Monday, October 11, 2021
Silver and Gold
Their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands.
From footnotes, This is “a response to the enemy taunt, ‘Where is your God?’ . . . [I]t ridicules the lifeless idols of the nations, expresses a litany of trust of the various classes of the people in God, invokes God’s blessing on them as they invoke the divine name, and concludes as it began with praise of God”. (Senior 726) True silver and gold are trust in the work of the Lord’s hands. There is no need to exact revenge.
Yesterday’s first reading at Mass was another look at the character of silver and gold. In Wisdom 7:7-11 they are seen as useless as the lust for power and control because all truly good things come from God, and God values our prudence and humility above supremacy. I prayed and prudence was given me; I pleaded and the spirit of wisdom came to me. I preferred her to scepter and throne, and deemed riches as nothing in comparison with her, nor did liken any priceless gem to her; because all gold, in view of her, is a little sand, and before her, silver is to be accounted mire.
When we feel ourselves struggling to gain an upper hand or to mercilessly wield authority that has been vested in us, we must give God thanks for the goodness we have seen; and we must turn to songs like this one that remind us of our proper place in the universe: The heavens belong to the Lord, but the earth is given to us . . . It is we who bless the Lord. Hallelujah!
Amen.
A reflection written on October 12, 2009 and posted today as a Favorite.
Senior, Donald, ed. THE CATHOLIC STUDY BIBLE. New York, Oxford University Press, 1990.726. Print.
Image from: http://www.goldingot.org.uk/gold-and-silver/
The Noontimes 