The Wisdom That Purifies the Heart

Voice over by Carol San San Lwin

1Kgs 10:1-10, Psalm: 36, Mk 7:14-23

Memorial of Our Lady of Lourdes

My dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

On this Memorial of Our Lady of Lourdes, we celebrate the Mother of God who appeared in a humble grotto to a poor, young girl, inviting the world to prayer, penance, and healing. Today’s Scriptures present us with a profound contrast that finds its resolution in her gentle presence: the contrast between the external pursuit of wisdom and splendor, and the interior transformation that is the true source of holiness.

In the First Book of Kings, we witness the famed visit of the Queen of Sheba to Solomon. She has heard reports of his wisdom and comes “to test him with subtle questions.” She is overwhelmed by what she encounters—not only his profound answers but the splendor of his court, the attire of his servants, the order of his worship. Her breath is taken away, and she exclaims, “The report I heard in my country about your deeds and your wisdom is true… You have surpassed the report I heard.” She recognizes that Solomon’s wisdom is a gift from God, and she blesses the Lord who has placed such a king upon the throne. This is the search for divine wisdom manifest in earthly glory.

Yet, in the Gospel, Jesus redirects the entire understanding of what is truly important. The Pharisees are scandalized by the disciples eating without ritual purification. Jesus declares to the crowd, “Nothing that enters one from outside can defile that person; but the things that come out from within are what defile.” He explains that evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder, and deceit—these come from within, from the human heart. True purity, true wisdom, is not a matter of external observance, but of interior transformation.

Our Lady of Lourdes stands at the intersection of these two readings. At Lourdes, heaven’s splendor and wisdom appeared not in a royal court, but in a damp, rocky grotto. The Queen of Heaven came not to a powerful king, but to a simple, sickly child, Bernadette. The message was one of profound interior conversion: “Penance, penance, penance!” and “Pray for sinners.” The miracles of physical healing at Lourdes are always signs pointing to a greater miracle: the healing of the heart from sin, the purification Jesus speaks of. Mary, the Immaculate One, whose heart was perfectly pure, invites us to that same interior cleansing.

For us, the call is clear. We may spend our lives, like the Queen of Sheba, seeking wisdom and order in external things—success, approval, security. But Jesus and Our Lady point us inward. What is the state of my heart? Are there wounds, resentments, or habits that “come from within” and defile my relationship with God and others?

The comfort today is that the God who gave Solomon wisdom desires to give us a clean heart. The Mother who appeared at Lourdes leads us to the healing waters of her Son’s mercy, found above all in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. As Pope Benedict XVI reflected at Lourdes, “The fidelity of Mary is a door that opens onto God.” Her faithfulness invites us to be faithful in the interior life.

Let us ask Our Lady of Lourdes to intercede for us. May she help us to seek not the passing splendor of this world, but the lasting purity of heart that allows God to dwell within us, transforming us from the inside out. Amen.

May God bless you all!