Psalm Reflection: The Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Cycle A

(Mt 5:3) “Blessed are the poor in spirit; the kingdom of heaven is theirs!” - Psalm 146

My children love to play with this Melissa & Doug sandwich shop set. It essentially allows them to pretend like they own a Subway. My favorite part is when it comes time to pay. Sandwiches at this shop are usually around $40, and when I pay them in the paper money it came with, I always somehow end up getting more than $40 in change. It is a sweet deal.

My children have no concept of money. They have none of it themselves and when I jokingly ask them if they are going to pay for something at a store, they confidently reach into a pretend pocket and hand me a wad of invisible cash. They are totally broke and they do not even care or know it. They are completely reliant on my wife and I to take care of them.

This Sunday’s responsorial Psalm challenges us to become more like my children, poor in spirit. The poor in spirit are those who are so detached from the world and so reliant on God, that they can experience the kingdom of Heaven in their everyday life, because nothing is standing in the way.

The Psalm response is the first of the Beatitudes, the eight opening statements in Jesus’ most famous sermon, the Sermon on the Mount, from Matthew, chapters 5-7. Each beatitude begins with the word “blessed.” In the original Greek language, the word is makarios (μακάριος), which can also mean happy, complete, fortunate or lucky. However, statements like this also occur in the Old Testament, which is written in Hebrew. The word used in those instances is berakhah (בְּרָכָה), which can also mean “on bended knee” or “on the lap.” These are both postures of humility and subservience, but I especially like the image of one “on the lap” being blessed, because that is the position children take. In the same way children are completely poor because of their reliance on their parents to provide for them, we must also be completely reliant on the Lord if we want to receive the kingdom of Heaven. Jesus says it Himself:

Amen, I say to you, whoever does not accept the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it. - Mark 10:15

We are always in such a rush to grow up and to be independent. Doing the opposite can be very scary and counter-intuitive, but it is necessary if we truly want to follow Jesus and be transformed by Him.

What are you holding on to? What is truly yours? How might you begin to surrender it?

How can you spend more time “in the lap” of the Lord, joyfully sitting in His presence and enjoying the safety and comfort of His embrace?

Do you trust that the Lord will take care of you?

How has the Lord provided for you in the past? How do you need Him to provide for you today?

This week, do something childish:

Run around in the fallen leaves.

Roll down a hill.

Make a mess.

Get your hands dirty.

Play a game.

Sing at the top of your lungs.

Dance, even if there is no music.

Color outside the lines.

Take a nap.

Blow bubbles.

Cry hard.

Laugh really loud.

Crawl around on your hands and knees.

Lose track of time.

Talk to animals.

Go find a stick and carry it around.

Be reminded of the joy and the freedom of the childlike. Come to God in prayer with that joy and trust that He is a loving Father who only desires good gifts for His children, and He is already at work to provide them for you.

Come on bended knee, sit in His lap, and allow yourself to experience the blessedness of being a little closer to the kingdom of Heaven.

I am praying for you, please pray for me, and I will see you in the Eucharist.

Matt