Nothing draws us as Lady Wisdom. She is charming, inviting, generous, and affirming. Full of beauty, she radiates glory. Her glory uncreated, is begotten of love. Her love reveals the secrets that trace out the deep mysteries of life. Like a mother, Lady Wisdom embraces us as her children. In that embrace, we know “she understands all things, and she will guide us wisely in our actions and guard us with her glory” (Ws 9:11).
Lady Wisdom, the tree of life, is more precious than gold and silver, more important than honors and praise (Wis 3:18). She is refined seven times and of her glory we all receive, if we are willing to discern and listen to her counsel. “Happy is the man who finds her” (Pro 2:13). She protects us from the snares that try to entrap us and from the stones set to make us stumble and die. Opposite of Lady Folly, She is life and if we obey her commandments, we will live (Prov 4:4).
On the other hand, Lady Folly seduces us. Sultry and bewitching, she offers sweetness and softness that comforts; yet she drains us of life. Seduced, she teaches us to hate discipline and despise reproof. As a wild child, she is carefree. She flies into the face of the storm creating them as she has no restraint except to indulge in every desire.
Lady Folly can never satisfy our hunger for happiness. She always leaves us wanting, even panting, seducing us with treasures, pleasures, and powers only to crave all the more. She sits seductively calling us to imbibe in her ways. Attractive, her ways please for they seem so delightful. Deceived we harden ourselves against Wisdom’s warning:
“For the lips of a forbidden woman drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil, but in the end she is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword. Her feet go down to death; her steps follow the path to Sheol” (Prov 5:3-5).
Hoping she will fulfill our deepest desires, her folly only enslaves us deeper into the abyss. With her, we become fools: drunk on foolish delights.
Lady Wisdom, however, exposes her folly and foolishness. She counters earthly delights with heavenly insights. She declares,
For she (Lady Wisdom) is a breath of the power of God, and a pure emanation of the glory of the Almighty … She is a reflection of eternal light, a spotless mirror of the working of God, and an image of his goodness (Wis 7:25-26).
Lady Wisdom has mindfulness with manners. She discloses values and inspires. In her, we see the wisdom of the wise and choose to be wise not only in earthly affairs but in eternal insights. More than being sensible, practical, and careful, Lady Wisdom inspires so we will seek her to understand the great mysteries of life, knowing choices have eternal consequences.
St. Paul expresses this division between wisdom and folly so vividly stating: “I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate (Rom 7:15). This tug to do right conflicts our minds. Our divine nature seeks transcendence but we rather satisfy our earthly desires with folly.
Lady Wisdom, however, cuts like the two-edge sword, freeing us from our follies. Powers, pleasures and treasures are anchors weighing us down, but Lady Wisdom cuts the chains. With Lady Wisdom, temptations become stepping stones. Empowered by Wisdom’s strength, we confront temptations putting them under our feet, knowing they cannot save. They cannot heal. They cannot create lasting happiness. They do, however, strengthen our trust in divine power to overcome any vice. Strengthened, we walk the narrow road that leads to happiness in which lies the beauty and glory of God’s goodness.