Sirach 36:17-26: a reflection

17Listen, O Lord, to the prayer of your servants, according to the blessing of Aaron concerning your people; and all those who are on the earth will know that you are the Lord, the eternal God. 18The belly will eat any food, but one food is better than another. 19The mouth tastes meats taken in hunting, so does an understanding heart detect false speech. 20A contrary heart will cause heaviness. A man of experience will pay him back. 21A woman will receive any man, but one daughter is better than another. 22The beauty of a woman cheers the countenance. A man desires nothing more. 23If kindness and humility are on her tongue, her husband is not like other sons of men. 24He who gets a wife gets his richest treasure, a help meet for him and a pillar of support. 25Where no hedge is, the property will be plundered. He who has no wife will mourn as he wanders. 26For who would trust a nimble robber who skips from city to city? Even so, who would trust a man who has no nest, and lodges wherever he finds himself at nightfall?

Amid his instruction, Sirach pauses to praise the gift of a good and faithful spouse, calling it one of life's richest treasures. He who gets a wife gets his richest treasure, he says, a help meet for him and a pillar of support. And he adds that where kindness and humility are on her tongue, her husband is blessed above other men. A good and faithful spouse is not a small thing but a great gift, a treasure, a help, a support, a source of blessing and steadiness in life. Sirach does not take such a gift for granted; he counts it among the richest of treasures, a help and a pillar of support to the one who has it. A faithful, kind spouse is a blessing from God, a treasure to be valued, a help and support through life. The gift of a good spouse is one of the great blessings of life, to be received with gratitude and treasured.

Notice how highly Sirach values a good spouse: a richest treasure, a help, a pillar of support. He does not treat marriage or a faithful partner as a small or ordinary thing; he calls a good spouse one of life's greatest treasures, a help fitted to us, a support that steadies us, a source of blessing. Where kindness and humility mark such a partner, the blessing is all the greater. Sirach counts this gift among the richest a person can have. A faithful, kind, supportive spouse is a treasure not to be taken for granted but valued and cherished, a help and support through the whole of life. This reminds us to value and give thanks for the gift of a good spouse, and, for those who have such a partner, to treasure them as the gift they are, and to be, in turn, a kind and faithful help and support. A good spouse is a treasure from God, to be received with gratitude and honored. The gift of faithful companionship in marriage is among life's richest.

That is worth taking to heart, for a good and faithful spouse is one of life's richest treasures, to be valued and cherished. We can take a faithful spouse for granted, failing to value the treasure we have, or to be ourselves the kind and faithful help and support a spouse should be; but Sirach calls a good spouse one of life's greatest treasures, a help and a pillar of support. Such a gift is to be received with gratitude, treasured, and honored. And it calls us to be, in turn, a faithful help and support to our own spouse. If you have a good and faithful spouse, do not take them for granted; treasure them as the rich gift they are, and be a faithful help in return. Value and cherish the gift of a good and faithful spouse as one of life's richest treasures, and be yourself a kind and faithful help and support, as Sirach says that he who gets a good wife gets his richest treasure, a help and a pillar of support; for a faithful, kind spouse is a great gift from God, not to be taken for granted but received with gratitude and honored, and those who have such a partner do well to treasure them and to be, in turn, the faithful help and support that blesses a marriage.

Lord, amid his instruction, Sirach pauses to praise the gift of a good and faithful spouse, calling it one of life's richest treasures. He who gets a wife gets his richest treasure, he says, a help meet for him and a pillar of support. And he adds that where kindness and humility are on her tongue, her husband is blessed above other men. A good and faithful spouse is not a small thing but a great gift, a treasure, a help, a support, a source of blessing and steadiness in life. Sirach does not take such a gift for granted; he counts it among the richest of treasures. Show me how highly Sirach values a good spouse: a richest treasure, a help, a pillar of support. He does not treat marriage or a faithful partner as a small or ordinary thing; he calls a good spouse one of life's greatest treasures, a help fitted to us, a support that steadies us. Where kindness and humility mark such a partner, the blessing is all the greater. A faithful, kind, supportive spouse is a treasure not to be taken for granted but valued and cherished. This reminds me to value and give thanks for the gift of a good spouse, and to be, in turn, a kind and faithful help and support. Take that to my heart, for a good and faithful spouse is one of life's richest treasures. I can take a faithful spouse for granted, failing to value the treasure, or to be myself the kind and faithful help a spouse should be; but Sirach calls a good spouse one of life's greatest treasures. Such a gift is to be received with gratitude, treasured, and honored. Help me value and cherish the gift of a good and faithful spouse, Lord, and be myself a kind and faithful help and support, as Sirach says that he who gets a good wife gets his richest treasure.