Watch carefully how you live, not as a foolish person but as wise, making the most of the opportunity, because the days are evil.

Dear Parishioners & Visitors,

Watch carefully how you live, not as a foolish person but as wise, making the most of the opportunity, because the days are evil.

In this Sunday's readings we are admonished by the author of the book of Proverbs and by Saint Paul in his letter to the Ephesians to forsake foolishness. But what is foolishness? The Oxford dictionary defines it as a lack of good sense or judgement. Foolishness, in a sense, impedes us from being able to make the correct decisions in life.

Saint Paul complements this definition by expanding it. Therefore, do not continue in ignorance, but try to understand the will of the Lord. Saint Paul warns us against one of the greatest forces which block our spiritual growth and development. Ignorance, at all levels, separates us from knowing and understanding the will of the Lord.

One of the greatest challenges we face in today's Church is the
reluctance we find in some people who are not willing to grow in their understanding of the Church. When it comes to our professional life, we put ourselves in a process of ongoing formation. We know that if we are not aware and knowledgeable of the latest advancements in our field we are putting ourselves in a position of obsoleteness. Sadly, when it comes to our life of faith, some pretend to live their Christian lives with a First Communion level of formation. They have not come to understand that the Church of Jesus Christ is a living and dynamic reality lead by the Holy Spirit. Throughout the two-thousand years of Church life, we as a community lead by appointed leaders and inspired by the Holy Spirit, have arrived at a deeper understanding of God's mystery and will. As the world changes, we, as a Church led by the Holy Spirit, also have to learn to change so we can respond to the challenges presented to us by the world with the treasures of faith and revelation entrusted to us.

Our faith in Jesus Christ puts us in a process of ongoing formation. Faith formation is not a luxury or a pious endeavor. It is a demand of our commitment to Jesus which we dare not postpone. Christian life is an ongoing battle against foolishness, the foolishness of the world which tries to swallow us by convincing us that the vision of life is obsolete. If we are to follow Christ, we need to listen to the invitation of Wisdom and sit at her table.

—fr. Alberto Rodriguez, O.P.