Each day this week, the Book of Wisdom provides the first reading at Mass. Wisdom is pictured as a person (and as feminine). Twenty-one names (words) are used, a figure which is itself meant to denote completion and perfection. Those same words are also descriptive of God's self, so that we get an impression of intimate connection between wisdom and the Spirit of God; she is the "image of His goodness . . . more splendid than the sun".

Theology and spirituality in modern times have paid a lot of attention to the Old Testament prophets and their role and relevance to Christian life today. Not nearly so much attention has been given to the Bible's "Wisdom Books". So let's spend a little more prayerful time in wondering and reflecting on those words of praise. Let's pray for Wisdom's enlightenment to guide our lives and bring us a deeper appreciation of God's majesty and glory.

It is through God's Wisdom that we become holy, friends of God, and His witnesses and prophets. This doesn't just refer to the great prophets of the Bible or to the great names of Apostles and canonised saints - it's for everyone of us who, through growing intimacy with God in prayer, learns to enter into His mysteries and discern His will, and to live truly Christian lives, becoming in our turn His "interpreters" to enlighten our contemporaries.