The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1922-05-13
"The omniscience and Supreme Wis
dom of God" the sixth sermon OF
asseries on the Apostles Greed, was
prepared by the Rev. Joseph A. Col
Iette;i OF. Helena, Mont.
cons oMNlscIENcE.

II ksIy GOVsS OmNtoSiGNSI'
! The eternity and omnipresenee: Of
slGod, which were treated in our last
instruction, lead us to the con-
~sfieration of another Infinite attr1-
Mute of God! dis ontniscience: g God
As eternal that his, He exists in an
Everlasting, unchanglng present.
with Him, there is no past, noa future
tThere can be no increase, no success
:sion of knowledge. His knowledgei
lis eternal, for all things were, known
TO the Lord before they were Gre
lated. (Ecclus %, 29)s Precisely
because Gods knowledge is eternal,
He was able to give to creation, from
the very beginning, the wisest means
of working out its destiny. So all
creation is admirably fitted to mani
fest that other infinite attribute of
God, His supreme wisdom. On this
occasion, we shall explain the ON
niseience and the supreme wisdom
" Of God.
At the very outset, let Us ac-
knowledge the impossibility of grasp
ing a thorough understanding Of the
the power of our mind, even that of
fthe angels. The great apostle tells
,tus: 80 the things also that are Of
God no man knoweth, but the spirit
<>of God" Cor ii, ID Faith and rea-
sson, however, shed a. certain ray of
Night, and, guided by it, we shall con-
Ssider this divine attribute.
( Gods infinite, eternal knowledge
$may be viewed in two-fold manner,
as regards Himself and as regards
His creatures Regarding Himself,
He fully appreciates His knowledge.
sHe understands perfectly His mercy,
His holiness, His divine plan in all
its details. God alone can fully un-
derstand, fully contemplate, His
knowledge. 49,.
1t is All Pervading.
"a Regarding. His creatures, Gods
omniscience bears upon every act,
every I. movement, our innermost
thoughts, past, present, and to come.
1t bears even upon matters that do
not occur, but which would take
place, if given circumstances ma
terialized. God knew that Adam
would sin. The Lord foreknew the
betrayal of Judas, the triple denial
of Peter. He knew the thoughts of
Magdalen, and He forgaVe her, even
as He read the heart of Simon the
.Pharisee and reproached him. 1t is
the same penetrating God who reads
our hearts. Let them be clean that
we, like Magdalen of old, may find
mercy. as
God knows all things taking place
ALI, over the earth at the present
lsaaMent inn psrfee smile of
Gods knowledge is mirror, catch
ing the reflection of every movement.
Gods knowledge is, as it We're, a
mirror of the universe, leaving open
to. His scrutiny plain record of
everything passing before it. Or
again, His knowledge might be lik-
ened to the sun, embracing. the broad
expanse of the oceans, spreading its
light across the plains, rising above
the mountains, seaching into every
corner and nook of the earth. Do
not the Scriptures assure US: "And
he knoweth not that the eyes of the
Lord are brighter than the sun, be-
holding round about all the ways Of
men, and the bottom of the deep, and
looking into the hearts Of men, into
theg most hidden parts" (Ecclus. %,
,2S) -.
Moreover, God knows all that will
happen in the future. For Him, it is
true, there is no future. He sees
everything as if it had already hap
pened, or, as if it were actually TAX
ingsplaee. "Herseeth. from eternity to
eternity, and. there is nothing won,
derful before Him" (Ecclus. 80, 25.)
He mercifully withholds from us
positive knowledge of the future. He
spares us the pain and anguish it
might cause. But always He pours
His choice graces into our hearts
that we be always courageous to
bear the future, whatever it's por-
tent as ..s
b Mistortunes Wisely Subjected.
God also. knows what would hap
pen if certain given circumstances
materiaiized. He foresees, for in
stance, that wealth and social pres
tige would occasion the damnation OF
certain souls, and in His mercy He
subjects them to trials, perhaps mis-
fortunes, that they may escape q
greater evil. God knew, as the Scrip
ture attests, that the inhabitants o.
Tyre and Sidon would have done pen
ance had such wonders been WORKED
among them as were wrought among
the people of Corozain and Bethsaida
Truly must we exclaim with st. Paul:
20 the depths of the riches Of the
wisdom and of the knowledge Of
GodA for who hath known
the mind of the Lord, or who hath
been His Counsellor?
Ifs the ! knowledge Of God is / in
finite, SO too is His wisdom. It il
easy to understand that with infinite
knowledge to draw upon, God 50 de
signed ali parts of creation that thej
must harmonic into a perfect whole
Witness the, universe! b Behold thu
myrsaSis of considerations, which as
tronomers have studied for centuries
They admire, the regularity OF thei
rotations, 4 they marvel at the wis
dom that fixed their courses. Surel!
divine wisdom alone could ordail
such ferder, such perfect harmony
II <,f y,