The Law of the Lord, By Brian Flanagan
Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
I’ve been watching a lot of the show “Blue Bloods” on Netflix recently. If you’re not familiar, it’s similar to other crime dramas like “Law & Order” and “CSI”, but there’s one thing about this particular show that sets it apart; it’s primarily about a family of cops and lawyers in NYC.
Every Sunday, the Reagans sit down to a nice family dinner. Visually it might remind you of a scene from the 1950’s show “Leave it to Beaver” with a family passing the potatoes across the table. But that’s where the similarities stop. It seems that every Sunday, the Reagans’ topic of conversation revolves around a case or a trial that one or more of them are involved in. They’re not shy about it and don’t try to stick to “polite dinner conversation” topics. It’s almost like they can’t help themselves.
That’s because they have a “love” for the law. It’s practically in their blood (hence the name, “Blue Bloods”). In many ways their lives revolve around upholding the law and seeing that justice prevails. Something about that is inspiring. Tom Selleck also has an amazing mustache.
This week’s Psalm talks a lot about the law of the Lord. But you might raise an eyebrow when you start to read it. The response is “Lord, I love your commands.” One line says, “The law of your mouth is to me more precious than thousands of gold and silver pieces.” Another says, “Your law is my delight.”
Usually when we think of the law of the Lord, we think of the 10 commandments, and we think of that as a list of rules. We think the Church is saying, “Okay everyone, our top priority is to make sure you have zero fun, so here are all the things you can’t do. No stealing. No killing. No lying. No cheating. No running by the pool.”
But if we’re honest with ourselves and take a second look at God’s law, we see that all of those things are there for our own good. They’re not arbitrary “do’s” and “don’ts”, but everything about God’s law is there to keep us in right relationship with him and with each other. It’s there so that we can help ourselves and help each other have the most fulfilling, satisfying life possible on this earth – by being in communion.
The Reagans see the consequences of breaking the law every day, and they see the devastation it can cause to individuals, families, and neighborhoods. They know that our laws are in place so that we can have a safe, healthy society. They’re also a practicing Catholic family on the show, and the parallels between the laws they enforce and God’s law aren’t lost on them.
So how do we, like the Reagans, develop a “love” for the law of the Lord? Well in another Psalm, it says that the man is blessed who meditates on the law of the Lord day and night. The key word there is that this person meditates on the law of the Lord. They learn it, reflect on it, and start to see the deeper meaning behind each “letter” of the law.
If we don’t take the time to do that, then of course it sounds like a list of rules. Take going to Mass every Sunday for example. On the surface, that sounds like an arbitrary rule the Church has set up to fill the pews. But then we realize that it’s there in the Mass where we encounter God most concretely in this life, through receiving his very presence in the Eucharist, in the midst of the Church community. The author of the Letter to the Hebrews says “we should not stay away from our assembly, as is the custom of some, but encourage one another…” That also means that it ain’t all about us. As Catholics, we can certainly experience God alone on a mountain top, but we best come in contact with him in the midst of the Christian community at Mass.
Once you dive into God’s law and start thinking about how each part of it is meant to bring us closer to him and to one another, just watch as the law of the Lord becomes your delight more and more. And if you’re past Season 4 of Blue Bloods, don’t tell me what happens! I’m still catching up.
