Our Venerable Father Titus the Wonderworker; Passing into Eternal Life (1959) of Blessed Mykola (Nicholas) Charnetsky, Exarch of Volhynia and Confessor
Great Fast Day 39. According to liturgical prescriptions, the Divine Liturgy is not celebrated today.
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Proverbs 23:15-24:5
We are almost done reading Proverbs, and now is a good time to make a quick summary of this book. Today’s passage contains several themes that run through Proverbs: the advice of parents for children, not being envious of the wicked, and shunning sinful behaviour lest you find yourself in poverty (today’s examples include adultery, fornication, and excessive drinking of alcohol). Above all, the theme of wisdom shines through: it is through wisdom that a house (or anything worthwhile) is established and brought to prosperity, and today’s reading concludes with the statement that “wise warriors are mightier than strong ones.” Wisdom is the greatest gift that the author of Proverbs could give his readers.
But wisdom doesn’t come easily. In fact, in today’s passage, we read the command to “Buy truth, and do not sell it; buy wisdom, instruction, and understanding.” While such things can’t literally be bought and sold, using this language makes it clear that wisdom costs something. The wine-drinker and fornicator have an easy path: the pleasures of drinking and casual sexual encounters come cheaply. But there is never enough wine for the alcoholic, nor lovers for the playboy – they are never satisfied. Wisdom costs us in self-discipline and intellectual and spiritual pursuits but gives truer and deeper freedom and pleasure. Our Lord was the true “wise warrior,” whose death paid for our salvation; we can join him in his victory over the strong-yet-foolish powers of this world if we buy wisdom rather than the cheap promises of this world.