Wednesday.

   It is remarkable that Wisdom calls the foolish to herself: Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither (Prov. 9:4).[1] Thus, the clever cannot enter into the house of Wisdom, or the holy Church. Any cleverness must be laid aside at the very entrance to this house. On the other hand, if all wisdom and knowledge are only located inside the house of Wisdom, then outside of this house, outside of the holy Church there is only foolishness, ignorance and blindness. How marvellous is God’s institution! Leave your intellect behind upon entering the Church, and you will become truly intelligent; leave your independent activity and you will become truly active; deny all of yourself and you will become a true ruler over yourself. Oh, when will the world comprehend this wisdom! But this wisdom is hidden from the world. The world rebels against the wisdom of God because it does not understand that it, and keeps those foolish “clever ones” in its blindness

[1]The Slavonic for Prov. 9:4 reads Whoso is foolish, let him turn in hither.

Tuesday.

   Wisdom—God the Word—hath builded her house—the holy Church—and in it she hath furnished her table, the word of God and the holy Mysteries, especially the Mystery of the Body and Blood. And she hath sent forth her maidens, the holy apostles and their successors, to call everyone to herself for the supper (Prov. 9:1–8). Many have already been called, but the calling still continues. So let the whole house be filled. The feast continues unceasingly. Glory be to God, Who is so merciful toward us. Let us all go! Let us enter in, let nobody remain outside the door. During these days of Lent the calling is particularly intensified, and the feast is particularly abundant. This makes it all the more inexcusable to be deprived of this supper. Let all carve in their memory the following words of Wisdom: he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul (Prov. 8:36); and so pity yourself.