Reflections
Psalm 84: 2-3, 5-6, 9-10
"How lovely is your dwelling place,
O, Lord of Hosts!"On this Feast of the Holy Family
of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, we sing
a psalm overflowing with hope for
all Christians on a pilgrimage to the
house of the Father. The psalm
recalls for us today's Gospel reading
where our young Lord Jesus is found
in the temple and says to his parents,
"Did you not know that I must be in
my Father's house?" Just so for us
pilgrims who join with our psalmist
and sing, "My soul yearns and pines
for the courts of the Lord."
Our destination is heaven, but because
of God's love for mankind, we do not have
to become weary in climbing to a mountain
faraway, as though it were mount Zion.
Our pilgrimage is a journey within;
"Our hearts are set upon the pilgrimage."
For our sake, the Word was made flesh
and dwelt among us, and all we have to do
is open our hearts and prepare to receive
our Savior, God's only son.
For our Lord is a living God, and it is He
to whom we cry out, as our psalmist reminds
us, "My heart and my flesh cry out for the
living God." For us, God's temple is here
on earth. God dwells in our tabernacle;
He is present to us through the Holy Eucharist.
And for this we praise you Lord and join
with the anointed and say, "How lovely is
your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts!"
And we sing an Alleluia without end.
Amen
Discussion Questions for Reflection
1. Our psalmist speaks of a pilgrimage for those who seek
to dwell in the house of the Lord. Tell of how your journey
is going and how far along you are in seeking the Lord.
2. The psalm tells of a soul that is yearning for the Lord.
In what way do you also cry out for the living God?
I think that all people are seeking God and His presence. I think that most people don't realize that God is always with us. I seek Him and sometimes it will feel like He is not there. There are other times when I know that God is with me. God is in us, and yet we seek to see Him because people want to be assured. We must trust God though.
ReplyDeleteHopefully, we are all on a pilgrimage to heaven. The path has been set, for the straight and narrow, and we have the 10 Commandments for road directions. It's easier for the very young and the very old to stay on track. It's also easier if you are in good health, and not seriously crippled in mind or body. It's a lot easier if you pay attention to God's given road directions, and avoid distractions. If you sense you are getting misdirected, then PRAY, and seek advice from worthy counselors.
ReplyDeleteOur psalmist had good reasons to wish to stay inside the temple, the house of the Lord, where he wanted to pray quietly and meditate upon the living God. He experienced His living presence: "How lovely is your dwelling place." His soul yearned, and his flesh cried out for God in time of hardship, and he could get God's favor and grace and strength as well, because he trusted in Him. Since Our Savior, Jesus, was sent to us, I know God is present everywhere. He dwells among us since we are the Temple of God, and through the Eucharist He is within us. How fortunate we are our living God dwells in us! I can pray and meditate on Him anywhere at any time. But like the psalmist I long to seek God alone to get away from noisy places. I sing praise to Him forever with thanksgiving in my heart. He makes our journey, our destination, to be more joyful even though it'll be hard to climb up.
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