27TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

The Lord watches over the way of the just. 

Today’s first reading from Malachi and the responsorial psalm both paint a picture of the blessings that God promises to lavish on the just: everything they do will prosper. They will be made as strong and stable as a majestic, fruitful tree whose roots drink freely from fresh running water. The Lord will listen attentively to them, and their names will be written in his own record book. God will even go so far as to set up an astronomical reward for them by appointing the sun to rise on them so that they can enjoy its constant healing rays of light.

Could anyone possibly embody these characteristics more than Jesus, the just man? He spent his entire life delighting in God’s word and sharing the good news of that word with the people around him. He resisted “the counsel of the wicked” (Psalm 1:1), whether it was the devil’s suggestion that he should seize worldly power or the thief who urged him to save himself from the cross. Jesus certainly didn’t “walk in the way of sinners,” either (1:1)! On the contrary, he called sinners to follow him instead!

But that’s not fair, you might respond. Jesus is the Son of God; of course he’s going to be perfectly just! And you’d be right. None of us can fulfill the standards of righteousness as perfectly as Jesus did. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try. In today’s Gospel, Jesus promises that God will give his Holy Spirit to anyone who asks (Luke 11:13). And that Spirit can empower us to live a just and holy life—and to ease our conscience when we seek forgiveness after having fallen into sin. He is the Lord who “watches over” us when we try to follow “the way of the just” (Psalm 1:6).

This means that the promises contained in today’s readings are for you as well as for Jesus. By learning to yield to the Spirit, you can become more and more like the just person described by Malachi and the psalmist. You can reflect the perfect justice—and the love, joy, and mercy—of Jesus to everyone around you.

“Heavenly Father, thank you for giving me your Holy Spirit! Thank you for helping me to be more like Jesus!”

Malachi 3:13-20
Psalm 1:1-4, 6
Luke 11:5-13