Wisdom - a Gift from God

Homily for the Franciscan Feast of St. Bonaventure

In the first reading, Solomon prays for the gift of wisdom with a humility that feels very close to the Franciscan heart. He acknowledges that human reasoning alone is too fragile to navigate the things of God. “Who can know God’s counsel unless You give wisdom?” Wisdom, as Solomon prays for it, is the grace that allows the human heart to see with God’s own clarity. It is the light that steadies our steps and teaches us how to live in harmony with the divine will. St. Bonaventure cherished this gift. For him, wisdom was the radiance of Christ shining within the soul, guiding thought, desire, and action toward the One who is all truth.

Psalm 16 gives voice to the serenity of a heart shaped by that wisdom. “You are my inheritance, O Lord.” Bonaventure lived this line with Franciscan simplicity. He understood that the soul flourishes when it rests in God as its portion — when its desires are gathered into a single, peaceful center. Wisdom forms this center; it draws the whole person into a quiet trust that God is enough.

In the Gospel, Jesus calls His disciples salt and light. These images describe the steady influence of a life touched by divine wisdom. Salt preserves goodness; light reveals the path. Bonaventure’s teaching and example offered both to the Church. His thought preserved the heart of Francis’ vision — the humble Christ, the crucified Christ, the glorified Christ. His life illuminated the way of holiness with gentleness, clarity, and joy.

For us as Franciscans, this feast invites us to receive wisdom as Bonaventure did: as a gift that shapes our fraternity, deepens our prayer, and strengthens our witness. When wisdom dwells within us, our presence quietly seasons the world with hope, and our lives become small, steady lamps through which others glimpse the brightness of God.

In the Gospel, Jesus calls His disciples salt and light. These images describe the steady influence of a life touched by divine wisdom. Salt preserves goodness; light reveals the path. Bonaventure’s teaching and example offered both to the Church. His thought preserved the heart of Francis’ vision — the humble Christ, the crucified Christ, the glorified Christ. His life illuminated the way of holiness with gentleness, clarity, and joy.

May St. Bonaventure intercede for us, that our minds may be illumined and our hearts drawn ever more fully into the light of Christ.