Today, December 4, as our Church celebrates the Memorial of John Damascene, Priest and Doctor, we are invited to reflect on a passage from the book of Sirach (39: 4-10), entitled "The wisdom of a man who is learned in the Scriptures". Our treasure, which follows, is from The Statement of Faith by Saint John Damascene. Saint John Damascene, also known as John of Damascus, was a Syrian monk, priest, and theologian who lived from approximately 676 to 749 AD. Born in Damascus to a wealthy Christian family, Saint John received a comprehensive education, mastering Greek and Arabic text. Saint John served as a high-ranking administrator for the Muslim caliph in Damascus, likely managing financial affairs. He eventually left his political position to pursue a monastic life, entering the monastery of St. Sabas (Mar Saba) near Jerusalem.  Saint John Damascene is considered one of the last of the Eastern Church Fathers. He is particularly renowned for his strong defense of the use of icons in Christian worship, a practice that was being challenged at the time. He argued that the Incarnation of Christ, where God became human, made the physical world and therefore icons acceptable as representations of the divine.  Saint John wrote extensively on various theological topics, including the nature of God, Christology, and Mariology (the study of Mary). His writings are considered foundational in Eastern and Western Christian theology. He was formally declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope Leo XIII in 1890. Saint John of Damascus's "statement of faith" is a comprehensive summary of Orthodox Christian doctrine, most famously detailed in his work, An Exact Exposition of the Orthodox Faith. It asserts that God is a single, uncreated, eternal essence known in three co-equal persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The statement affirms the divinity and full humanity of Jesus Christ, his birth from the Virgin Mary, his crucifixion, death, and resurrection for the salvation of humanity.   The Wisdom of Ben Sira derives its title from the author, "Yeshua [Jesus], son of Eleazar, son of Sira". The author, a sage who lived in Jerusalem, was thoroughly imbued with love for the wisdom tradition, and for the law, priesthood, Temple, and divine worship. As a wise and experienced observer of life he addressed himself to his contemporaries with the motive of helping them to maintain religious faith and integrity through study of the books sacred to the Jewish tradition. The book contains numerous well-crafted maxims, grouped by affinity, and dealing with a variety of subjects such as the individual, the family, and the community in their relations with one another and with God. It treats friendship, education, poverty and wealth, laws, religious worship, and many other matters that reflect the religious and social customs of the time. Written in Hebrew in the early years of the second century B.C., the book was finished by ca. 175. The text was translated into Greek by the author's grandson after 117 B.C. Though not included in the Jewish Bible after the first century A.D., nor, therefore, accepted by Protestants, the Wisdom of Ben Sira has been recognized by the Catholic Church as inspired and canonical. The Foreword, though not the proper part of the book, is always included with it because of its antiquity and importance.    

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