Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Psalm for Sunday, April 15, 2012

 Reflections

Psalm 118:  2-4, 13-15, 22-24


Once again we visit this powerful psalm
of praise and thanksgiving.
This time the verses stress
the enduring love that God has for us –
so much so that despite the part
we played in crucifying his Son,
God went ahead and carried out his plan to save us.
Jesus’ risen presence among us
is living proof of God’s enduring love.
“God’s love endures forever.”

We may be 'hard pressed and falling,'
but the Lord comes to our help.
As the psalmist says, the Lord is our strength.
He is present to us,  just as He was in
those early days of the church
described in our 1st reading and in the Gospel.

We may not have the awesome experience
of physically putting our hand in the Lord’s side
and our fingers into the nail marks on his hand,
but He is with us.
“The Lord comes to us as Savior.”

We are victorious over death.
The Lord’s deliverance is cause for joy.
Just when we were down, the Lord raises us up.
“I was hard pressed and falling …
but the Lord has been my Savior.” 

“The joyful shout of victory is heard ….”
 We are on firm ground after all –
Christ has become our cornerstone,
as our psalmist reminds us.
Christ has become a source of strength for us,
despite his apparent weakness that day on the cross,
when he died a shameful death. 

Only the Lord could have done this remarkable thing:
“By the Lord has this been done;
it is wonderful in our eyes.”
This is cause for rejoicing --
“This is the day the Lord has made.”
Along with the disciples and the early church,
“Let us be glad and rejoice in it.”

Amen

 
Discussion Questions for Reflection

1.  Our psalmist praises the Lord for the wonderful work
He has done in making the stone that was rejected
become our cornerstone.  Why do you think God
would permit his Son to undergo a shameful death
in order to make Jesus the cornerstone of our faith?

2.  Our psalm begins by stressing over and over
that the mercy of God endures forever,
and this Sunday's Response also says, 'His love is everlasting.'  
Describe how these verses strengthen your faith
and inspire you to trust in the Lord.

6 comments:

  1. 2. To understand these concepts is to live them in our lives. If we show our neighbor mercy or a stranger mercy we are giving away God's love.We are passing forward a love that was given to us by God and we each have the power and love to do it and teach others by our examples to be merciful and love as God does. It is not easy at times but with His love in us we can do it.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Andrew3:29 AM

    Even though God or Jesus might not be here on earth, they are always with us. When Jesus died, he was still with the apostles through God. Jesus raised from the dead as one final sign of being God's son. Jesus is here today with us and always will be.

    ReplyDelete
  3. 1. God could have given us all untold wealth, but for God to do that would that be meaningful?......NO! God gave until it really hurt both Him and His Son to the MAX! We cannot conceive making a greater sacrifice. Simple death would have been much easier and much less painful for both God and His Son. This sacrifice is a cornerstone that has lasted more than 2,000 years!

    2. Over the years, there are times when our life can be difficult and depressing. Over the years, when we need it most, God has shown us his love and strength, and has earned our trust.

    ReplyDelete
  4. 2. To understand these concepts is to live them in our lives. If we show our neighbor mercy or a stranger mercy, we are giving away God's love. We are passing forward a love that was given to us by God, and we each have the power and love to do it and teach others by our examples to be merciful and love as God does. It is not easy at times, but with His love in us we can do it.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Andrew6:22 PM

    Even though God or Jesus might not be here on earth, each is always with us. When Jesus died, he was still with the apostles through God. Jesus was raised from the dead as one final sign of being God's Son. Jesus is here today with us and always will be.

    ReplyDelete
  6. l. I think that God's justice is carried out through his son Jesus, for our Salvation. Jesus underwent his painful sufferings and death for our sins. That's how we have been justified. That is God's will. By shedding his precious blood it could cover our dreadful sins once for all. He paid the penalty for us. In this way, he made us to be reconciled with God as His children. Even if He was rejected by religious leaders and God's chosen people, God exalted him high over all other names because of his submission to the will of God. He became the cornerstone of our faith, our Lord God.

    2. In spite of our fallen, unbelieving nature, God continually forgives us because of his enduring love. He calls for our repentance and promises to deliver us from sin; this gives us joy and strengthens our faith in him. I believe that " God's love endures forever." No matter how unbelieving we are, as Thomas was, I trust in His mercy.

    ReplyDelete