Catholic Commentary on Psalm 112

"Good will come to those who are generous and lend freely, who conduct their affairs with justice." (Psalm 112:5)

The Portrait of the Blessed

Psalm 112 is the companion acrostic to Psalm 111, describing not the works of God but the portrait of the person who fears God. The blessed one is generous, lending freely and conducting affairs with justice. Their heart is secure and unafraid, their heart is steadfast trusting in the LORD. They have scattered abroad their gifts to the poor and their righteousness endures forever. Their horn will be lifted high in honour.

The psalm is a sustained portrait of what the Beatitudes look like in practical life. The merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers of the Sermon on the Mount become, in Psalm 112, the generous lender, the just dealer, the faithful spouse whose household stands. St. John Chrysostom preached extensively on this psalm as a refutation of the idea that generosity leads to poverty: the one who gives freely does not lose; their righteousness endures and their memory is eternal. The Catechism describes generosity as a participation in the creative goodness of God, who gives without diminishing himself (CCC 1936).

Living the Word

Brothers and sisters, the blessed person of Psalm 112 is not blessed because they were lucky. They are blessed because they chose, consistently and against the grain of self-interest, to be generous with what they had and just in how they dealt with others. Righteousness is not a feeling. It is a practice. Practice it today.

Prayer

Lord God, make us like the person of Psalm 112: generous with what we have, just in how we deal, secure in our heart, and unafraid of bad news because our trust is in you. Let our righteousness endure and our memory be a blessing to those who come after us. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

112
The Blessed Fear of the LORD
(Psalms 128:1–6)
1 Hallelujah!* 112:1 Or Hallelu YAH, meaning Praise the LORD. This psalm is an acrostic poem, each line beginning with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet.
 
Blessed is the man who fears the LORD,
who greatly delights in His commandments.
2 His descendants will be mighty in the land;
the generation of the upright will be blessed.
3 Wealth and riches are in his house,
and his righteousness endures forever.
4 Light dawns in the darkness for the upright—
for the gracious, compassionate, and righteous.
 
5 It is well with the man who is generous and lends freely,
whose affairs are guided by justice.
6 Surely he will never be shaken;
the righteous man will be remembered forever.
7 He does not fear bad news;
his heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD.
8 His heart is assured; he does not fear,
until he looks in triumph on his foes.
9 He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor;
his righteousness endures forever;† 112:9 Cited in 2 Corinthians 9:9
his horn will be lifted high in honor.
 
10 The wicked man will see and be grieved;
he will gnash his teeth and waste away;
the desires of the wicked will perish.

*112:1 112:1 Or Hallelu YAH, meaning Praise the LORD. This psalm is an acrostic poem, each line beginning with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet.

†112:9 112:9 Cited in 2 Corinthians 9:9

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