Reflections
Psalm 29: 1-2, 3-4, 3, 9-10 (Read)“The God of glory thunders.”
The Psalm is about the splendor and the
power of God. “Give to the Lord the glory
due God’s name. Bow down before the
Lord’s holy splendor.” The Psalm speaks
of the voice of the Lord “thundering” over
the waters. “The voice of the Lord is
power; the voice of the Lord is splendor.”
God's awesome voice was heard over the
Jordan River that day when the heavens
were torn open and the Holy Spirit descended
upon Jesus just after He was baptized. What
could be more powerful than the voice of God
declaring, “This is my beloved Son, with whom
I am well pleased.” (Gospel, Luke 3:22)
What happened at the Jordan River that day
was to fulfill what God said to the prophet Isaiah –
“Here is my servant whom I uphold, my chosen
one with whom I am pleased, upon whom I have
put my spirit.” (Isaiah 42:1)
The baptism of our Lord may have happened
over 2000 years ago, but on that day God
anointed Jesus with the Holy Spirit and power,
the power to serve the faithful (people like us),
and to do battle on our behalf with the
devil. (Acts 10:38)
From that time forward we too became eligible
to serve the Lord as His chosen ones. Isaiah
tells us what our spiritual mission is to be:
like Jesus, we are to be a light to the nations,
and open the eyes of the blind (those who do
not know the Lord). (Isaiah 42:6-7)
And imitating Jesus, we are to bring out
prisoners from confinement (those who may
be imprisoned by sin). What better way
would there be for us to serve the Lord?
Amen
Discussion Questions for Reflection
1. The Psalm's verses speak of the power and splendor of the voice
of the Lord, thundering over the waters. Have you heard God's powerful
voice speaking to you, anointing you as one of His chosen ones?
Explain.
2. Our psalmist encourages us to give God the glory due His holy name.
Tell of how you give God the glory in your activities and your everyday life.
We have here the nature of religious worship; it is giving to the Lord the glory due to his name. We must be holy in all our religious services, devoted to God, and to his will and glory. There is a beauty in holiness, and that puts beauty upon all acts of worship. In the thunder, and lightning, and storm, we may see and hear his glory. Let our hearts be thereby filled with great, and high, and honorable thoughts of God.
ReplyDeleteThe power of the lightning equals the terror of the thunder. The fear caused by these effects of the Divine power, should remind us of the mighty power of God, of man's weakness. But the effects of the Divine word upon the souls of men, under the power of the Holy Spirit, are far greater than those of thunderstorms in the natural world. If we have heard God's voice, and have fled for refuge to the hope set before us, let us remember that children need not fear their Father's voice, when He speaks in anger to his enemies.
When Jesus Christ was baptized by John the Baptist and came out of the water at the Jordan River that day, God's voice was so powerful and majestic. His voice thundered over the waters by declaring, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased." God anointed Jesus with the Holy Spirit, and power.
ReplyDeleteI have not heard God's thundering voice, but I have heard his whispering voice. I am his faithful child because He anointed me with the Holy Spirit and strength so that I can serve Him by doing intercessory prayer for sick and needy people.
In order to know Him more closely I do spiritual exercises and contemplate his word these days. And from time to time I examine my conscience. If I find there are some areas where I have offended God, I repent. In this way I give God Glory. And also I attend daily Mass and receive Holy Communion. I ask Him to help me resist the devil every moment of my life. In his sight I want to be a faithful servant. Even though I often fail, I keep trying to please Him.