How happy is anyone who fears Adonai,
who greatly delights in his mitzvot.
2 His descendants will be powerful on earth,
a blessed generation of upright people.
7 He will not be frightened by bad news;
he remains steady, trusting in Adonai.
8 His heart is set firm, he will not be afraid,
till finally he looks in triumph at his enemies.
9 He distributes freely, he gives to the poor;
his righteousness stands forever.
His power will be increased honorably.
Saints Marcellinus and Peter, MartyrsLavishly he gives to the poor. (Psalm 112:9)
Have you ever arrived home after a long day, feeling completely worn out? You want nothing more than to relax and unwind in a nice, warm bath—to let all the stress from the day wash right off of you.
It may not seem obvious at first, but this is one way to think about the lavishness with which the just person treats the poor. After all, the word “lavish” has its roots in the Latin word lavare, which means “to wash.” According to today’s psalm, those who fear the Lord are so generous that they literally shower the poor with all they need.
In one sense, we are all poor. We are all wounded by sin, and we all live in a fallen world. But it’s precisely because we are poor that Jesus is so lavish toward us. Think of how he showers you with mercy every time you confess your sins. Think of the immeasurable wealth of wisdom available to you through the Scriptures and the Church’s teachings. Think of the rich feast that is laid for you at the altar every time you celebrate the Eucharist. Day by day, minute by minute, the Holy Spirit is offering you an abundance of wisdom, insights, and guidance. So much refreshment, so many riches. And they’re all for you!
Of course, all these lavish gifts aren’t meant just for you. One of the reasons why God is so generous is because he wants you to become generous as well. What else can you do with such abundance? You don’t have the room to keep it all to yourself! That’s why this psalm talks about how generous are those who fear the Lord. Everyone who has tasted of his goodness can’t help but share that goodness with everyone else.
As you end your prayer today, take a piece of paper, write the word “lavish” on it, and put it in your pocket. Let it remind you of Jesus’ generosity toward you, and let it remind you to be just as generous with the people around you.
“Thank you, Lord, for showering me with your grace. Give me a generous heart.” Amen!
Tobit 2:9 That night I washed myself and went into my courtyard and fell asleep alongside the courtyard wall, with my face uncovered because of the heat. 10 I didn’t know that there were sparrows in the wall above me, and their warm droppings fell into my eyes, forming white spots. I went to doctors to be healed, but the more they applied their medicines on me, the worse the white spots became until I was completely blinded. I couldn’t see with my eyes for four years. All my relatives felt sorry for me, and Ahikar took care of me for two years until he went to Elymais.
Tobit’s plight worsens
11 At that time my wife Anna made a living by weaving cloth out of wool.[a] 12 She would send the cloth to the wool suppliers,[b] and they would pay her for it. On the seventh day of Dystrus,[c] she finished a piece on the loom for her employers. They gave her the full wages, along with a young goat from their herd for her home. 13 When it approached me, the kid began to bleat. So I called to Anna and said, “Where does this goat come from? It isn’t stolen, is it? Return it to its owners, for we have no right to eat anything that is stolen!”
14 But she said to me, “It was given to me as a bonus in addition to my pay.” I didn’t believe her and demanded that she return it to the owners. I grew red with anger at her. But she replied and said to me, “And what’s become of your charitable donations? What’s become of your righteous deeds? You have a reputation for that sort of thing, don’t you?!”[d][Footnotes:
Tobit 2:11 Gk by doing women’s work
Tobit 2:12 Or to its owners
Tobit 2:12 March
Tobit 2:14 Gk Where are your charitable donations now? Where are your righteous deeds? See, these things are known about you!]
Mark 12:13 Next they sent some P’rushim and some members of Herod’s party to him in order to trap him with a sh’eilah. 14 They came and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you tell the truth and are not concerned with what people think about you, since you pay no attention to a person’s status but really teach what God’s way is. Does Torah say that taxes are to be paid to the Roman Emperor, or not?” 15 But he, knowing their hypocrisy, said to them, “Why are you trying to trap me? Bring me a denarius so I can look at it.” 16 They brought one; and he asked them, “Whose name and picture are these?” “The Emperor’s,” they replied. 17 Yeshua said, “Give the Emperor what belongs to the Emperor. And give to God what belongs to God!” And they were amazed at him.____________________________
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