve with the chance to be like God. Adam and Eve sin by choosing power for themselves instead of God's love. How is the fist sin like all others? What are some temptations that the devil uses to draw young people today away from God? Can these temptations be related to the one faced by Adam and Eve?

This first sin is like all other sins because it was done for selfish reasons. When we sin against God we are only thinking of ourselves. In sinning we are choosing to pull ourselves away from God. Some of the temptations the devil uses in today’s world to draw young people away from God are still based on our selfish tendencies. He makes us more concerned with how we have to live to make ourselves feel better than what is really right and good for us. He can trick today’s young into thinking only about the world and not what is after this life. He does this by glamorizing the idea that being more knowledgeable or experienced in the ways of the world will make you cooler or your life better. In today’s society more and more young girls are taught you have to be sexy and dress immodestly to fit in. Today’s role models promote all sorts of immoral behaviors and they are still praised and loved by many. By ignoring or promoting these changing ideas of how to live life we are giving into satan’s plan. His devious plan is to trick us into believing that “oh it’s not really that bad to do this” or “other people are doing the same thing” to make us believe that sinful ways are just the norm. If we just go along with the deteriorating ideals of how to live life without questioning whether or not we are doing what God would want us to be doing, we will fall into the devil’s trap. The devil can cloud our judgment and carry us away from God by filling our heads with the idea that our lives will be worthwhile if we have material things or shallow friends. These temptations can still relate to the one Adam and Eve faced because they only wanted more power for themselves. Their judgment was easily clouded by the serpent’s tricks. Instead of thinking what God’s love could give them or what He would want them to be doing, they only thought of how they could maybe make their lives a little bit better or easier. It is extremely hard to say no to the many temptations that fill our day. The devil is very tricky and good at appealing to what we want selfishly. God knows truly what is best for us and he give us what we need. Adam and Eve were given everything they needed but their desire for more led them to a life of hardship and pain. We need to stay strong in the face of temptation, even when people hate you for it and it is extremely unpopular to think the way we as Catholics do. Just feel comforted in the fact that if the devil is picking on you, you must be doing a great thing for the Lord. ­

"Pray without ceasing"

As God is our creator, we are drawn to Him. Prayer is a tool for us in our search for God. God calls all of us through prayer, and through prayer His glory and Will is revealed. In the Old Testament prayer is seen as God’s way of communicating to His people. Through the prophets He revealed the true drama of prayer, the test of one’s faith in God. Having complete trust and obedience is crucial to prayer. We can see through the prophets the importance of having complete faith in God. Abraham was obedient to the will of God; he was willing to sacrifice his only son. Moses, who after long debate with himself, aligns his will with God’s. Moses can be a great example for those who struggle with prayer or following and saying yes to the will of God. Before he conformed to the will of God he made excuses, and through his questioning the Lord answered him. David also had a joyful and loving trust in the will of God as he set out to build a Temple for God. And Elijah who confirmed the faith of many by showing them the power of prayer. By trusting in God like these Holy men of the Old Testament God will answer our prayers.

Not only did the great prophets teach us, God himself while on earth instructed us how to pray. We can see Jesus praying before any decisive moments in His life. His disciples see Jesus pray and ask to be taught. The way Jesus begins his prayers should be reflected in our own prayers, He always begins with thanksgiving. Jesus teaches us prayer by building on the prayers of the Old Testament as well as expanding on the act of prayer with promises of the kingdom. Jesus instructs us to have a love for our enemies, to forgive, and to seek the kingdom of God before all else. In seeking the kingdom first we can have a clear sight of what God’s will is for us, without being distracted by our own worldly desires. Like the prophets of the Old Testament Jesus tells of the great power of prayer. In prayer we are not only supposed to say the words but to engage our whole selves having complete faith. Also to know to have patience in receiving, all in accordance to God’s will.

Mary is also an important example in one’s prayer life; her whole life was a humble acceptance of God’s will.

There are many forms of prayer. The Psalms of the Old Testament can still be a relevant and effective prayer in today’s world even if it is reflecting an event of the old world. Psalms recall the past and the future, the promises God has already kept and the ones yet to come. They are full of hope and wisdom.

The life of prayer has a rhythm in daily life. There are a few different expressions of prayer vocal, meditation, and contemplative. Vocal focuses on words making our prayers take flesh. Jesus taught us the Our Father, a vocal prayer. However, successful vocal prayer is not reliant on the poetic sound or number of words but the fervor of the soul.

Meditation is a quest for God. With meditation we can use books, images, the rosary and other ways to struggle to understand the mystery of our faith. God uses meditation to stir our hearts, and with this meditation we can discern what he is trying to tell us through His holy scripture. With meditation, “This mobilization of faculties is necessary in order to deepen our convictions of faith, prompt the conversion of our heart, and strengthen out will to follow Christ”(CCC 2708).

Contemplative prayer is a form of prayer where one is totally alone and focused on God. St. Teresa of Jesus describes it as,”a close sharing between friends”. In this silence the mystery of prayer is further revealed.

With prayer there come battles. We battle against ourselves and temptation. Our concerns for our own will and our foolish pride result in failure in prayer. But when we struggle in failure this is just apart of the drama in prayer we are called to struggle, and through that struggle gain humility and perseverance. Distractions during prayer are a frequent problem and making a conscious decision to choose God over whatever else preoccupies our mind really shows which master we serve. The lack of faith we experience when praying is a huge temptation. By realizing “the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak”, can lead us to the desire to trust more and to persevere in prayer.

When praying for our petitions, I often times feel like giving up. I also realize I am more concerned with the outcome as opposed to what God really wants or has planned for me. We are selfish in only thinking of ourselves as opposed to the bigger picture, God’s will.

“Do not be troubled if you do not immediately receive from God what you ask him; for he desires to do something even greater for you, while you cling to him in prayer”(Evagrius Ponticus, De oratione 34:pg 79,1173). This quote describes the whole idea and importance of prayer. By persevering in prayer and putting our whole soul into it we will come to know God’s holy will. He truly knows what is best for us. Through true humility, trust, perseverance, hope, and love we can reach our full potential with prayer.