Teach us Lord how to live

Psalm 25:4-5ab, 6 and 7bc, 8-9. March 14, 2023 - Tuesday, 3rd Week of Lent

The central theme of Psalm 25 is the desire to know and follow the ways of the Lord. The words “way” and “path” in Hebrew refer to a way of living. Thus, the psalmist asks the Lord to tell him how to live in this world. He becomes a student in the school of God, a disciple of the Lord. But, where is the school of God? And can the Lord directly teach him how to live?

I grew up under an educational system that had no place for God. So to learn the ways of the Lord, I decided to go to my parish priest who conducted catechetical classes and to participate in liturgical celebrations. We had no church at that time and so our priest rented a piece of property to celebrate Sunday masses. We all stood under the open sky. And yet no rain or snow, bitter cold or extreme heat, could stop us from attending the Eucharist. I was impressed by the commitment of the priest to God and His people. He was passionate about helping us to grow in faith. I also admired many parishioners who were so firmly resolved to remain faithful to our Catholic faith. We often ended our masses with a song, “We want God in schools, workplace, on the streets”, and that the Lord would bring true freedom to our fatherland. That was my school of God and the Lord was speaking to me through the testimony of my parish priest, my classmates in religion classes, and my parish community. 

The psalmist declares that the Lord “shows sinners the way, guides the humble to justice, and teaches the humble his way” (cf. Ps 25:8-9). The first title given to the followers of Christ was the followers of the Way. That is how Saint Paul calls himself (see Acts 24:14). He was a sinner to whom the Lord showed the way of repentance and service. Moreover, the first Christians did not come from the ranks of the VIPs of Roman society. As Saint Paul writes in his first letter to the Corinthians, most of them were of low status, despised by the world (1 Cor 1:26-29). But, it was to such like them, that the Lord showed the way of salvation.

Nothing has changed since then. Christianity is slowly despairing in the rich countries of the West that once were called Christian nations. On the other hand, faith in Jesus Christ is growing among the poor of the world in Latin America, Africa, and Asia. The West got proud. Most people in Western countries think that they do not need the Lord as their teacher and that they can solve all their problems by themselves. The South and the East remain humble and teachable. The people there turn to the Lord for guidance on how to live in our world. And the Lord blesses them with grace, wisdom, and growth.