Wisdom 13:1-9 / Luke 17:26-37
As much as human beings are a part of creation, there is also something unique about human beings.
What sets human beings apart is the intellect. With the intellect, human beings are able to rationalize and see things that the other forms of creation are not able to do.
With the intellect, human beings are also able to relate and communicate with each other and with their surroundings.
Endowed with such a refined intellect, it would be an insult to be called stupid.
Yet, that is what the 1st reading said: Naturally stupid are all men who have not known God.
Those are strong and cutting words, but we certainly won't dare to use them on atheists or those who don't believe in God.
But we can certainly use it on ourselves if we say we believe in God and yet we don't follow His ways and carry out His will.
Like what Jesus said in the gospel, if we are just caught up in eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building, then for all our intellect, we have to call ourselves stupid, if we cannot give thanks to God for little things and see Him in everything.
We are endowed with intellect so as to know God and to love Him and lead others to thank and glorify Him.
If that is not our intellect's priority, then whatever else that we are doing may be termed as stupidity.