The books of Proverbs and Sirach give instruction on how to live righteously according to God’s Law. They are neither entirely religious or entirely secular, but are the perfect combination of both required for daily life. They are a mix of common sense and religious devotion, showing that the two are not in some way against each other, but complement each other and together are used to form a truly perfect man of God.  

The beauty of these books is that they give rules for life that make one truly pleasing to God. If the way of life described in them is truly followed, the result is nothing less than sainthood. They also describe the highest form of common sense. Yet it is also important to recognize that common sense tells us that if there is a God to whom we owe our existence, we should respect Him, serve Him, and obey Him, even when His commandments do not seem to make sense. Clearly, if there is an omnipotent and omniscient God, He knows what He is doing when He gives us commands. So even if we do not understand the commands of God, we can still know for sure that He has given us the best course of action. However, the commands given in these books often do make sense to us, and many have marveled at their wisdom. They show how to be practical, healthy, successful, and wise throughout life.

This reinforces that to be religious is not illogical.  Being devoted to the service of God does not mean throwing reason away. History disproves this, and so does the Bible itself. Proverbs and Sirach are filled with wise maxims that lead to a holy life pleasing to God, but also show how to live a good life even in the eyes of the world, though the world hates those who follow it. For even if a saint is not successful in the eyes of the world, he is one of the happiest men on earth, and happiness is what all mankind strives for. The difficulty is that many men do not know what happiness really is, or think good is evil and evil is good, or seek happiness in the wrong way. Proverbs and Sirach show how to attain true happiness. They show how to be a saint, which often means finding true contentment here on earth. More importantly, however, being a saint means attaining heaven, the highest form of happiness which is the final goal of each and every soul.