Unbroken

A Reflection on the Psalm ​for Sunday, September 1st, 2024:
Twenty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

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Psalm 15

R. O Lord, who may abide in your tent?

Whoever walks blamelessly, and does what is right, and speaks the truth from their heart; whoever does not slander with their tongue. 

​R. O Lord, who may abide in your tent?

Whoever does no evil to a friend, nor takes up a reproach against a neighbour; in whose eyes the wicked one is despised, but who honours those who fear the Lord. 

​R. O Lord, who may abide in your tent?

Whoever stands by their oath even to their hurt; who does not lend money at interest, and does not take a bribe against the innocent. One who does these things shall never be moved. 

​R. O Lord, who may abide in your tent?

Pause. Pray. Reflect.

What does it mean to have integrity? I suppose if a person is perfectly integrated, they are a complete whole. Without fragmentation or duplicity, those with integrity live simply — undivided from Goodness. When I think of integrity, the Eucharist comes to mind. In a simple, unbroken circle of Bread, we find the opportunity for a deeper integration with our true selves because of the consumption of the One who is True. This ongoing communion with Christ, whether through the sacrament or in walking with Him in prayer and practice, is our only way through to the sacred wholeness of the virtue of integrity, because integrity doesn’t simply involve being integrated, it involves acting it out with others.

This Sunday, we commemorate the Passion of Saint John the Baptist. Though certainly a well integrated man, certain of his purpose and walking through his life pointing to Christ all along the way, he was not perfect. Perhaps, at times, he could have enacted the virtue of gentleness (Think: When he called the Pharisees a “brood of vipers” in Matthew 12:34). Even so, we can speak truth in love and gentleness, but many will still be repulsed by it. According to Adam Young in his podcast The Place We Find Ourselves, it is a wicked person who is repulsed by truth. He says, “If you confront a wicked person about their sin or failure, instead of examining their heart and feeling sorrow and guilt for how they have hurt you a wicked person will somehow shift the blame onto your failure and your sin.” This has been my experience at times, and it was John the Baptist’s experience with the Pharisees as well. But John didn’t pull back from his convictions, he “[stood] by [his] oath, even to [his] hurt.”

“John boldly stood up to Herod about Herod’s immoral relationship with Herodias, evidently rebuking Herod about this multiple times.

Matthew 14:4 – For John had been saying to him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.”

It was extremely dangerous to take such a bold public stand against such a powerful man who had the authority to arrest and kill you. The result was John’s arrest and subsequent murder. This account shows us again his great example of courage. He spoke forth the truth even when it was dangerous. He did not sugar coat it, or hide it. He said what needed to be said. He stood on what was right and didn’t compromise.” (John the Baptist Character Bible Study Background and Lessons)

Living with integrity doesn’t mean never faltering or never messing things up. It definitely doesn’t mean never hurting others because, at times, pain is necessary to reveal the truth. (And personally, I would rather suffer the pain of truth than be deceived by what is hidden.) It simply requires the regular examination of our intentions and an extension of ourselves to repair any fragmentations when it is prudent to do so. The simplicity in this formula, though we humans are quite complicated, lies in its solution: Jesus. The one fully integrated being. The One with arms held wide, ready to embrace us regardless of the number of times we splinter. And the quicker we point our lives back to Him, as John the Baptist did, the more readily we will become integrated in Him.



​Lori MacDonald

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