A Meditation for Tuesday in the Third Week after the Octave of Easter
Texts: Wisdom 7:7–14 | Matthew 5:13–19
In the luminous days following the Octave of Easter, the Church, like the disciples in the glow of the Resurrection, is called anew to live in the splendor of Christ’s wisdom and to shine as the light of the world. The pairing of Wisdom 7:7–14 and Matthew 5:13–19 on this Feria Tertia is no coincidence—it is an invitation to interior transformation and apostolic fidelity.
“I prayed, and understanding was given me” (Wis. 7:7)
The sacred author’s prayer in the Book of Wisdom is the cry of the soul awakened to its deepest desire: to possess heavenly Wisdom, a gift “more beautiful than the sun” and more precious than all gold and silver. This passage has long been revered by the Fathers as a prefiguration of Christ, the Incarnate Wisdom of God.
St. Gregory of Nyssa, in his On the Beatitudes, describes the soul’s yearning for divine Wisdom as the movement of the image of God returning to its Source:
“The soul that draws near to God rises above all created things, desiring to see the Divine Nature… the more it sees, the more it seeks.”
The prayerful pursuit of wisdom is not merely for intellectual satisfaction, but for the transformation of the soul, which becomes a dwelling place of God’s light. As the text says, “She is a treasure unto men that never faileth”—and to those who cherish her, “God hath given knowledge of the things that are.”
Wisdom is fruitful, producing not vain speculation but holy living. St. Ambrose, commenting on divine wisdom, teaches that it is always connected with action:
“Wisdom is not in the words but in the deeds… Let your works shine, that your light may be known” (De Officiis, I.26).
“You are the salt of the earth… You are the light of the world” (Matt. 5:13–14)
This Gospel, taken from Our Lord’s Sermon on the Mount, follows naturally upon the reading from Wisdom. The one who is filled with divine understanding cannot help but become a beacon in a darkened world. Christ speaks with authority, not to give empty praise, but to command mission. Salt preserves from corruption, and light reveals truth.
St. Hilary of Poitiers sees in this command the mark of apostolic identity:
“The Apostles are preachers of eternal things and ministers of divine glory; they are salt because by the flavor of their wisdom they keep the minds of believers from decay” (Commentary on Matthew, 4.10).
But Our Lord warns soberly: “If the salt lose its savour, wherewith shall it be salted?” This is a grave caution against negligence or compromise. The Fathers emphasize that light and salt must not be hidden, nor allowed to become tepid. St. John Chrysostom, in his homily on this Gospel, exhorts the faithful:
“If others lose their savor, it is no great matter; but if the teacher does so, he has ruined not himself only but many others besides… Therefore greater effort is required of those set on a hill.”
Fulfillment of the Law, Not Abrogation
Our Lord’s words, “I am not come to destroy the law, but to fulfill,” stand as a rebuke to any who would separate the Gospel from its roots in the revealed Law of God. The path of Wisdom is not novel innovation, but the perfection of the old in the new.
St. Augustine, writing against those who sought to discard the commandments under a false pretense of liberty, insists:
“He who says that Christ came to destroy the Law does not understand the depth of the mystery… He fulfilled it by giving it its full meaning, by perfect obedience, and by teaching its spiritual intent” (De Sermone Domini in Monte, I.8.21).
The Christian is thus called to a holiness that surpasses mere external observance, but remains entirely faithful to the moral and spiritual core of the Law. As the Gospel concludes: “Whosoever shall break one of these least commandments… shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven.”
✠ Practical Reflection ✠
In this Easter season, Christ risen calls us not only to rejoice, but to be transformed by His Wisdom and to radiate His Truth. Ask yourself:
- Do I pray for wisdom with the same fervor as the writer of Wisdom 7?
- Am I salt and light in the places where God has placed me?
- Do I keep even the least commandments of God, or do I rationalize compromise?
Let us make our own the words of Wisdom 7:7:
“I prayed, and the spirit of wisdom came upon me.”
And with this spirit, let us heed our Savior’s voice, becoming that city set on a hill, that candle on a candlestick, illuminating the world not with ourselves, but with Christ’s resurrected glory.
✠ Suggested Prayer ✠
Come, O Holy Wisdom, eternal Word of the Father,
fill my heart with the desire to know You truly and to love You above all.
Make me salt to preserve the truth, and light to scatter the darkness.
Grant me grace to keep Your commandments,
and teach me to fulfill them with joy,
that my life may glorify the Father who is in heaven.
Amen.