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Wisdom and
Age
A person will grow in wisdom as he advances with
age when he follows God.
Luke 2:52
“And Jesus advanced (in) wisdom and age
and favor before God and man.”
Sirach 25:5-6
“How attractive is wisdom in the aged,
and understanding and counsel in honorable men! 6
Rich experience is the crown of the aged,
and their boast is the fear of the Lord.”
Job 12:12
“Wisdom is with the aged, and
understanding in length of days.”
Previously, Job had asked God questions about the
fairness of his suffering. In Job 8:21 God implies that Job has not
lived long enough to comprehend and be wise enough to understand.
Therefore, it is implied that wisdom comes with age.
8:1-21; 40:3-5
“Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind: …
4 “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?
Tell me, if you have understanding.
5 Who determined its measurements—surely you know! …
17 Have the gates of death been revealed to you,
or have you seen the gates of deep darkness?
18 Have you comprehended the expanse of the earth?
Declare, if you know all this. …
21
You know, because you were born then,
and the number of your days is great! (NAB)
Job 40:3-5
“ Then Job answered the Lord:
4 “Behold, I am of small account; what shall I answer thee?
I lay my hand on my mouth.
5 I have spoken once, and I will not answer;
twice, but I will proceed no further.”
2 Maccabees
6:21-31
“Those who were in charge of that unlawful sacrifice took the man aside,
because of their long acquaintance with him, and privately urged him to
bring meat of his own providing, proper for him to use, and pretend that
he was eating the flesh of the sacrificial meal which had been commanded
by the king, 22 so that by doing this he might be saved from death,
and be treated kindly on account of his old friendship with them. 23
But making a high resolve, worthy of his years
and the dignity of his old age and
the gray hairs which he had
reached with distinction and his
excellent life even from childhood, and moreover according to the holy
God-given law, he declared himself quickly, telling them to send him to
Hades.
24 “Such pretense is
not worthy of our time of life,” he said, “lest many of the
young should suppose that Eleazar in his ninetieth year has gone over to
an alien religion, 25 and through my pretense, for the sake of living
a brief moment longer, they should be led astray because of me, while I
defile and disgrace my old age. 26
For even if for the present I should avoid the punishment of men, yet
whether I live or die I shall not escape the hands of the Almighty. 27
Therefore, by manfully giving up my life now, I will show myself
worthy of my old age 28 and leave to the young a noble
example of how to die a good death willingly and nobly for the revered
and holy laws.”
When he had said this, he went at once to the rack.
29 And those who a little before had acted toward him with good will
now changed to ill will, because the words he had uttered were in their
opinion sheer madness. 30 When he was about to die under the blows, he
groaned aloud and said: “It is clear to the Lord in his holy knowledge
that, though I might have been saved from death, I am enduring terrible
sufferings in my body under this beating, but in my soul I am glad to
suffer these things because I fear him.”
31 So in this way he died, leaving in his death
an example of nobility and a memorial of courage, not only to the young
but to the great body of his nation.”
Of course, there is not an exact parallel between age and wisdom as seen
below, but a wise child is the exception to the expected norm of a
faithful adult Christian.CCC 1308
"Although Confirmation is sometimes called the “sacrament of Christian
maturity,” we must not confuse adult faith with the adult age of natural
growth, nor forget that the baptismal grace is a grace of free,
unmerited election and does not need “ratification” to become effective.
St. Thomas reminds us of this:
Age of body does not determine age of soul. Even in childhood man
can attain spiritual maturity: as the book of Wisdom says: “For old
age is not honored for length of time, or measured by number of
years.” Many children, through the strength of the Holy Spirit they
have received, have bravely fought for Christ even to the shedding
of their blood. 126
(126 St. Thomas Aquinas, STh III, 72, 8, ad 2; cf. Wisdom 4:8.)
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153 Fish in John 21:11 |
