The first reading for today is from the Book of Wisdom (6:1-11), which at first blush you might think does not apply to you: “Hear, O kings, and understand; learn, you magistrates of the earth’s expanse! Hearken, you who are in power over the multitude and lord it over throngs of peoples!” Surely, the passage is for the high, mighty and powerful – not for the regular folks like us. Afterall it is a warning to kings and rulers that their power is not their own; it is given by God and therefore must be exercised according to His justice and mercy. But Scripture never speaks to one class of people alone. The Word of God always echoes in the hearts of those who listen with faith, and this passage holds a lesson for all of us who bear responsibility in any form — however small it may seem.
Parents exercise authority in the home; teachers shape minds; supervisors guide workers; parishioners model faith for one another. Each of us, in one way or another, is entrusted with responsibility over others — even if only in the form of how we speak, how we treat others, and how we witness to Christ in our words and actions.
The passage reminds us that authority, in any measure, is a trust, not a possession. “Authority was given you by the Lord,” the text says. This truth should remind us to be humble. Whatever talents, positions, or opportunities we have, they are meant for service, not self. The real test of greatness is not in how much control we have, but in how we use what we have been given for the good of others.
The Book of Wisdom also says: “The Lord of all shows no partiality… he provides for all alike.” This is both comforting and challenging. God’s justice is perfectly fair. He looks not at the size of our title or the wealth of our name, but at the faithfulness of our heart. That means the mother who patiently cares for her children, the worker who acts honestly when no one is watching, or the neighbor who helps quietly—these are the ones who live the wisdom of God in daily life.
For the “regular folks,” this reading becomes an invitation to live every small duty with great integrity. To remember that we too will be held accountable, not for ruling nations, but for how we loved, how we forgave, how we treated those who depended on us.
In that sense, the Book of Wisdom is not simply a warning—it’s a call to holiness in the ordinary.
Because in God’s eyes, every act of justice, patience, or mercy, however small, participates in His kingdom.
May the Lord God, source of all wisdom, teach us to use whatever influence we have with humility and faithfulness. May we govern our own hearts according to his Word, that his justice and mercy may be known through us in our daily lives. Amen.
Image Credit: Parable of the Unjust Steward(A.N. Mironov), CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons