Readings for Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time, February 13, 2022
Jeremiah 17.5-8 | Psalm 1 | 1 Corinthians 15.12, 16-20 | Luke 6.17, 20-26
Psalms 1 and 2 were not placed at the beginning of the Book of Psalms by mere happenstance. As well as having their own merits, they introduce the entire Psalter. Psalm 1, which is Sunday’s Responsorial Psalm, begins this way:
Blessed is the one who does not follow the advice of the wicked,
or take the path that sinners tread, or sit in the seat of scoffers;
but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on his law meditates day and night.
The psalm highlights adherence to God’s law as the key to a good life. Not only that. It says not so much that a person needs to obey the law but that they should meditate on it constantly.
With our modern Western concept of law, why would one want to meditate on it day and night? Such an obsession might well indicate the existence of psychological illness. One who cannot stop meditating on the Criminal Code, city bylaws or the laws of the Church would appear to be wracked with guilt and fear. In their mind, one small violation of the law might wreak lasting negative consequences.
For centuries, Christian preachers were content to see it that way. Jews had the law, but we had the Spirit, and how much better Christianity was as a result. That belief was one arrow in the Christian quiver to be used in persecuting Jews.
However, the law referred to in Psalm 1 and throughout the Psalter was not the list of rules enumerated in the books of Exodus and Leviticus. Rather, the “law” was Torah, a word untranslatable into European languages. By now, all should know that Torah refers to the first five books of the Bible – Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.
But the word means more than that. The Torah is guidance or instruction for God’s people. Reading and meditating on the Five Books is to receive spiritual food for life’s journey. Such meditation will shape one’s soul. It also goes beyond the written word. Torah meditation is a fine tuning, an attunement of the heart to God’s will for our lives, a freeing of the soul and a yearning to love as God loves us.
What we put into our minds is of utmost importance. If we read junk, watch garbage on TV or regularly associate with immoral people, our hearts will become rootless and crass. We will lose our love of what is good, and our actions will reflect the dissolute state of our soul. If we are scoffers, we will complain about and criticize everything.
If we meditate on the true, the good and the beautiful, our hearts will be grateful. We may even experience joy.
Psalm 1 anchors Sunday’s readings. The reading from Jeremiah even contains a condensed version of the psalm. The Gospel is Luke’s rendition of the Beatitudes. Blessed are those who are poor, hungry and persecuted. “Rejoice in that day and leap for joy,” Jesus says.
As for those who are rich, have plenty to eat or receive society’s acclaim, such things will pass away. “Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is what their ancestors did to the false prophets.”
How do we meditate on the Torah today? Reading the full range of Scripture is the place to begin. Other spiritual reading can also attune us to God’s ways. Personal prayer and participation in the liturgy are essential. Sacrificing our time and treasure to help meet the needs of others is most important.
Following such a path will enable one to become, as the psalm says, “like a tree planted by streams of water.” Thus planted, one will bear fruit, not just for oneself, but for God and others.
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