Monday in The Week of The 7th Sunday of Easter (05/25/09)

Happy are those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or take the path that sinners tread, or sit in the seat of scoffers; but their delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law they meditate day and night."
--Psalm 1:1-2

What constitutes happiness? Nearly everyone, at one time or another, weighs in on that question. Charles Schulz, of "Peanuts" cartoon fame, once said that "Happiness is a warm puppy." That's all well and good when pooches cuddle up and get cozy, but it's a different story when they engage in less appropriate behavior -- as dogs are naturally wont to do.


There's no word on whether the psalmist was a dog owner. But he/she did know that happiness consists in practicing discernment and making some distinctions. There is a way to go that does not end in happiness, and the psalmist is well aware of that.


The better path, the one that includes meditating on the law of the Lord, is the route to go. It is a delightful route. And it's a day-by-day thing; morning and night are prime times for the meditation. Meditation -- that is, spending time with God's Word and prayer -- "bookends" the day, so to speak. There's an every day rhythm to it, and, according to the psalmist, it constitutes happiness and delight!


PD