psalm 72: what is justice? 2nd sunday advent A

Today we continue our reflection on the responsorial psalm of the mass, in particular, we reflect on Psalm 72.  Psalm 72 is a royal psalm.  It is a royal psalm because it speaks of the role of the king, his relationship with God and how God works in his people through the person of the king.  The prayers however of Psalm 72 is too idealistic, too unrealistic even one would say this is not possible humanly speaking.  That is why royal psalms like our psalm today psalm 72 were interpreted by the Fathers of the Church as Messianic psalms.  They refer not to kings but to the king of kings – they refer to Jesus who was after all a descendant of the royal line of David.

Today in the psalm we pray that Jesus the king of kings would come to bring justice to his reign.  "O God, with your judgment endow the king, and with your justice, the king’s son; he shall govern your people with justice and your afflicted ones with judgment."

What is this justice?  The justice mentioned here is not about being fair.  SO kon may free afternoon ang college, ang high school dapat may free afternoon man.  It is only fair.  No that is not the justice mentioned here.

 The justice mentioned here does not refer to the prefect nga kon may sala ang isa ka seminarista dapat i-punish - wala sia going home sa Christmas; kag kon maayo sia, nang-limpiyo sia maayo sa house cleaning, dapat pamahawan sia sa canteen nga libre.   Indi amo ina ang justice sang psalms.  

The justice referred to here is mishpat in Hebrew – mishpat means everyone would have enough and the poor will be cared for.  This is the justice of the messiah who will come – everyone will have enough according to his need and the poor will be cared for.

How do we live out in the concrete the justice of the messiah who is to come to rule over us?  In the second letter of Paul to the Corinthians Paul exhorted the Corinthian Christians to share with those who have less so that "Whoever had much did not have more, and whoever had little did not have less.”  Ang nagatipon sing madamo, wala magsobra, Ang nagatipon sing diutay, wala makulangi."  In other words we learn to share especially those who have less.

I was especially touched one time, last Friday when two grade 7 seminarians nagapasahay sang sud-an sa refectory.  Ang sud-an fried fish nga may harina.  Ti tig-gamay man lang ang parte sang tagsa-tagsa.  And one of them realized nga kadamo sang kuha niya kag nakita niya ang iya classmate nga gamay lang kaayo ang nakuha niya nga sud-an kay gamay na man lang ang nabilin.  And so he got one slice from his plate kag iya gindaho sa iya classmate – imo lang ni o.  Sige lang, siling sang isa, ok lang ko.  Indi a, imo ni ya kay damo akon kuha.  Tungod kay nagatudlanay sila, kuhaon na lang kuntani sang isa kay naga-arte-arte pa ang isa.  Pero the other one isnisted saying, imo ini, kay damo akon, gamay lang imo sud-an, so this is yours.  Kag nian kinuha.   

"Ang nagatipon sing madamo, wala magsobra, Ang nagatipon sing diutay, wala makulangi."  This is justice in the psalms – nga makita mo ang imo pinggan kag makomparar mo ini sa pinggan sang isa kag masiling ka – ay damo-damo akon, iya diutay lang, dapat iya ining iban nga yari sa akon.

When you do that then Jesus has come, the king of kings has come to reign in your heart.

Subong pagkaon pa lang ina.  Later you will not and you must not only share food.  You must learn to share whatever you have that is more, to those who have less. Whatever that is – be it talent, time, resources, money, know-how.  Be generous, learn always to share.  Just be sure nga malantaw mo pirme ang pinggan mo kag ma-comparar mo sa pinggan sang iban.  Then do a mishpat – the justice of the messiah, the king of kings who is to come.