A Note From Pope John Paul II: Mary, Seat of Wisdom

Mary, Seat of Wisdom

“We invoke the Holy Virgin as the . . .

. . . ‘Seat of Wisdom.‘ But what is Wisdom? Or, better, who is Wisdom . . .

“The message of the New Testament teaches that Christ is the ‘Wisdom of God’ (I Cor. 1:24). In his person, in his words and in his acts, the Father reveals in a definitive way what his plan of salvation is (cf. Lk. 7:29, 30, 35). It is a plan difficult to understand since it passes through the scandal of suffering and the Cross (1 Cor 1:25).

Seat of Wisdom

“Mary most Holy is the ‘Seat of Wisdom’ since she welcomed Jesus, Wisdom incarnate, into her heart and into her womb. With the ‘fiat‘ of the Annunciation she agreed to serve the divine Will and Wisdom made his dwelling in her bosom, making her an exemplary disciple.

The Virgin was blessed not so much for having nursed the Son of God but rather for having nourished herself with the health-giving milk of the Word of God (cf. Lk. 11:27-28). In imitation of Mary, the heart of every believer is transformed into a dwelling place of Christ-Wisdom. Similar to what happened between the true Israelite and Wisdom, a mysterious form of spiritual relationship is also established between us and the Lord. Jesus himself says so:

‘Whoever does the will of my heavenly Father is brother and sister and mother to me’ (Mt. 12:50 cf. Mk. 7:35; Lk. 8:21).

“May Mary guide us and help us to live our relations with Jesus the Redeemer in this way‘ ” (O.R. Sept. 12, 1983).