Yet we do speak a wisdom to those who are mature, but not a wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age who are passing away.
Rather, we speak God’s wisdom

Today we enter the holy season of Septuagesima. Easter is only 70 days away. We jump right from Christmas joy to the contemplation of the Lenten journey which lies ahead.

Today we consider wisdom, and choices.

The Apostle Paul tells us that the Holy Church teaches wisdom. That’s a hard thing to accept.

It is hard to think that, until we realize that the wisdom, the truth that we teach, is Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ as taught and preached by the Apostles, the Fathers, and our Bishops down to this day.

We teach what He taught. We desire what He desired. The Church desires that each and every person live in the truth. The Church desires that you and I surrender to Christ, and to the image of Christ in each other.

Brothers and sisters,

The Book of Sirach is a book of wisdom. Wisdom is truth boiled down to its simplest elements:

There are set before you fire and water; to whichever you choose, stretch forth your hand.

We have choices to make. Paul tells us that the Church teaches wisdom. Wisdom tells us that we have a choice.

Our great and holy founder, Bishop Hodur taught the very same wisdom. People can come to us, to His Holy Church. If they find truth and light here they are welcome to stay. They are welcome to learn wisdom from the Holy Church. If they do not find it here, if their conscience leads them elsewhere, we hinder them not.

We desire that all come to the truth. Therefore we welcome all who come to seek the truth. We desire that all come to Christ, all those seeking, wishing to learn, desiring to love. Let them come here to find, to learn, and to love. Above all we desire that all form their conscience in accord with the wisdom of God – and in the end make the decision for Christ – to be more than church goers, to be Christ followers.

This weekend we held a rummage sale.

We held a rummage sale because, believe it or not, we are Christ followers. We found a means to raise a few dollars to help a member of the Holy Church in his ministry to the children of Iraq, children in the one of the very worst areas of Iraq.

We did not consider politics. We did not consider the fact that the children we serve may never fully know the reality of God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. We simply helped a man who bears the cross of Christ on his uniform; helping him witness to Christ.

As we walk through this holy season let us consider the ways in which we live as Christ followers. Let us examine our consciences in that regard. Jesus taught us that it is the state of the heart that matters. Our sins are more than the doing of the sin, they begin in the heart. He told us:

Let your ‘Yes’ mean ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No’ mean ‘No.’

In other words, be honest through and through.

Let us hold Christ in our hearts. Let us live as Christ followers. Let us see Christ in every person on earth.

Wisdom is to follow Christ. Let that be our choice.

Amen.