Blessed the man who fears the Lord.
June 5, 2023 - Monday, Memorial of Saint Boniface, Bishop and Martyr
Psalm 112:1b-2, 3b-4, 5-6
“Don’t you fear God?” - my mother asked. It was yet another instance of my misbehaving that exasperated her. No matter how often she reprimanded me or told me that my wrong actions would backfire, I was not listening. Did I fear God at that time? I do not think so. But, the way my mother said it that day made me pause and think. Do you fear God? And what does it mean to fear God?
The psalmist begins with the statement that “Blessed is the man who fears the LORD” (Ps 112:1). Generally, the fear of the Lord is described as an attitude of reverence before God who created this vast universe and infused it with life. But, this fear is different from the natural fear that arises when we face dangerous people or situations. Psalm 34 states that this fear has to be taught (see Ps 34:11) and Prophet Isaiah indicates that it is one of the gifts of the Spirit (see Is 11:2). Thus, those who fear the Lord are those who listen to His words and obey His commands.
The best example of someone who fears the Lord is our Lord Jesus Christ. His entire life was centred on doing the will of the Father. In the well-known incident in Jerusalem, as a twelve-year-old boy he told his Mother and Saint Joseph that he must be in His Father’s affairs (see Luke 2:49). Then, to the crowds gathered in the synagogue in Nazareth, he declared that he came not to do his will by the will of his Father (see John 6:38). Doing the will of his Father impacted Jesus’ entire life. His obedience to Mary and Joseph, his submission to the test in the desert, his proclamation of God’s kingdom and all the miracles associated with it were in obedience to God’s will. Most of all, as we know from his prayer in Gethsemane, he embraced the cross in obedience to God’s will.
“Blessed is the man who fears the Lord”. The commentators indicate that the Hebrew word translated as “blessed” carries the meaning of a lifestyle of integrity that brings about wholeness. Only Jesus’ lifestyle can qualify as a lifestyle of true integrity. In obedience to the will of the Father Jesus destroy death, redeem us from slavery to sin, and reveal to us the fullness of life. If we want to be blessed then, we have to imitate Jesus. The will of the Father should become also our food (see John 4:34), the guiding principle in life. “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven” (Matt 7:21).
And what is the will of the Father? That we reach everyone with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Our lifestyle, our actions, and our words should proclaim to the whole world that God is love and desires everyone to be saved and come to the knowledge of Jesus Christ, His beloved Son.