Reflections
Psalm 128: 1-2, 3, 4-5 (Read)“Blessed are those who fear the Lord
and walk in His ways!”
The Psalm affirms that the blessings
for those who fear the Lord are
to be found in the recesses of our
homes, in the ordinary joys of family.
The worthy wife is valued in the Psalm
as a fruitful vine because she blesses
her home and family with the gift
of her handiwork. As shown in the Gospel
she uses wisely what is given her as
her way of obeying the Lord and
holding Him in awe.
“Just so will they be blessed
who fear the Lord.”
If we fear the Lord and walk in His
ways, we will receive the blessings
of our labor, prosper, and grow old
gracefully in the company of our
wife and children.
Amen
Discussion Questions for Reflection
1. The Psalm assures us that we will be favored by the Lord,
if we walk in His ways. Speak of how you have been blessed
by obeying the Lord and holding Him in awe.
2. Our psalmist tells of a worthy wife who uses wisely what
she has been given. Give an example of how you have used
your God-given talent to serve your family or your community.
"Our greatest talent and treasure is our ability to love, and in this enterprise the champion is the greatest risk taker, which means the one most willing to invest himself, where the odds appear most against him." Such reads the "Day by Day" devotional portion of Sunday's Magnificat entry. It's a wonderful interpretation of the parable of the talents in this week's Gospel.
ReplyDeleteHow do we use the faithfulness God granted to us and show others His love? Looking at both the first reading in Proverbs and also at the Psalm, we see that it's not always about the big and glamorous deeds. More often than not, it's about how we approach the daily grind -- the seemingly, mundane tasks that we do as husbands or wives.
The family unit is God's design, not ours. As a parent, I minister to my children daily about their problems and how we use devotionals and the Bible to find the solutions God wishes to share with us. As a wife, I do my best to make my house a peaceful place for my husband, who needs to decompress after work. As a daughter of the King (and of my dear parents), I battle fear and uncertainty about the future with a huge leap of faith, daily, that God is in control. I take that risk. And I pray that my example touches the hearts of those around me. I hope to claim the "blessing" and "prosperity" spoken of throughout the Psalm.
The Psalmist writes about a worthy wife as a fruitful vine. God will reward the good family wife the gift of her handiwork (love, service, honesty, self-sacrificing and faithful devotion for her husband, children and her neighbors). All these are vital to create a good relationship within our own family.
ReplyDeleteI teach our children how to pray together as a family before a day starts, and obey God's words and put them into practice. These habits will provide the ordinary joys and peace in our family life. Good practices start at home first, just as charity starts at home. In that sense I am blessed as a wise woman who fears the Lord!
As shown in the Holy Family painted by Rembrandt, just as Mary is shown to be contented and caring for her family with love, so should we women behave. The Holy Family is a model of a happy family which obeys God's words in awe. We women have to learn from her.
THERE IS NO GREATER VALUE ON THIS EARTH THAN THE “WORTHY WIFE.” THOSE OF US THAT HAVE ONE, THE VALUE IS IRREPLACEABLE. AND IF YOU DON’T, THEN THE EXPRESSION “MAY GOD HELP YOU," IS TRULY APPLICABLE. I’M ONE OF THE FORTUNATE ONES.
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