Psalm 72 - praying for our leaders: 1st week advent tuesday

St. Robert Bellarmine in his commentary on this psalm, psalm 72, says that this is a prayer of King David for his son and heir to the throne, Solomon.  “O God, with your judgment endow the king, and with your justice, the king's son.”  David did not ask for riches, or wealth or long life for him and for his son but that God would endow them with a mind and a heart like that of God so that they can render judgment just as God would render judgment, so that the king and his son will govern wisely just as God would govern his people.

In the faith of God’s people, Israel, their kings and leaders are the visible representatives of God on earth.  For this the leaders are challenged to conform their ways to the ways of God, to conform their priorities to the priorities of God.  For the bible a leader who does not render justice, a leader who violates the rights of the poor, a leader who does not do justice, a leader who does not reflect the compassion and the love of God for his people, this leader is not just committing a political mistake or a morally reprehensible act, but he or she is committing an act against God himself.  A king who does not give justice to the people especially the defenseless and the poor, a king who does not render judgment in the manner of God commits a religious crime and is therefore answerable to God.

At the same time it demands from God’s people respect for the king, respect for our leaders.  Why?  Because we are blessed because of our leaders, the blessings of God are given through the leaders.   The psalm prays: “May his name be blessed forever; In him shall all the tribes of the earth be blessed; all the nations shall proclaim his happiness.”  The blessings of the nation are bestowed through the king, the blessings for the people are given by God through our leaders.  That is why in the mass we always pray for our leaders in government as well as in the church.

And yet what do we have right now?  From the highest officials of our land, to the mayor, to the archbishop and to the parish priests – there is so much disrespect, so much belittling, so many insults hurled, so many accusations many of which are unfounded, so many comments that are just plain nasty, disgusting, and we are hurling these to our leaders through whom are given the blessings of God on his people.

I have my own side both in politics and in church affairs but in this homily I am not taking any side except the side of respect, reverence and esteem for our leaders, praying as always with psalm 72 that they will dispense judgment after the justice of God.

If you have written something rash and nasty that does not show respect and esteem to our leaders erase them after this mass.  Just say your stand without innuendos, farfetched inferences, false accusations and unfounded overtones.  In other words whatever side you are in don’t be bastos.  I think I am stating this quiet plainly now – let us not be bastos.  Erase these from your facebook and say sorry. In Acts of the Apostles chapter 23 when Paul insulted the high priest for having ordered his men to slap him, Paul apologized immediately saying, “I did not realize, brothers, that he was high priest; for it is written, ‘You shall not speak evil of a leader of your people.’” You cannot malign and insult the channel of God’s blessings to his people, indi pag-insultoha ang alagyan sang kaayo sang Dios sa aton, kay basi pila ka adlaw mawad-an gid kita sang bendisyon. 

Leaders always fall short of the ideal presented by Psalm 72 – that is why this psalm has always been interpreted as referring to the messiah, to Jesus, the king who is to come.