Not Just Words

A Reflection on the Psalm for January 27th, 2018:
Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

PSALM 19 

R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.

The law of the LORD is perfect,
refreshing the soul;
The decree of the LORD is trustworthy,
giving wisdom to the simple.

R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.

The precepts of the LORD are right,
rejoicing the heart;
The command of the LORD is clear,
enlightening the eye.

R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.

The fear of the LORD is pure,
enduring forever;
The ordinances of the LORD are true,
all of them just.

R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.

Let the words of my mouth and the thought of my heart
find favor before you,
O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.

R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.

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Every single time I am scheduled to proclaim the Word, be it at Mass or some other prayerful gathering, I get nervous. I have been a lector since I was in high school and well, that wasn’t yesterday. Each and every time, I prepare, practice, and pray with the scripture. Yet every time is like the first time. Sometimes I wonder, after all these years, why I get so nervous? They’re just words right? 

Your words, Lord are spirit and life.
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In this week’s Psalm we are invited to respond to the wonder, the reassurance, the joy, the love that is conveyed to God’s chosen people in the laws He presents to them. Laws to ensure the Covenant He made with the people; the promise that He would be their God and they would be his people — always. He conveys these laws through words. Words first spoken, then written down, so that God could communicate with His people — always. Over the centuries those words have been interpreted in different ways and shared in different languages, but they are words that continue to endure. Written and read for generations. In some cases the words that we hear proclaimed at Mass, specifically those of the early prophets, are the same words that were spoken in the early Church. What remains as true now as it was then is that God’s words evoke emotions as well as actions. 

Your words, Lord are spirit and life.

"What remains as true now as it was then is that
​God’s words evoke emotions as well as actions." 

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Think about the very first time you truly heard the Word of God. When you heard the Word with not just your head but your heart. What did you feel? What did you do? Powerful words have brought life to some but have also caused harm to others. So we need to be cautious of how we use words. Words hold power because of the authority, or perceived authority in some cases, of the one who wields them. Growing up, my brother and I knew there was a big difference between Mom saying no and Dad saying no. This would often be the deciding factor as to whom we directed our requests. Words are interpreted differently depending on who speaks them: man, woman, child, stranger, family, friend, authority figure, church leader, business person, etc. I often wonder if the writers of our scriptures had any idea of the power of the words they put to paper.

Your words, Lord are spirit and life. 

But then again, maybe they did know. They were that much closer to the time of Jesus’ ministry. Their encounters with Him, and the Apostles, were so freshly stirring their hearts that they knew, with help from the Holy Spirit, they had to write it down for future believers. There was a level of authority to the words they heard and the words they wrote. And by the grace of that same Spirit we continue to draw Life from those words over 2000 years later. 

No wonder I still get nervous when I proclaim the Word!

Aurea Sadi

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