Saturday of the Thirty-second Week in Ordinary Time
November 14, 2020
Blessed is the one who fears the LORD,
who greatly delights in the Lord’s commands.
Today, in God’s Lavish Mercy, we pray with Psalm 112. We have prayed with this Psalm a few times recently:
Today however, with the usual elasticity of scriptural prayer, a new theme suggests itself, thanks to the two readings in which our psalm is couched.
That theme is justice,
and what it really means for us in our daily lives.
Wealth and riches shall be in the blessed one’s house;
where generosity shall endure forever.
Light shines through the darkness for the upright;
who is gracious and merciful and just.
In secular culture, the words “justice” and “law” carry very different interpretations from biblical meanings. In the Bible, justice is that right-balance of Creation in which all beings support one another in the fullness of God’s love.
It is a balance which we all must help achieve, as we see in our first reading from John. In this unique letter, addressed to only one person – a Christian named Gaius, John requests material help for his early missionaries.
Beloved, you are faithful in all you do for the brothers and sisters,
especially for strangers;
they have testified to your love before the Church.
Please help them in a way worthy of God to continue their journey.
Such requests mark the life of the Church throughout the ages, because our call in Christian community is about helping one another to live a full life in Christ. We could easily read John’s plea as a plea to us, especially in these times of seeking just global immigration policies.
In our Gospel, Jesus tells a parable which is overtly about prayer. But it carries deep themes of the justice God desires for all people, especially the vulnerable:
Will not God then secure the rights of God’s chosen ones
who call out day and night?
Will God be slow to answer them?
I tell you, God will see to it that justice is done for them speedily.
But when the Son of Man comes, will he find justice on the earth?
Practicing justice and righteousness means active advocacy for the vulnerable. It means to do the works of mercy as a way to love God.
Light shines through the darkness for the upright;
that person is gracious and merciful and just.
It is well for the one who is gracious and lends,
who lives a graceful justice justice;
they shall never be moved;
the just ones shall be in everlasting remembrance.
Still lots to pray with in Psalm 112, even after a third round! 🙂
Poetry from Micah 6:8
You have been shown,, O human heart, what is good. Then what does the Lord require of you? Just this: to act justly, to love mercy, to walk humbly with your God.
Music: Seek Justice; Love Mercy – by Me in Motion
Lavish Mercy 