On the fifth day of the Novena to St. Anthony Mary Zaccaria, we pray for wisdom, one of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit.
"O Wisdom above all wisdom! O inaccessible Light! You turn the learned into ignorant, and those who see into blind; and, on the contrary, you turn the ignorant into learned."—St. Anthony Mary Zaccaria, Sermon 1
Pray the Opening Prayer for the Novena to St. Anthony Mary Zaccaria.
First Reading: From the Second Letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians (2:6-16)
We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. No, we speak of God's secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. However, as it is written: "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him" but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit.
The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man's spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.
Second Reading: From the First Sermon of St. Anthony Mary Zaccaria
God knew how to arrange creatures in that admirable order that you see. Notice that, in his Providence, God leads man, created free, in such a way as to force and compel him to enter that order; yet without forcing or compelling him to do so.
O Wisdom above all wisdom! O inaccessible Light! You turn the learned into ignorant, and those who see into blind; and, on the contrary, you turn the ignorant into learned, and the peasants and the fishermen into scholars and teachers. Therefore, my friends, how can you believe that God, the very apex of wisdom, may have been wanting in resourcefulness and unable to accomplish His work? Don't believe that.
Invocations for the Fifth Day of the Novena
- Saint Anthony, enlightened by the sublime science of Jesus Christ, pray for us.
- Saint Anthony, man inspired by the sublime wisdom of Jesus Christ, pray for us.
- Saint Anthony, wise educator of the people of God, pray for us.
Prayer for the Fifth Day of the Novena
All powerful Father, you sent your Son so that through Him we might call ourselves and truly be your children. Grant unto me the gift of wisdom to know the mystery of your will. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Pray one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and one Glory Be.
Pray the Closing Prayer for the Novena to St. Anthony Mary Zaccaria.
Proceed to Day 6.
