The Book of Wisdom
Chapter
5
¹ Then the righteous will stand with great confidence in the presence of those who have oppressed them and those who make light of their labours.
(The Book of Wisdom Chapter 5 verse 1)
Oh God, my Father, throughout the course of a lifetime I have experienced situations when what I did was never experienced to the extreme that what I did with a lot of effort was considered as trivial and of no significance whatsoever, however, there will come the time, when You bring to light such moments of oppression and Your justice will prevail Amen.
² When the unrighteous see them, they will be shaken with dreadful fear, and they will be amazed at the unexpected salvation of the righteous.
(The Book of Wisdom Chapter 5 verse 2)
Oh God, my Father if we are the type who is quick to judge others we are in for a surprise when we appear before You. For those people whom we may have judged as being hardened sinners may enter heaven and we may not. There would be a lot of gnashing of teeth from our side Amen.
³ They will speak to one another in repentance and in anguish of spirit, they will groan, and say, ⁴ "These are persons whom we once held in derision and made a byword of reproach-fools that we were! We thought that their lives were madness and that their end was without honour.
(The Book of Wisdom Chapter 5 verses 3 to 4)
Oh God, my Father, presently I am the subject of much discourse. I have become unpopular and subject of much criticism. However, people such as You know my real self and can speak in an objective way about me because You know me as I am Amen. Thank You, Jesus.
⁵ Why have they been numbered among the children of God? And why is their lot among the saints?
(The Book of Wisdom Chapter 5 verse 5)
Oh God, my Father, brothers and sisters our judgment is not always according to Your will. The time will come when we will those people whom we judged as being Muslim, Isis, non-believers, entering the doors of heaven and we may be watching from a distance. What a shock this would be for us. Therefore let us stop judging others and start loving them Amen.
⁶ So it was we who strayed from the way of truth, and the light of righteousness did not shine on us, and the sun did not rise upon us.
(The Book of Wisdom Chapter 5 verse 6)
Oh, brothers and sisters let us admit our guilt before the almighty God. Yes, we are guilty of not always living according to Your ways. We are weak and prone to sin. At times we permit our brains to take the best side of us and turn it into our worst. I pray for forgiveness oh God my Father Amen.
⁷ We took our fill of the path of lawlessness and destruction, and we journeyed through trackless deserts, but the way of the Lord we have not known.
(The Book of Wisdom Chapter 5 verse 7)
Oh God my Father, we are all sinners, at some point or other we all travelled on the forbidden territory of sin and anguish, we have all made bad choices in favour of the flesh instead of the spirit. I pray for forgiveness, my God and Father Amen.
⁸ What has our arrogance profited us? And what good has our boasted wealth brought us? ⁹ ⁹" All those things have vanished like a shadow, and like a rumour that passes by; ¹⁰ like a ship that sails through billowy water, and when it has passed no trace can be found no track of its keel in the waves;
(The Book of Wisdom Chapter 5 verses 8 to 10)
What good has riches and pride? Their fruit is of the world and not of heaven. They are a necessary means that have their value, but they are not to be given more than necessary value Amen. I am also to remember that which is of the earth passes by but that which is of God will remain forever Amen.
¹¹ or as, when a bird flies through the air no evidence of its passage is found; the light air, lashed by the beat of its pinions and pierced by the force of its rushing flight is traversed by the movement of its wings and afterwards no sign of its coming is found there; ¹² or as, when an arrow is shot at a target, the air, thus divided, comes together at once so that no one knows its pathway.
(The Book of Wisdom Chapter 5 verses 11 to 12)
Oh God, my Father in truth we can compare You to the wind or to the dynamics of the arrow, for we never know exactly where You happen to be or what You are doing. All I know is that You and Your presence are with me all the time Amen.
¹³ So we also, as soon as we were born, ceased to be, and we had no sign of virtue to show, but were consumed in our wickedness."
(The Book of Wisdom Chapter 5 verse 13)
Oh God, my Father, on being born our natural selves takes control of us thus making us totally of the flesh until we grow up and start developing. Then the power of the Holy Spirit tends to try to communicate with us by means of our conscience and on making a gradual renunciation of ourselves to God we put on our spiritual selves and become true images of You my God and Father Amen.
¹⁴Because the hope of the ungodly is like thistledown carried by the wind, and like a light frost driven away by a storm; it is dispersed like smoke before the wind, and it passes like the remembrance of a guest who stays but a day.
(The Book of Wisdom Chapter 5 verse 14)
Oh, brothers and sisters, I beg you to place your trust in God and not in humans who are prone to sin and change. Today you have friends, tomorrow you become a stranger. However, God is always faithful and there for us, whenever we decide to turn back to Him Amen.
¹⁵ But the righteous live forever, and their reward is with the Lord; the Most High takes care of them.
(The Book of Wisdom Chapter 5 verse 15)
Oh God, my Father, even though I do not consider myself as being a totally righteous person for I am still prone and tempted by sin I wish that You will be my reward when my time comes Amen. Thank You, Jesus.
¹⁶ Therefore they will receive a glorious crown and a beautiful diadem from the hand of the Lord, because with his right hand he will cover them, and with his arm, he will shield them.
(The Book of Wisdom Chapter 5 verse 16)
Oh God, my Father, I thank You for protecting me from the forces of evil that are everywhere I go. I thank You for being my fortress during times of stress and a loving Father especially when I need Your delicate support Amen.
¹⁷ The Lord will take his zeal as his whole armour, and will arm all creation to repel his enemies; ¹⁸ he will put on his righteousness as a breastplate, and wear impartial justice as a helmet; ¹⁹ he will take holiness as an invincible shield, ²⁰ and sharpen stern wrath for a sword, and creation will join with him to fight against his frenzied foes.
(The Book of Wisdom Chapter 5 verses 17 to 20)
Oh, brothers and sisters, we are not to fear the enemy for God Himself has given us full protection against evil and his evil spirits. I pray that we remain firm in prayer and praise and in the sacraments because they are our firewall and updates to reinforce our protection Amen.
²¹ Shafts of lightning will fly with true aim, and will leap from the clouds to the target, as from a well-drawn bow, ²² and hailstones full of wrath will be hurled as from a catapult; the water of the sea will rage against them, and rivers will relentlessly overwhelm them; ²³ a mighty wind will rise against them, and like a tempest, it will winnow them away. Lawlessness will lay waste the whole earth, and evil-doing will overturn the thrones of rulers.
(The Book of Wisdom Chapter 5 verses 21 to 23)
Oh God, my Father, we are already experiencing this wrath by means of fires that are leaving a pathway of destruction and even the destructive hailstones. I never realized that this could be an onslaught controlled by the evil ones. However, You are the King of Kings who is able to reverse the course of nature to a positive one bringing peace and serenity Amen.
Oh God, my beloved Father, I would like to end this meditation on the fifth chapter of the book of Wisdom with the following prayer:-
Oh God, my Father bless us with Your wisdom for by ourselves left to our own devices we end up making wrong decisions that have a negative both on ourselves but even on the lives of others. I pray that You protect us from the onslaught of the evil spirits that experience pleasure in our moments of discomfort and pain Amen. Thank You, Jesus.
² When the unrighteous see them, they will be shaken with dreadful fear, and they will be amazed at the unexpected salvation of the righteous.
(The Book of Wisdom Chapter 5 verse 2)
Oh God, my Father if we are the type who is quick to judge others we are in for a surprise when we appear before You. For those people whom we may have judged as being hardened sinners may enter heaven and we may not. There would be a lot of gnashing of teeth from our side Amen.
³ They will speak to one another in repentance and in anguish of spirit, they will groan, and say, ⁴ "These are persons whom we once held in derision and made a byword of reproach-fools that we were! We thought that their lives were madness and that their end was without honour.
(The Book of Wisdom Chapter 5 verses 3 to 4)
Oh God, my Father, presently I am the subject of much discourse. I have become unpopular and subject of much criticism. However, people such as You know my real self and can speak in an objective way about me because You know me as I am Amen. Thank You, Jesus.
⁵ Why have they been numbered among the children of God? And why is their lot among the saints?
(The Book of Wisdom Chapter 5 verse 5)
Oh God, my Father, brothers and sisters our judgment is not always according to Your will. The time will come when we will those people whom we judged as being Muslim, Isis, non-believers, entering the doors of heaven and we may be watching from a distance. What a shock this would be for us. Therefore let us stop judging others and start loving them Amen.
⁶ So it was we who strayed from the way of truth, and the light of righteousness did not shine on us, and the sun did not rise upon us.
(The Book of Wisdom Chapter 5 verse 6)
Oh, brothers and sisters let us admit our guilt before the almighty God. Yes, we are guilty of not always living according to Your ways. We are weak and prone to sin. At times we permit our brains to take the best side of us and turn it into our worst. I pray for forgiveness oh God my Father Amen.
⁷ We took our fill of the path of lawlessness and destruction, and we journeyed through trackless deserts, but the way of the Lord we have not known.
(The Book of Wisdom Chapter 5 verse 7)
Oh God my Father, we are all sinners, at some point or other we all travelled on the forbidden territory of sin and anguish, we have all made bad choices in favour of the flesh instead of the spirit. I pray for forgiveness, my God and Father Amen.
⁸ What has our arrogance profited us? And what good has our boasted wealth brought us? ⁹ ⁹" All those things have vanished like a shadow, and like a rumour that passes by; ¹⁰ like a ship that sails through billowy water, and when it has passed no trace can be found no track of its keel in the waves;
(The Book of Wisdom Chapter 5 verses 8 to 10)
What good has riches and pride? Their fruit is of the world and not of heaven. They are a necessary means that have their value, but they are not to be given more than necessary value Amen. I am also to remember that which is of the earth passes by but that which is of God will remain forever Amen.
¹¹ or as, when a bird flies through the air no evidence of its passage is found; the light air, lashed by the beat of its pinions and pierced by the force of its rushing flight is traversed by the movement of its wings and afterwards no sign of its coming is found there; ¹² or as, when an arrow is shot at a target, the air, thus divided, comes together at once so that no one knows its pathway.
(The Book of Wisdom Chapter 5 verses 11 to 12)
Oh God, my Father in truth we can compare You to the wind or to the dynamics of the arrow, for we never know exactly where You happen to be or what You are doing. All I know is that You and Your presence are with me all the time Amen.
¹³ So we also, as soon as we were born, ceased to be, and we had no sign of virtue to show, but were consumed in our wickedness."
(The Book of Wisdom Chapter 5 verse 13)
Oh God, my Father, on being born our natural selves takes control of us thus making us totally of the flesh until we grow up and start developing. Then the power of the Holy Spirit tends to try to communicate with us by means of our conscience and on making a gradual renunciation of ourselves to God we put on our spiritual selves and become true images of You my God and Father Amen.
¹⁴Because the hope of the ungodly is like thistledown carried by the wind, and like a light frost driven away by a storm; it is dispersed like smoke before the wind, and it passes like the remembrance of a guest who stays but a day.
(The Book of Wisdom Chapter 5 verse 14)
Oh, brothers and sisters, I beg you to place your trust in God and not in humans who are prone to sin and change. Today you have friends, tomorrow you become a stranger. However, God is always faithful and there for us, whenever we decide to turn back to Him Amen.
¹⁵ But the righteous live forever, and their reward is with the Lord; the Most High takes care of them.
(The Book of Wisdom Chapter 5 verse 15)
Oh God, my Father, even though I do not consider myself as being a totally righteous person for I am still prone and tempted by sin I wish that You will be my reward when my time comes Amen. Thank You, Jesus.
¹⁶ Therefore they will receive a glorious crown and a beautiful diadem from the hand of the Lord, because with his right hand he will cover them, and with his arm, he will shield them.
(The Book of Wisdom Chapter 5 verse 16)
Oh God, my Father, I thank You for protecting me from the forces of evil that are everywhere I go. I thank You for being my fortress during times of stress and a loving Father especially when I need Your delicate support Amen.
¹⁷ The Lord will take his zeal as his whole armour, and will arm all creation to repel his enemies; ¹⁸ he will put on his righteousness as a breastplate, and wear impartial justice as a helmet; ¹⁹ he will take holiness as an invincible shield, ²⁰ and sharpen stern wrath for a sword, and creation will join with him to fight against his frenzied foes.
(The Book of Wisdom Chapter 5 verses 17 to 20)
Oh, brothers and sisters, we are not to fear the enemy for God Himself has given us full protection against evil and his evil spirits. I pray that we remain firm in prayer and praise and in the sacraments because they are our firewall and updates to reinforce our protection Amen.
²¹ Shafts of lightning will fly with true aim, and will leap from the clouds to the target, as from a well-drawn bow, ²² and hailstones full of wrath will be hurled as from a catapult; the water of the sea will rage against them, and rivers will relentlessly overwhelm them; ²³ a mighty wind will rise against them, and like a tempest, it will winnow them away. Lawlessness will lay waste the whole earth, and evil-doing will overturn the thrones of rulers.
(The Book of Wisdom Chapter 5 verses 21 to 23)
Oh God, my Father, we are already experiencing this wrath by means of fires that are leaving a pathway of destruction and even the destructive hailstones. I never realized that this could be an onslaught controlled by the evil ones. However, You are the King of Kings who is able to reverse the course of nature to a positive one bringing peace and serenity Amen.
Oh God, my beloved Father, I would like to end this meditation on the fifth chapter of the book of Wisdom with the following prayer:-
Oh God, my Father bless us with Your wisdom for by ourselves left to our own devices we end up making wrong decisions that have a negative both on ourselves but even on the lives of others. I pray that You protect us from the onslaught of the evil spirits that experience pleasure in our moments of discomfort and pain Amen. Thank You, Jesus.
