Unity with Wisdom

The Crucifixion with the Virgin and Saint John, Pietro Perugino

The Catechism of the Catholic Church gives a definition of catechesis in paragraph 5.

5 "Catechesis is an education in the faith of children, young people and adults which includes especially the teaching of Christian doctrine imparted, generally speaking, in an organic and systematic way, with a view to initiating the hearers into the fullness of Christian life."

In paragraph 11, the Catechism explains that it is "presenting an organic synthesis of the essential and fundamental contents of Catholic doctrine, as regards both faith and morals..." If you're like me, you're probably wondering about what organic means in context. You might picture an organic being such as a human being, which isn't far off from what is meant here. There is a unity to all doctrines of the faith which are all related and part of a whole. It is part of a living deposit of faith centered around Jesus Christ. These doctrines are not isolated; and deviations in one part are likely to produce misunderstandings of the whole. In sense, pulling at a thread in this sweater can unravel the whole sweater.

Wisdom is in the ordering and prioritizing the truth and understanding of the whole. It is an interesting quirk of our history that sophists (experts and "wise" men who are historically seen to be employing fallacious reasoning) are the foolish bad guys, while philosophers (lovers of wisdom) are more closely associated with wisdom.

But wisdom is also divine and biblical. Indeed, the Word of God, the divine Logos, reason or mind of God is associated with wisdom. And so love of wisdom (philosophy) deepens and moves from the abstract to a personal relationship with Jesus. Loving Jesus is a wise move.

Therefore, it should be no surprise that I love this poem by St. Louis Marie Grignion de Montfort:

Divine Wisdom, I love Thee unto folly.
I am Thy lover.
Thou alone in this world I seek,
Thou alone I desire.
I am a man gone mad with love,
Forever chasing Thee.

Tell me who Thou art,
For I am half blind.
I can discern only
That Thou art a secret I must fathom.
Show Thyself fully to my soul
Which dies for love of Thee.

Where dost Thou live,
Wisdom Divine?
Must I cross continents or seas
To find Thee,
Or fly across the skies?
I am ready to go wherever Thou art,
Not counting the costs, to possess Thee.

Note: while searching for the text of the poem, I found The Love of Eternal Wisdom by St. Louis. It's now on my reading list.