My Dear Parish Family,

    Today’s reading from the Book of Wisdom assures us that “resplendent and unfading is wisdom.” While praying with this scripture I realized the truth of this statement as I remembered a somewhat meandering conversation one evening this summer. As you know three seminary classmates and I were on vacation this summer. Conversation started at dinner and carried through dessert and beyond, hitting on all topics from recent books we read, issues at our parishes, challenges with today’s digital world and more. One common theme presented itself: The wisdom of our parents. We reminisced about warnings they shared when we were about to make a poor choice or the teaching moments that followed when we made some ill-conceived choice. We recalled little pearls of wisdom they had dropped here-and-there when we felt self-conscious, overwhelmed, or alone.

    One of us told how his father advised him to make his bed each morning, say your morning offering prayer and put yourself together for the day: “Take the time you need to get yourself ready each morning, and then don’t give your looks another thought.” It was a lesson in self-confidence and self-control. Another shared what he learned as a young boy when his father made him go back to a store and pay for every gumball that had spit out of a broken gumball machine and somehow landed in his pockets. What he thought had been a jackpot moment turned out to be a lesson in humility and honesty.

    All these small gestures from our parents have had lasting impact and made us each better people. Though our parents may be gone, their wisdom is indeed, “resplendent and unfading” and continues to command our attention, guide our choices, and prepare us for the good things God has in store. A funny side note: While on pilgrimage in Greece I decided to buy a tee shirt. It was plain black with Greek block letters in white. I thought it looked cool. Once on the bus, I asked our guide what it said. She said, “Oh! It’s from Socrates! It says – The only true wisdom is in knowing that your nothing.”

    Oh, well. God bless you all and Oremus pro invicem.

Fr. Scott Shaffer