A Hidden God; A Hidden Wisdom

Homily for Tuesday of the First Week of Advent

Today, I want to focus our attention on a single word in in the text from St. Luke’s Gospel that we proclaim today. It is similar to a familiar passage in the Gospel of St. Matthew as well. Jesus is quoted as praying the following prayer: “I give you praise, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike.” The word that caught my attention as I was pondering this passage is the word “hidden.” It prompted the question in my prayer; namely, why is God’s wisdom hidden from some and revealed to others?

In doing a little research, I found that this concept is not new in the Scriptures. The prophet Isaiah, the book of Proverbs, the book of Job, and the book of Psalms all use the word “hidden” to describe God’s wisdom. The theme is consistent: God’s wisdom and presence are beyond human grasp until God chooses to reveal them. Another consistency that appears is that God chooses to reveal wisdom and presence only to those who are humble or, as the Gospel puts it, childlike. God’s hiddenness appears in Isaiah, but sometimes it is the human perception of hiddenness that is emphasized.

The Gospels also referred to Jesus as the personification of God’s wisdom. However, it is only the truly humble and childlike who recognize him. The Gospels also highlight God as both revealed and concealed—hidden from the proud, revealed to the humble, unseen yet present.

As consecrated religious, you and I have spent our lives uncovering the hidden treasures of God’s love. The hidden God delights to be found in our prayer, our service, and our love. While this is true for all people, it is particularly true for us who have spent our lives for God. Advent is a wonderful time to renew our search for God’s presence and wisdom. May that search be our joy and strength always.