Wisdom 9:13-18 / Philemon 9-10, 12-17 / Luke 14:25-33
Human beings are intelligent beings, and they have the highest intelligence in the order of creation.
With this intelligence, human beings have progressed and developed in leaps and bounds.
In the area of science, human beings have made many discoveries in the understanding of nature through physics, chemistry and biology.
In the area of technology, the living standards have improved tremendously and laborious time-consuming work is made easy.
Yes, human intelligence has made life and work become easier.
Life may have become easier, but the pace of life also seems to have gone faster, and we are somehow getting busier.
It seems that human intelligence is focused on what is pragmatic, on what is efficient and on improvement.
Even at the level of ordinary life, we use our intelligence to think about what is practical and pragmatic, as well as on development and improvement.
In the gospel, Jesus gave us two examples that point to the thoughts of men.
One is the building a tower, and the other is about going into battle.
These two examples point to the desires of the human mind.
We want to build towers to show the height of our achievements and successes.
We also want to overcome any competition and opposition that gets into our way.
We think that by building and conquering, we will be happy and contented.
So, we will use our intelligence to achieve whatever we desire.
These are our thoughts. But what does God think about this?
The 1st reading tells us this: What man indeed can know the intentions of God? Who can know the will of God?
The reasonings of mortals are unsure and our intentions are unstable.
So, our thoughts may not be the same as the thoughts of God.
And what we desire to do may not be what God wants us to do.
So, instead of focusing on building and conquering, let us use our intelligence to do what God wants of us.
There is a story of a young man who was trekking across the country and he came across a piece of barren land.
Then he noticed a man walking around that piece of barren land with a metal tube in his hand.
After every few steps, he would stop and poke the metal tube into the ground and drop something into the metal tube.
The young traveller was curious so he came up to the man and asked what he was doing.
The man replied: When I was younger, I worked as a lumberjack and made my money by cutting down big and tall trees.
Then one day after cutting down a tree, I saw some seeds lying on the ground. I picked up those seeds, and then a thought came to my mind.
I cut down trees, but who is going to plant trees? With that thought pressing on my mind, I gave up my lumberjack job, and I now go around planting seeds.
I may not see them grow into big trees, but I am planting for the future.
Many years later, that traveller came back to see that once barren land.
It is now a flourishing land of young trees and plants, and with the melodious singing of birds.
So, instead of building towers and fighting to put down others, let us do some planting and sowing and growing.
Let us plant and sow seeds of hope, and God will make them grow into trees that will bear fruits of love.
Let us ask the Spirit to grant us wisdom, so that God will guide our thoughts and teach us how to carry out His will.
May we use our intelligence to know what is right and good and loving, so that our lives will be holy and that we will be happy.