"Love follows knowledge."
"Beauty above all beauty!"
– St. Catherine of Siena

Friday, July 25, 2014

Faith Filled Friday: Proverbs 9:1-6

While reading this month’s Magnificat, the Catholic magazine of daily devotionals, I came across this wonderful little poem that is in Proverbs.  Now as I’m slowly reading my way through the Old Testament in sequence, I have not gotten up to Proverbs yet.  I’m not aware of how its organized or its significance.  I've only been exposed to bits of readings quoted, read in church, or placed in devotionals.  I was surprised that this was in the form of a poem.

Wisdom has built her house,
She has set up her seven columns;
She has dressed her meat, mixed her wine,
Yes, she has spread her table. 

She has sent out her maidens; she calls
From the heights out over the city:
“Let whoever is simple turn in here;
To him who lacks understanding, I say, 

Come, eat of my food,
And drink of my wine that I have mixed!
Forsake foolishness that you may live,
Advance in the way of understanding.”

          -Proverbs 9:1-6

The line “She has dressed her meat, mixed her wine,” reminds me of my mother with her meats that go into her Sunday Italian gravy.  I believe “mixing of wine” refers to the ancient practice of adding water to wine to adjust the taste.  At least they did that in the Roman world, so I’d assume they did it in ancient Israel as well.

The gist of the verse is with the line “Let whoever is simple turn in here.”  Wisdom rests in simplicity, so “forsake” sophisticated foolishness.


And I absolutely love the lines, “Come, eat of my food,/And drink of my wine.” Isn't that a phrase used in a song?  Probably.  Of course it echoes Christ, “Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood” from John 6:54.


10 comments:

  1. It is quite lovely, as so many things in the Bible are. There are five books in the Bible written in the poetical style: Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon. Proverbs is didactic poetry as opposed to Psalms, for example, which is lyric poetry. I took an entire course in Hebrew poetry, and it was a beautiful course, indeed.

    If you are still interested in the historical Jesus, I would recommend books by N.T. Wright, who used to be the Canon Theologian at Westminster Abbey. True, he's Anglican, not Catholic, but the two are so close, and Wright is pretty conservative. He has shorter books for those who don't care to delve too deeply into the subject and longer, more scholarly works for those who do. I'm reading THE RESURRECTION OF THE SON OF GOD, which is one of Wright's scholarly works. It's the third book in a planned series of six.

    Yes, they did add water to wine in ancient Israel. ;) You are right. I am reading the Hebrew Scriptures again, too, not only for school, but also for myself, with the aid of a Catholic study bible, and I attend bible study classes at my parish church. The historical Jesus and Christology remain the main focus of my studies, though.

    I will set up a blog when I have time. Must crank out a paper in Medieval Church History this weekend.

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    1. I've heard of N.T Wright. He is Conservative, and I'm surprised he hasn't converted to RC. I've seen an audio course on Hebrew poetry that I've been tempted to purchase. Perhaps I will one of these days.

      Please set up a blog some day. I'll be glad to visit. Of course I still don't know your name...lol. Good luck on your paper.

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  2. Dear Manny!

    I still have not read The monthly, the Catholic magazine called The Magnificat but then again I still don't read "The Bible" which I'm sure they are both very good.

    About four years ago or so, there was a person who will remain nameless whom I knew pretty well, well "I" knew this person somewhat ;) and this person use to work with "The Mentally Challenged" in some ways and "IT" didn't take too long for this person to want to help "ME", "ME" and "ME" ."I" guess... :)

    Anyway and long story short, this person did and/or should "I" simply say gave US (usual sinners) eye to eye or should i say soul to soul 100% complete reality, spiritual visual attention. After we finished or should "I" say after "I" finished talking, "I" mean story telling, this person called me a saint to which i quickly replied in so many words, maybe so today but the sad news is that "i" must and/or need to start "IT" all over again "Tomorrow".

    Longer story shorter, some of the family who heard about "IT" started a rumor saying stuff like, that's nothing new cause haven't YA heard that...

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jehovah%27s_Witnesses

    won't even come to Victor's house anymore since their last Epipha me, "I" mean

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epiphany_(holiday)

    Epiphany...

    What I'm trying to say Man, "I" mean Manny is that nowadays Victor only reads stuff like...

    .http://www.dailygospel.org/main.php?language=AM

    The only problem with Victor is that his so called five per sent age "Jesus Cells" don't sea, "I" mean see eye to eye with US (usual sinners) "I" mean us gods who control about 95% of Victor's kingdom, "I" mean his body cells and.........................................................and...............................andddd...

    END YA SAY sinner vic? DON'T BE LIKE THAT! BE NICE NOW!

    Go Figure brothers and sisters in Christ nowadays?

    YAR "IT"! LOL :)

    God Bless you and your family also Manny, my new found friend.




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  3. I realize you addressed you post to Manny, Victor, but all the posts are here for all to read, so I read yours. I'm not quite sure what you said, but I do think I got the gist of it. ;) "They" don't come to my house anymore, either. "They" came once, wanting to change my mind about certain things, so I set about changing theirs. Not liking that, "they" now avoid my house, which is fine with me. I love it that things are non-controversial here, so I'll just say, maybe it's best for me to adopt the attitude of "to each his own" and leave it at that. I do respect the fact that others witness, I do, too, but not to those who really do not want to hear.

    I am indeed a female, Manny, and my name is Julie. I think you'd like N.T. Wright's writing. And that course on Hebrew poetry. I considered getting a Masters in Creative Writing with a concentration in Poetry, but Theology won out.

    Have a nice and blessed Sunday, both of you.

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    1. Don't worry about not understanding Victor, Julie. None of us do. :) And nice to meet you Julie. I hope you stop by often. I think I will get that Hebrew poetry course.

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  4. ((( I considered getting a Masters in Creative Writing with a concentration in Poetry, but Theology won out. )))

    Good Luck with your studies Julie and as for what I wrote above, this is but a trickle of what I've written to our good Bishop and what I'm trying to say is that you could never ever get the gist of what I've told him even if he decided to let you read some of what I've written to him. Forgive me but my gut feeling tells me that you probably wouldn't be interested in reading about my past problems. lol

    Long story short, I know that someday the whole world might want and/or care to read what I've written but "I" ask, why would they even want to when there's so much more that "Jesus" The Only Begotten Son of GOD wrote through His Prophets and Saints. Gee even if I was an official prophet and forgive me when I say in so many words, "What a waste of time "IT" would be for some because they would sooner listen to their own god who already have their own god in their back pocket these days. LOL :)

    The only reason that I don't start a third blog is because there's enough good people out there who know what they are talking about but people still chose to believe what they want to believe and rightly so. :(

    Didn't "Jesus" at least on one occasion say in so many words over two thousand years ago that unless you hate your mother, father, son, ect..... you can not be my followers. About twenty years ago or so, a good priest who has now been promoted gave a sermon in our church trying to explain that "Jesus" never really said those words. I now believe that "Jesus" did mean what he said but he was simply talking to the invisible angels, souls and spirit but obviously GOD (Good Old Dad) made US (usual sinners) in His Own Image so we were and still are allowed to listen but what chance do we have of changing anything if we don't have The Faith and/or don't want to listen to His Prophets who have a JOB, "I" mean a job to do?

    Longer story shorter, I again want to wish you success with your studies and please don't blame Manny for anything that I've written here or anywhere else and truth be known Manny is probably a lot closer to his soul and spirit then anyone could ever imagine. In other words he doesn't need any of my help but on second thought, "i " certainly am in need of his prayers and kind words.

    Thank you Julie and God Bless

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  5. Oh, I don't blame you or Manny for anything at all, Victor! I do not judge, and I appreciate the non-controversial aspect of Manny's blog. And, being a Roman Catholic theology student and a lover of poetry and literature (prose), I greatly appreciate it and find much of interest here.

    Indeed the writer(s) of Luke ascribed those words to Jesus. Luke 14:26 says, "Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple." I think he means "hate" by comparison to one's love for him, but that is my interpretation. Since Jesus was a first century Jew, we have to put everything in the light of first century Judaism, I think. I know I put no one above Jesus and love him above all others.

    Thank you very much for your good wishes. I send you all my good wishes for the things you are accomplishing in your life as well, and I hope you have a wonderful week.

    Julie

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  6. ((( Victor! I do not judge, and I appreciate the non-controversial aspect of Manny's blog. )))

    Thank you for not trying to judge Julie and like Manny says in so many words with respect that nobody on the internet truly understands this #2 Victor.

    I was pleased to hear you say, "I know I put no one above Jesus and love him above all others." I'm sure that there are a lot of people who would say the oposite. As for myself, I will share again in my old age that sinner vic and i have been quietly searching for God for more than forty four years now.

    I was far from being rich back then while I was working as a Queen's Printer on an Army Base but I will admit to being spiritually quietly eccentric in reality. I didn't let anybody know but my paranoia was such that not one army officer could have followed me in reality even if I think they tried.

    Back then I lived with a very nice German couple who had a very young boy and I'll call them Ray and Judy. That was before they had to he vic, I mean evict some of the other tenants but they kindly let me stay until I found login with the Mayor of that town. I hear YA! I guess they must have all loved you back then and would probably have adobted you if need be. Right? :)

    I don't want to get started on a novel cause GOD knows that sinner vic with his so called PALE GAS within my 95% godly cell body probably thinks that he has enough material and could create novels but my five per sent age "Jesus" cells keep him in honest check, if YA get my drift? ;)

    I know that I should stop writing but I will share one more small true story and some reality parts can even be varified and this is a Spec that took place while I was searching for GOD (Good Old Dad) and all I've managed to learn so far is that everything "Jesus" truly said is "The Truth" and that GOD truly did create Angels before Manny, I mean Man and He doesn't really destroy anything and long story short, some of these now angel species because they are invisible think that with our permission, they can be our gods and take over our world. Don't tell them that "I" told YA cause I'll just deny "IT" and besides who listens to crazy skitsos anyway nowadays? :(

    Part B is coming shortly

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  7. Part B

    OK! As I was going to say, I just got married in 1970 and my wife and I went to give blood and being a show off, after giving a pint of blood, instead of going to lay down and rest for a few minutes, I decided to test GOD, "I" guess. After having given a pint of blood, I ignored that I was told to rest and have a little something to eat. Instead, I simply walked to the front with a big smile while looking in the eyes of an older nun and like a big oak tree, I fell to the floor. I'll skip the part after I woke up telling this older lady that I saw a man with a cross in my eyes and a bunch of men around him waring white dresses.

    Part 2. I went again a little later with my wife to give more blood and I had planned to be normal this time but let's just say that the angel god species of this world were prepared for me.

    I didn't get a chance to complete my mission because the pain was terrible and although, I said not a word but I guess being married in a Catholic Church by Father Francis, well my wife speaks UP and says that I'm turning all kinds of colors. Long story short, they pulled the plug off me and I was barely finished and later they took away my blood card. I hear YA! I guess they must have thought you were crazy or something like that?. lol

    Part 3. A little time later, my wife had just started a new job and she had night shift so I figured that my soul, my spirit and I would have a good talk with GOD so we went in the blood line clinic and I used my god given angel tallent and no one even suspected that I was the guy in part two. To tell you the truth, although no body suspected a thing, I was very scared but after the other sacrafices that I had quietly been making for years, well I believed that GOD would see me through. On that streach her, "I" mean stretcher, I literally saw stars and it seemed like forever but then again, a little time later I finished and then went to lay down. After about ten minutes, I got permission to lay down for about another half hour. Who knows, maybe there is a Jehovah God? I hear YA and He likes YA too! ;)

    I'll close by saying that I've given only three pints of blood since then and I now have my blood card to prove "IT" and the last date on it says, I think 1994. I guess that GOD quietly told my brain cells that I didn't need to make anymore sacrafices. I still called Saint Joseph's Hospital in our city and told them that if they needed my blood, I would be happy to donate but I had to lay down for about half an hour or so in order to get my streath back.

    Go figure! The angel gods in charge of our city must have thought I was crazy cause they never ever called and as a matter of fact, they even closed down that Saintly Hospital!

    P.S. I do have a niece who goes by the name of Julie who is truly capable of accomplishing what you also want to do. If that's you, please don't tell me. You're probably not her but even if you were, I would ask you both to remember that "Jesus The Christ" spoke to US (usual sinners) over two thousand years ago and MAN has evolved a LOT since then. LOL :)

    God Bless you both

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