Reflections
“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.
Proverbs 31 is often referred to as a description of the ideal woman. The passages are not meant to make the rest of us feel inadequate, but rather to encourage each and every person to recognize what is true beauty and perfect order.
ReplyDeleteThe faithful wife praised here is faithful first to God, then her husband, and thirdly, her children. She is of strong faith, character, and great compassion. She does not serve God without thought and intention, but models grace with sincerity for all who know her. She makes the Lord a priority and her talents and skills overflow from her reverence. Her beauty comes 100 percent from her character, not her outward appearance.
I wish that I could be like her...
I like the idea of comparing the talents in today's Gospel, with the gifts of the ideal woman... and also my own God-given abilities. Gifts such as charity, mercy, compassion, and faith, are multiplied when we proclaim them, share them. If we hide them or bury them, they are not enjoyed by the world, and they certainly don't multiply.
I think one of the tasks God has put on my heart is to provide a listening ear to others, whether they're in my biological or spiritual family or even if they're strangers. I often feel that people open up to me and want to talk to me; at family gatherings, I am pulled in several directions with at least two relatives latching onto me and talking to me at the same time. God has given me patience and love to embrace these situations and offer His ear, not mine. His eyes, not mine. His heart, not mine. In the process, my own ears, eyes, and heart become more like His, growing in wisdom and strength.