A person of integrity shall climb the mountain of the Lord
December 20, 2022 - Tuesday, 4th Week of Advent
Psalm 24:1-2, 3-4ab, 5-6
Psalm 24 begins with a powerful proclamation of faith: “The LORD’s are the earth and its fullness; the world and those who dwell in it”. Why? Because, as the psalm continues, He created everything. The biblical story of creation that begins our Bible is often dated to the time of Babylonian exile that began in the year 586 BC. And if it is so, we can only admire the faith of the editors of the Bible. With their world shattered to pieces, surrounded by the temples dedicated to the Babylonian deity, they held on to their faith and began to express it in writing.
The biblical scholars tell us that behind this statement is not only a polemic against other religions but also a polemic against ancient rulers who claimed that the land under their rule with all its citizens belonged to them. Unfortunately, this claim has been often repeated throughout the history of the world till our present times. There are dictators and authoritarian regimes who think exactly like the Pharaohs of Egypt or the kings of Babylon. The first two verses of our psalm oppose such claims. Everything belongs to the Lord.
Next, the psalmist asks a question: “who can climb the mountain of the Lord?” Only those with moral integrity, “whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean, who desires not what is vain”. We can envision this question-and-answer part as a conversation between the priests of the temple and the pilgrims arriving in Jerusalem. But, we also know that the reason for the destruction of the temple was the fact that there was no person of integrity among the people. We read in Jeremiah, “Run to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, look and take note! Search her squares to see if you can find a man, one who does justice and seeks truth, that I may pardon her” (Jer 5:1).
A person of moral integrity, someone who values honesty over falsehood, will experience God’s blessing. Who can be such a person? Today’s Gospel points us to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Immaculate Conception, the incorruptible temple of the Lord prepared by the Lord to be the Mother of God. As her children, we want to emulate her example of faith and integrity by seeking God and his holy will.