Being in debt is a bad thing. It's not the worst thing. You might never buy a house or a car if you couldn't sustain a debt. But debt is something you want out of, not into.

Being in debt is such an embarrassment to many people that they try to hide it. They don't want others to know their financial business. They don't want someone thinking they can't manage money. They want to feel that they belong in the same neighborhood, the same schools, at public events demanding a certain wardrobe, or in a house equipped with the latest in televisions, computers, games and furnishings.

Many people try to hide their debt from themselves. They ignore the bills and make another purchase. They subscribe to more cable and phone service than they need. Mounting debts create anxiety that affects other parts of life: the ability to sustain an honest relationship, to concentrate on one's job, and to relax without feeling guilt.

People dream of ways out of debt, such as marrying into a family with money or winning the lottery. Desperate circumstances cause people to make desperate gambles.

The way out is never easy. It requires discipline: restraint in spending, getting rid of extravagances, becoming better educated, and setting better goals. Family, government and church should all stand ready to help. The trip from debt to liquidity is long and hard, and people usually need help to get there.

"When the poor one called out," Psalm 34 says, "the Lord heard, and from all his distress he saved him." The line occurs near the end of next week's responsorial psalm. Even God takes a stand against poverty. God wants to help the poor out of their distress.

Psalm 34 is an acrostic. Each line begins with a different letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Take a sheet of paper, copy the letters from A to Z in a column on the left, and write 26 sentences, each beginning with a different letter. Psalm 34 is that kind of acrostic. As you can imagine, it doesn't flow very well. This isn't a normal way to write. It causes you to think about an alphabet rather than the subject at hand.

So, Psalm 34 does not read as well as a good story. Look at next week's gospel, for example. Luke, the master story-teller of the New Testament, presents one of his finest creations, the parable we call "The Prodigal Son" (15:1-3, 11-32). It is filled with narrative, drama, characters, and meaning.

Nonetheless, Psalm 34 is the most popular psalm in the lectionary. It shows up 49 times. Even the famous Psalm 23 ("The Lord is my shepherd") appears only 34 times in the lectionary. Verse by verse, Psalm 34 is one of our most useful and versatile prayers.

We sing it next week partly because of the refrain: "Taste and see the goodness of the Lord." The first reading tells about Israel's first celebration of the Passover meal in the land of Canaan (Joshua 5:9a, 10-12). The season of Lent sets us on a spiritual course parallel to the physical path of ancient Israel through the desert toward the Promised Land. When the Israelites ate their first Passover, they experienced the fruit of their journey. On the Fourth Sunday of Lent, the one traditionally called "Laetare," we rejoice that the season of penitence is nearly over. So we "taste and see the goodness of the Lord," who brings us through the desert of our sins and leads us to the promised land of resurrection and grace.

The other reason we sing Psalm 34 next week is because of those lines about the poor: When the poor called out, God heard and saved them from all their distress. That is what happened to the prodigal son. He called out to God from the distress of his poverty, greed, bad choices, isolation and malnutrition. He finally saw the density of his sin, and he appealed to God for help. He got more than he imagined he would ever receive.

We all experience real poverty. Many of us make bad fiscal choices that affect our happiness and the lives of those we love. Sometimes we make bad spiritual choices that have the same consequences. But there is good news. When the poor cry out, God rescues them. This Lent, let us confront our sin with sincere repentance, and cry to God for help. Then we will taste and see the goodness of the Lord.

Father Paul Turner is the pastor of St. Munchin Parish in Cameron.

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