Psalm Reflection: The Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Cycle B

“Fill us with your love, O Lord, and we will sing for joy!” - Psalms 90

**RINGS OF POWER SPOILER ALERT**

I have always loved the Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. The entire world J.R.R. Tolkien created has fascinated me since I was a child. The Hobbit was the first real book I can remember reading, and I have read it more times than any other book (save the Bible and the Catechism).

I have even read all the extra tales and histories Tolkien wrote, and so when the show Rings of Power came out I was so excited. I am not a purist who complains about movies not being faithful to the books, I enjoy seeing how the literary world of Middle Earth can be brought to life in new ways.

However, I do have one gripe. When the Lord of the Rings films came out in 2001-2003, they left out by all-time favorite character: Tom Bombadil. Tom is a mystical figure who lives near a forest and is immune to enchantments and domination. He is eccentric, powerful, and entirely free. When the Hobbits show him the One Ring they are on their way to destroy, it has absolutely no effect on him and no power over him.

In other words, Tom Bombadil is awesome, and the high school nerd in me was crushed when he was left out of the movies. I had accepted that I would never see him depicted on screen.

So, when Rings of Power came out, which explores the history of the Rings and the background that leads to the Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, I had no expectations and had sort of forgotten about Tom. In season 2, episode 4, a character called “The Stranger” that many believe to be one of the wizards is searching for answers about who he is and how to wield his power. He comes upon another character who rescues him and asks his name.

“Who are you?” asks the Stranger.

The mysterious man replies, “Been awhile since I’ve been called much of anythin’, but back in the Withywindle folk used to call me Bombadil. Tom Bombadil.”

To say that I leapt out of my seat is an understatement. I started shouting and almost woke up all three of our children who were asleep. My wife later said, “I have never seen you that excited before!”

As excited as I was at that moment, it was fleeting. I felt so excited and pumped for the rest of that evening, but when I woke up in the morning, that feeling had faded.

No matter how good, pure, wholesome, or enjoyable the experience, every earthly thing that makes us happy will wear off. It will last for a short time, but once hours, days, and weeks go by, we are no longer riding on that same happiness.

Happiness fades, but joy is lasting.

And true joy comes from the Lord.

Joy is an internal disposition of the heart, it is not fleeting or based on a moment. The Psalmist reminds us that when we allow ourselves to be filled with the love of the Lord, we will experience joy. Joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit, and when the Holy Spirit is at work in us, joy is an expected byproduct of a life lived in the Spirit.

No matter how excited you get about things in this world, the happiness that comes from them will never last. You will have to keep returning to those things over and over again and eventually the happiness will not come as quickly or easily and it will not last as long as it once did.

“The desire for God is written in the human heart, because man is created by God and for God; and God never ceases to draw man to himself. Only in God will he find the truth and happiness he never stops searching for” (CCC 27).

What makes you happy?

Where in life do you find meaning?

Where in your life are you searching?

Where are you longing to experience joy?

The things that make us happy are not bad, but they are placeholders for the only true, lasting source of joy. We cannot let those things get in the way of the joy the Lord wants to give us. Otherwise, we risk turning them into idols and seeking from them the things that only the Lord can provide.

Pray attention to the places you experience happiness, meaning and purpose this week, and see if they illuminate ways the Lord is at work and trying to give you deeper joy. Be willing to be less dependent on everything else for happiness in order to make room for the Lord’s joy in your heart.

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, October 13th, 2024, the Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Cycle B: Psalms 90:12-13, 14-15, 16-17.