Psalm Meditation 640
Seventeenth Sunday of Ordinary Time
September 23, 2012

Psalm 112
1 Praise the LORD! Happy are those who fear the LORD, who greatly delight in his commandments.
2 Their descendants will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed.
3 Wealth and riches are in their houses, and their righteousness endures forever.
4 They rise in the darkness as a light for the upright; they are gracious, merciful, and righteous.
5 It is well with those who deal generously and lend, who conduct their affairs with justice.
6 For the righteous will never be moved; they will be remembered forever.
7 They are not afraid of evil tidings; their hearts are firm, secure in the LORD.
8 Their hearts are steady, they will not be afraid; in the end they will look in triumph on their foes.
9 They have distributed freely, they have given to the poor; their righteousness endures forever; their horn is exalted in honor.
10 The wicked see it and are angry; they gnash their teeth and melt away; the desire of the wicked comes to nothing.
(NRSV)

Our family has been dealing with the tragic death of our four month old granddaughter this week so it may seem surprising that the verse that jumps out of this psalm is, “Wealth and riches are in their houses, and their righteousness endures forever.” We have discovered the rich blessing of friends and family, and how the two categories blend together and overlap in so many ways. Folks have stood with us and held us up in surprising and humbling ways. The offers of help and support from all sides has been an overwhelming display of the wealth and riches we possess in family and friends.

For years I have known that the richest of blessings available to anyone is the wealth that comes to us as we build relationships with each other and with God. This past week I have experienced this richest of blessings in countless ways. “If there is anything I can do, let me know” has been said and experienced in so many ways and from such a wide variety of people. Prayers beyond count have been raised in support of our family by those we know and by those we will never know. Many wish they could actually do something, not being content to simply pray and perhaps not being aware of what a difficult and helpful task it is to lift up another to God in prayer. It seems so simple and is such a deep and profound help and support to us all. I am guessing it seems such a light burden because so many are joined in task of holding us up to God. The web of relationships formed as our families have drawn together is an astounding testament to the wealth and riches we hold in the relationships of which we are a part.

Thank you for the giving and receiving of the richness and wealth of the relationships of which you are a part in this part of our lives, as well as in the rest of the triumphs and tragedies of our lives and your own. One of the letters of condolence reminded us that out of the compassion and support we have received will also flow a depth of compassion toward others at some future time in our lives.

September 17, 2012