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

“Lord, I love your commands.” - Psalms 119

No one loves to be commanded to do things. Especially my children. Here are two examples of the conversations I have with my children on a daily basis.

Me: “Honey, can you please put that away and come get your shoes on?”

My daughter: “Yeah” 

*blank stare and no movement*

Me: “Honey, what did you hear me say?”

My daughter: “I don’t know.”

Me: “Buddy, if you do not listen I am going to take that away and you will be in time out.”

My son: *smiles, laughs, and runs in the other direction while still doing what I asked him to stop doing*

Pray for me.

You have probably heard the old adage “rules were made to be broken,” but the truth is that rules prevent us from being broken. The commands of God are not intended to oppress or to control us, but to set us free!

The writer of this Sunday’s Psalm is not advocating for blind obedience, nor is he operating out of some inferiority complex that derives pleasure from being controlled and commanded. This Psalm is reminding us that the God of the universe is love (1 John 4:8), and everything He does is out of love for us, including the things He commands us to do or to not do. The commands of God not only keep us safe and set us free from the slavery to sin, they also allow us to love and be authentically loved in return. 

Let’s say I started doing something personally destructive, like taking illegal drugs. My wife would obviously tell me that I needed to stop, not because she wants to control me or for me to not have fun, but because it was hurting me. She would intervene because she loves me and I made a commitment to love her in return. If something is inhibiting my ability to be loved and love others, then she would obviously not want me to do that, and would even interfere appropriately to get me the help I needed, even if I was hesitant to accept it. 

God’s commands are invitations to step out of darkness and into light.

God’s commands are the stepping stones to freedom.

God’s commands are the formula for a life full of authentic love.

I can relate to the rebellious feeling that arises when you are told you have to do something. I do not like being told what to do. However, the reason some of us do not like being told what to do, is because we are never told why we have to do it, or if we are told why the reason is not compelling. 

God tells us the truth and His reasons are always compelling if we take a moment to listen. He tells us why we should follow His commands and what will happen when we do not. He tells us how turning away from Him will always lead to our own destruction:

If you do not obey the voice of the LORD, your God, carefully observing all his commandments and statutes which I give you today, all these curses shall come upon you and overwhelm you…The LORD will let you be beaten down before your enemies; though you advance against them from one direction, you will flee before them in seven, so that you will become an object of horror to all the kingdoms of the earth. Your corpses will become food for all the birds of the air and for the beasts of the field, with no one to frighten them off. - Deuteronomy 28:15, 25-26

God does not want us to experience the suffering, death and destruction that result from our sin, but He will let us exercise our free will and will not force us even though it pains Him to see His children suffer and turn away from Him. This is why He tells us to follow His commands. He reminds us that we should love and obey His commands because they are for our good and will lead to blessing and abundance:

Now, if you diligently obey the voice of the LORD, your God, carefully observing all his commandments which I give you today, the LORD, your God, will set you high above all the nations of the earth. All these blessings will come upon you and overwhelm you when you obey the voice of the LORD, your God. - Deuteronomy 28:1-2

Jesus himself reiterates this on the night before His death to the disciples, and reminds us that we follow God’s commands because they lead to lasting and complete joy:

If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete. - John 15:10-11

We know the reason why and it is the best possible reason there is. We follow, obey, and love God’s commands because they lead us on the path of righteousness to a life of abundance, love, joy and hope. There is no greater path. 

In fact, there is no other path at all. We are either journeying toward God or away from Him, there is no alternative.

We once had a young man come to our Pastor and say, “my life is terrible, so I will do whatever you tell me to do for a month and if my life is better, I will become Catholic.” 

And he did.

Sooner or later we will realize we have tried everything the world has to offer and find our hearts are still longing for something more.

So, if you want your life to be infinitely better, simply commit to doing what God asks of you, and it will be.

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

Matt

This reflection is based on the Responsorial Psalm for this Sunday, July 30th, 2023, which is The Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Cycle A: Psalms 119:57, 72, 76-77, 127-128, 129-130