Lean In

A Reflection on the Psalm for February 17th, 2019:
​Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Psalm 1

R. Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord.

​Blessed is the man who does not follow the advice of the wicked, or take the path that sinners tread, or sit in the seat of scoffers; but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law meditates day and night. 

R. Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord.

He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season, and its leaves do not wither. And everything he does, prospers. 

R. Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord.

The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away, for the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish. 

R. Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord.​​​

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The first two verses of Psalm 1 exclaim how happy we are when we trust in the Lord. We are blessed in following the law of God as we refrain from doing what sinners do and as we allow ourselves to be continually guided by God’s Word.

The next verse compares us to trees who are constantly nourished by streams of water; always fruit-laden as we continually bear fruit. Our obedience to God’s laws and meditating on them allows us to prosper too, and to bear good fruit in our Christian lives. The last two verses compare our fruitful lives to those of the wicked who are like chaff that the wind drives away. Our God watches over us all, but the wicked shall perish.

I consider myself blessed as I happily go through life with all of its ups and downs. If I were to count the down times, they may be more than the happy times. The good news is that I don’t count them. The simple victories over life’s challenges give me a high feeling which lasts until the next victory. Challenges are simply things to tackle, win over, and get through. I have always wondered why God made me this way, not that I am complaining, but it makes me realize just how much He loves me. I am truly blessed!

"One thing remains constant through all the ups and downs—I know that God is with me in all the events of my life."

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One thing remains constant through all the ups and downs—I know that God is with me in all the events of my life. I can feel His hand prop me up when I am weak, and I lean heavily on His shoulder when I am feeling particularly worried, fearful or near panic. There was a time when I went through a period of panic attacks. I would be drinking a glass of water and I would panic and feel like I was drowning. I couldn’t so much as read an article that talked about being inside caves or I would feel claustrophobic. During those times, I’d run to my husband to pray over me and I’d slowly calm down and feel assured that I was in good hands. Thankfully, that phase of my life has passed.
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Today, the challenges continue. But I open myself up to learning more about the Lord. I strive to learn to pray better, and most of all to listen and be mindful of the promptings of the Spirit in my life. So many times I am surprised when I think of the things I know I wouldn’t have come up with by myself, and I know that the Lord is continuing to guide me.
I will leave you with a Benedictine motto which was taught to me in grade school: “Ut in Omnibus Glorificetur Dei” (UIOGD) - so that in all things God may be glorified.  

Liz Venezuela

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