Green and Sappy

A Reflection on the Psalm for June 13th, 2021:
Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

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Psalm 92

R. Lord, it is good to give thanks to you.

It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to your name, O Most High; to declare your steadfast love in the morning, and your faithfulness by night. 

R. Lord, it is good to give thanks to you.

The righteous flourish like the palm tree, and grow like a cedar in Lebanon. They are planted in the house of the Lord; they flourish in the courts of our God. 

R. Lord, it is good to give thanks to you.

In old age they still produce fruit; they are always green and full of sap, showing that the Lord is upright; he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him. 

R. Lord, it is good to give thanks to you.

Pause. Pray.

And then read more...

What makes us happy? Material comforts? A satisfying job? Greater control over how we spend our leisure time? Greater control over our destiny?


If you’re like me, you may be surprised to learn two things: first, that the “secret” to living a healthier, happier, and longer life is none of those things; and, second, that this “secret” is no secret at all. There actually is a definitive answer to this question. So, rather than beat around the bush, I’ll just come out with it. Here it is: “Good relationships keep us happier and healthier.”


This is the observation of Dr. Robert Waldinger, the fourth director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development, which began in 1938 and is still ongoing 83 years later. It is possibly the longest study of adult life that has ever been done. The study follows 724 men, who share their lives through interviews, questionnaires, medical and psychological testing to shed light on what is essential to living a happy and healthy life. Reflecting on this conclusion that good relationships are the most important determinant of health and happiness, Dr. Waldinger said, “This is wisdom that’s as old as the hills.”


How old? Well, 3000 years old, at least.


Psalm 92, which we will sing this Sunday, is thought to have been written about 1000 B.C., and it tells us what the Harvard study confirmed recently: that good relationships — with God and with others — will keep us happier and healthier. The psalmist says, “the righteous shall flourish” and in old age they shall be “always green and full of sap.” When presented with the option of being green and sappy as opposed to brown and desiccated, I’ll take sappy every time.


But what does it mean to be righteous? To repeat what I’ve heard numerous times from some very fine homilists, righteousness is about being in a right relationship with God. God, in the person of Jesus, invites us into a relationship with Him where we surrender our weakness to Him in exchange for His righteousness. That is what Jesus accomplished through His death. When Jesus makes us righteous, we must honour our commitment to Him by living our lives in obedience to His commandment to love Him and to love others. If we don’t love, then our relationship with Jesus is broken. When we become disconnected from love, we become disconnected from Jesus, who is Love.


How can we be happy? In so many things, when we are looking for a way, we can always turn to Jesus, who is the Way.




Donna Davis

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