Father Mike Schmitz

Can a fig tree, my brethren, yield olives, or a grapevine figs?

No more can salt water yield fresh.

Two kinds of wisdom.

Who is wise in understanding among you?

By his good life let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom.

But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth.

This wisdom is not such as comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, devilish.

For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.

But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits without uncertainty or insincerity.

And the harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

Chapter 4 Friendship with the World

What causes wars and what causes fightings among you?

Is it not your passions that are at war in your members?

You desire and do not have, so you kill.

And you covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and wage war.

You do not have because you do not ask.

You ask and do not receive because you ask wrongly to spend it on your passions.

Unfaithful creatures, do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God?

Therefore, whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

Or do you suppose it is in vain that the scripture says, he yearns jealously over the spirit which he has made to dwell in us.