Today, May 10, as our Church celebrates the Memorial of John of Avila, Priest and Doctor, we are invited to first 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 dogmatic constitution on Devine Revelation of the Second Vatican Council.

Saint John of Ávila was a sixteenth century Spanish priest, preacher, scholastic author, and religious mystic. He is called the "Apostle of Andalusia" for his extensive ministry in that region. He was the spiritual advisor of St. Teresa of Avila, St. Francis Borgia, St. John of the Cross, St. Peter of Alcantara, and others.

He was born on January 6, 1499, at Almodovar del Campo, Spain. After studying law at the University of Salamanca, he left the university to be a hermit. He then went to Alcala, where he was ordained. John drew great crowds with his fiery denunciations of evil and his many sermons. A brief imprisonment by the Inquisition in Seville made him even more popular. His missionary efforts were centered on Andalusia, and his letters and other writings have become Spanish classics.

Saint John of Avila was canonized in 1970 and was declared a Doctor of the Church in 2012 because of his profound knowledge of the Bible, his passion for the truth, and his significant contributions to the Church, particularly his efforts in evangelization and reform of the clergy. Pope Benedict XVI highlighted his role as an "outstanding precursor of the new evangelization".

In its Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation the Second Vatican Council spelled out in some detail what the Church believes and teaches regarding divine revelation, primarily as it is contained in the Bible. It attempts to relate the role of Scripture and tradition (the postbiblical teaching of the church) to their common origin in the Word of God that has been committed to the church.

The Wisdom of Ben Sira derives its title from the author, “Yeshua [Jesus], son of Eleazar, son of Sira”. The title “Sirach” comes from the Greek form of the author’s name. 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.