God’s blessing in life
June 30, 2023 - Friday, 12th Week in Ordinary Time
Psalm 128:1-5
Psalm 128 accompanies today's first reading from the book of Genesis (Gn 17:1, 9-10, 15-22), where God promised to bless Sarah with a child. At the age of seventy-five, Abraham began to fear the Lord and walk in God’s ways. He became rich and successful but despite his great wealth, he lacked an heir to whom he could pass on his riches.
Psalm 128 is the ninth of the Songs of Pilgrims (Psalms 120-134), sung by those embarking on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. It starts with the same word as Psalm 1, "blessed." Scholars tell us that in the Hebrew scriptures, a blessing is closely tied to the divine presence, capable of making the impossible happen. Can a ninety-year-old woman bear a child? Can a virgin conceive and give birth while preserving her virginity? Can a dead man rise to life?
Pope Benedict XVI noted that there are two moments in the story of Jesus that the modern world finds hard to accept: his virgin birth and his resurrection from the dead. Similarly, Abraham found the message of his elderly wife conceiving a child laughable (see Gen. 17:16-17). After all, he had been waiting for over twenty years for God's promise to be fulfilled.
Continuing his thought, Pope Benedict XVI reiterated the message that Abraham, Sarah, and Mary heard: nothing is impossible for God (see Gen 18:14; Luke 1:37). The Creator of the material world can directly intervene in it, as seen in the lives of Sarah, Mary, and Jesus. After waiting for 25 years, old Sarah gave birth to Isaac. Centuries later, a virgin conceived, and gave birth to Jesus Christ while remaining a virgin, her name is Mary. And at the heart of Christianity is the message about the crucified Jesus who rose from the grave. We may find God's promises hard to accept because we have, as Don Moen sang, made God too small in our eyes. But, God is greater than we can ever imagine and so the miracles still happen.
The psalm concludes with the blessing the pilgrims received upon completing their journey from the priests in Jerusalem: "The Lord bless you from Zion" (Ps 128:5). The pilgrims carried this blessing into their homes and lives, striving to live lives of well-being.
The Bible testifies to the power of God's blessing in the lives of ordinary individuals. His blessing makes the impossible happen. May His blessing also transform our lives and bring well-being to our families and workplaces. God bless you all.