About prayer and wisdom

WORD 2day: Monday, 7th week in Ordinary time

February 21, 2022: James 3:13-18; Mark 9: 14-29

Jesus speaks today of those demons which can be sent out only through prayer and fasting! And it looks like James is naming some of those demons... jealousy and ambition. These are prsented by James as the opposites of wisdom. It is against wisdom that comes from the Spirit to have jealousy and ambition - how true!

Jealousy is a misunderstanding of oneself, in relation to others. It is a constant comparison with the other and a feeling of incompleteness which is imaginary and negative. What can one really do to fill in that incompleteness, which is actually not there! It is a very foolish question, isnt it? That is why it is against wisdom. 

Ambition is a misunderstanding of oneself, in relation to God. God has a plan for me and that which will give me serenity and meaning is a happy surrender to the will of God. When that does not happen and I am all the time worried about proving myself to those around, I kill my serenity and lose my mind. Certainly, that is against wisdom of the Spirit. 

And these evil tendencies from the evil one, miliates against the Spirit within us! That which can save us and lead us to serenity, meaning and inner joy is Prayer to the Spirit and the Wisdom from the Spirit.