psalm 146: trusting god - 4th sunday

Psalm 146 has been read to us in our responsorial psalm.  It sounds like a résumé of who God is and what God does.  "The LORD secures justice for the oppressed, gives food to the hungry.  The LORD sets captives free. The LORD gives sight to the blind; the LORD raises up those who were bowed down. The LORD loves the just; the LORD protects strangers."   It is a list of God's care for his people, it is a litany of God's loving assistance to all of us.

We cannot however fully understand this resume of God when we take it out of context or when we take it as it is.  This context is not included in today's reading. For the sake of clarity allow me to read it, "do not trust in princes, do not trust mortal man, in whom there is no salvation.  His spirit departs, he returns to the earth; In that very day his thoughts perish."

Nothing lasts.  Nothing stays forever.  Presidents come and go, mayors come and go, parish priests come and go, policies change, priorities alter from time to time.  If we rely on them, if we put our trust in them we may be happy for a time but that is not a guarantee that we will be happy in the future.  We may be content now, but we may end up frustrated and sad after some time.  We are healthy now, we are secure, we may be fine, but we know from experience that these situations change on short notice. 

Psalm 146 exhorts us instead to trust in God.  In fact the psalm says happy are those who trust in God and not in kings and powerful men, but in God.  "Because God made heaven and earth, God gives justice to the oppressed, he gives food to the hungry, he loves the just, he protects strangers and he supports the fatherless and the widow."

So what do these realities which the psalm reveals to us, tell us then about ourselves?

First, as mortals we can only do so much. We can only serve in our given time.  We serve while we have time.  But also we must humbly accept the reality that there will always be unfinished business in our life, we will always fall short, and things never get to be perfect.  We are mortals.

Second, to be happy and for our happiness to last we need to do what God does – to secure justice for the oppressed, to give food to the hungry to protect strangers, to raise those who are bowed down.  We may not live forever, but our good deeds will always be remembered.

Third, we are accountable.  God created us on purpose, God gave each of us a mission to fulfill.  We will be held accountable for the gifts entrusted to us – what did we do with the knowledge God gave us, how did we use our wealth, how did we live our vocation, how did we spend the time God gave us? 

Today the sixth day of our novena we can also ask ourselves how we have put ourselves at the service of our parish community, how did we contribute to its growth and vitality, how have we participated in its programs and activities?  As we celebrate seminary Sunday we are also reminded that we are not just a parish and our concerns are not just parochial.  We are a communion of communities, we are members of the bigger church which is the archdiocese and our concerns go beyond the borders of Jaro. 

And so today Psalm 146 affirms, the Lord keeps faith forever.  God is faithful. God can be trusted because he is true to his word and to each one of us.