“Just so will they be blessed
who fear the Lord.”
The Psalm affirms that
blessings for we who
fear the Lord are to be
found in the recesses
of our homes, in the
ordinary joys of family.
blessings for we 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
in the Psalm as a fruitful
vine because she blesses
her home and family with
the gift of her handiwork.
As in the Gospel she uses
wisely what is given her as
the gift of her handiwork.
As in the Gospel she uses
wisely what is given her as
her way of obeying the Lord
and holding Him in awe.
and holding Him in awe.
And if a man walks with the Lord,
this will be reflected in the way
he loves his wife. Because if a man
cherishes his wife, as ‘flesh of his flesh’
and ‘bone of his bones,’ he nourishes
his relationship with her, as Christ
nourishes the Church. And the man’s
reward is that his wife will be like
a ‘fruitful vine’ within his house.
This is how a man is blessed who
fears the Lord.
this will be reflected in the way
he loves his wife. Because if a man
cherishes his wife, as ‘flesh of his flesh’
and ‘bone of his bones,’ he nourishes
his relationship with her, as Christ
nourishes the Church. And the man’s
reward is that his wife will be like
a ‘fruitful vine’ within his house.
This is how a man is blessed who
fears the Lord.
As the Psalm says, 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.
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.
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.
What perfect design to have Proverbs 31 featured in our first reading, to be followed by Psalm 128. We see in both passages the celebration of woman — not just any woman, but the ideal woman and wife. We learn that she is wise because first and foremost, she fears the Lord, which is the beginning of wisdom (Psalm 111:10). She has ordered her priorities correctly by serving and honoring God first, then her husband, and then her children.
ReplyDeleteI would like to think that I have those same priorities, but I mix them up, with my children ending up on top quite often. This week’s readings remind me to “press the reset button” and to model my life and my energies after the Bible’s example. Then, I can be “a fruitful vine within my house.”
I prayerfully ask daily for a conviction in my heart to use my talents and resources to serve Him best. I am learning and re-learning that taking the time to fill myself with His love and wisdom first, allows me to have a continuous supply for all in my family who need it.