Reflections
“My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.”
This prayer of longing
was written at a time
when David was in the
desert, a place where
physical thirst was all
around him, and the
earth was parched,
lifeless and without water.
But David is writing also
about a spiritual thirst that
overwhelms him and reminds
him of the emptiness of life
But David is writing also
about a spiritual thirst that
overwhelms him and reminds
him of the emptiness of life
without God.
David meditates on those happier moments
when he was close to the Lord, when his soul
when he was close to the Lord, when his soul
was satisfied, as with the riches of a banquet,
and when he took shelter in the shadow of
the wings of God.
We too go through times of spiritual deprivation
when we walk away from God and indulge in
sinful practices that separate us from God.
At those times, like a penitent sinner, we
experience our deepest longing for the love of
the Lord and we seek out His loving embrace.
As our psalmist says, at times like that our soul
clings fast to the Lord, we bless Him, we glorify Him,
we praise Him.
Amen
Discussion Questions for Reflection
1. Our psalmist seeks the Lord because his soul thirsts for Him.
Give an example of a time when you have thirsted for God's
presence and blessing in your life.
Give an example of a time when you have thirsted for God's
presence and blessing in your life.
2. The Psalm speaks of gazing toward the Lord in the sanctuary.
Tell of a time when you have gazed at the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament
Chapel of your parish and how you could see His power and His glory.
Tell of a time when you have gazed at the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament
Chapel of your parish and how you could see His power and His glory.
Here’s a story from a wonderful homily I heard recently:
ReplyDeleteThis young Indian man spoke with the Chief and asked for his help. "Chief ….Help me. I feel I have 2 wolves inside of me. One is a good and wise wolf that always gives me good, sound advice. The other wolf gives very attractive, but risky, bad advice that frequently gets me in trouble. Which wolf’s advice should I follow?" The Chief answered, “Which wolf are you most likely to feed?”
We all have the 2 wolves inside of us. God bless.
Wednesdays at 10am -- that time used to be set aside for my weekly date with Jesus. I attended Adoration on a regular basis at my parish for a few years, soaking in His peace and love on a consistent basis. I almost felt like I was part of a secret society, a member of a select, enlightened few who also found their way to the Adoration Chapel.
ReplyDeleteOf course, it's not really like that. Jesus' invitation is for everyone. In fact, in James 4:8, we are promised, "Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you." The Creator of the Universe wants to be close to each and every one of us! As we see in this week's first reading, the same concept applies with Wisdom. If we seek Wisdom, we will find her.
Over the years, my routine changed and I passed on my Adoration duties to another parishioner. As I look back, I wonder if I wasn't more at peace then? Perhaps my hunger and thirst for the Lord was more fully satisfied as I sat before Him.
Quiet time, so close to the presence of Jesus, seems to be what my very thirsty soul needs now. I can then more fully prepare myself for His coming.
My soul is thirsting for you, O lord My God.
ReplyDeleteWhen the earth is parched, lifeless without water, we all feel physically thirsty. We look for water to quench our thirst. .
My body needs physical water as well as spiritual water to refresh my soul. I cannot sustain my life by myself without both physical and spiritual water. I seek you, Lord. That’s why I am looking for your presence which will satisfy my spiritual hunger.
At times I feel God seems to be far away. I am not able to reach Him because of worldly worries. I am overwhelmed by worldly influences. Sometimes I feel that God has forsaken me. But the Holy Spirit advises me to keep praying and meditating on His words.
I know God is the only one who can fully satisfy my soul when I am wandering around in the wilderness. Whenever I lose direction and cannot find the way back to Him, then I need His protection.
When I am in the midst of danger, affliction, or loneliness, I gaze at the Lord. And I call out to God, “My soul is thirsting for you, I cling to you Lord, your right hand upholds me." The Lord rescues me and He shines His face on me. My soul is filled once again with inner peace and assurance of His love for me. I feel blessed.