Proclamation of God's Love and Justice for the Oppressed
July 19, 2023 - Wednesday, 15th Week in Ordinary Time
Psalm 103:1b-2, 3-4, 6-7
Bless the LORD, O my soul;
and all my being, bless his holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits.
He pardons all your iniquities,
he heals all your ills.
He redeems your life from destruction,
he crowns you with kindness and compassion.
The LORD secures justice
and the rights of all the oppressed.
He has made known his ways to Moses,
and his deeds to the children of Israel.
Psalm 103 is renowned for its portrayal of God's love demonstrated through forgiveness, healing, prosperity, and renewal. While the well-known verse compares God's steadfast love to the vastness of the heavens, today we will focus on another powerful statement: "The LORD secures justice and the rights of all the oppressed" (Psalm 103:6). But does He?
The book of Exodus narrates the escalating oppression faced by the Israelites under the rule of the Pharaoh of Egypt. This oppression manifested in forced labour, slavery, and attempts to murder newborn boys. Although we know the subsequent liberation of Israel, their oppression did not cease with Egypt. Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome continued to subject them to various forms of oppression. Empires rose and fell, but oppression persisted.
Moreover, oppression extends beyond Israel alone. Throughout human history, injustice has been inflicted by authoritarian regimes, powerful criminal organizations, and individuals. The Western world remembers the atrocities of World War II perpetrated by Nazi Germany and the oppressive reign of the Soviet Union, enslaving millions. While some perpetrators faced justice, many lived out their lives without being held accountable. It is in such a world that the psalmist proclaims that the Lord secures justice for all the oppressed (Psalm 103:6), demonstrating remarkable faith.
It brings to mind the famous words of Martin Luther King Jr., who stated that "the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice." Although the road to justice may be lengthy, the psalmist's unwavering faith and King's assertion remind us that justice will ultimately prevail.
On March 24, 1944, in the occupied town of Markowa, Poland, Joseph and Viktoria Ulma's family were executed for aiding persecuted Jews. Seventeen individuals, including Poles and Jews, lost their lives. The Jews merely sought survival during the Holocaust, while the Ulma family's "crime" was living out the commandment of loving their neighbours. Years later, the Ulma family was posthumously recognized as "Righteous Among the Nations" by the World Holocaust Remembrance Center in Jerusalem. On September 10, 2023, the Church is set to beatify the entire Ulma family, honouring their sacrificial act of love and affirming that their memory lives on.
Indeed, the arc of the moral universe bends toward justice, and injustice can never prevail indefinitely. Whether in this life or the life to come, God will secure justice and vindicate the rights of all the oppressed. The example of the Ulma family and the enduring faith expressed in Psalm 103 inspires us to believe in the ultimate triumph of justice and to actively strive for it in our world today.