Reflections
“Good and upright is the Lord, who shows sinners the way.”
We are blessed to have a God
who does not disregard us.
who does not disregard us.
On the contrary, He is
a caring, compassionate God,
a caring, compassionate God,
willing to humble Himself
to share in our humanity,
so that we might share in
His divinity. Who else would
have such regard for sinners,
His divinity. Who else would
have such regard for sinners,
for believers who disobey Him?
The Lord is talking to all of us
here; we are all sinners.
Jesus was criticized for
consorting with sinners,
but He replied that
here; we are all sinners.
Jesus was criticized for
consorting with sinners,
but He replied that
the sick (people like us)
are the ones who need a
physician. We are all able
to benefit from the healing
power of Jesus.
physician. We are all able
to benefit from the healing
power of Jesus.
Our psalmist says, “Make known
to me your ways, Lord;
to me your ways, Lord;
teach me your paths.”
The prophet Ezekiel, in Sunday's
first reading, tells us that
if we follow the Lord's way,
The prophet Ezekiel, in Sunday's
first reading, tells us that
if we follow the Lord's way,
we will be able to turn away
from sin and avoid death.
from sin and avoid death.
(Ezekiel 18: 31)
The psalmist prays to God,
“Remember no more the sins
of my youth; remember me only
in light of your love.”
of my youth; remember me only
in light of your love.”
And in Sunday's Gospel,
Jesus tells us how a young
man became right with God
after having disobeyed Him.
(Matthew 21: 31)
Jesus tells us how a young
man became right with God
after having disobeyed Him.
(Matthew 21: 31)
And where does the power come from
to turn away from sin?
It comes from the Lord, “He shows
sinners the way.” It is He who
encourages us when our tongues confess,
sinners the way.” It is He who
encourages us when our tongues confess,
“The Lord guides the humble rightly,
and teaches the humble the way.”
Amen
Discussion Questions for Reflection
1. As the Psalm says, our Lord shows us sinners the way; we pray that
He will teach us His paths. What leads you to follow the Lord's truth?
2. Our psalmist petitions God to remember not the psalmist's frailties or
the sins of his youth. How is the Lord's compassion shown in your life?
1. As the Psalm says, our Lord shows us sinners the way; we pray that
He will teach us His paths. What leads you to follow the Lord's truth?
2. Our psalmist petitions God to remember not the psalmist's frailties or
the sins of his youth. How is the Lord's compassion shown in your life?
I was so touched by this week's Psalm. How fortunate are we that our Father God is not reticent to go among his children who are sinners. Conversely, He humbles Himself to forgive us, His children who are sinners. " Good & upright is the Lord who shows sinners the way".. As it says, Jesus was criticized for consorting among the sinners and yet He realized they are the ones who really need Him.. what a lesson we can learn from that. Thanks for sharing this week's Psalm.
ReplyDeleteThe Lord's compassion is real, active, and alive in my life. Due to my sinful nature, it needs to be, or else I could not be worthy to stand before Him.
ReplyDeleteI can be walking along, praising his name because I feel his light on my family and me. Then, out of nowhere, an old memory stirs up feelings of jealousy or anger. Or, I can fall into a habit of sin that I thought I had shaken off. The enemy, who studies all of us, knows our weaknesses and when to strike.
For example, the Lord had been working on my heart to be more generous with time, talent, and treasure. However, just as I try to be, unexpected financial burdens fall upon me or temptations to spend money on my own vanity, sway me from donating to causes that I had intended to support. Thoughts like "My husband is retired now...I need to be careful" take over and I end up being stingier than ever with my blessings. The same could be said of how I spend my time and energy. I had signed up for several new ministries at my church fair, only to dismiss them one by one because it was an inconvenience to the comfortable schedule I desired.
More than once, I have confessed the above in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. One great piece of advice/penance I received was to "seek God and his kingdom first." (Matthew 6:33) And as I ponder that verse, I recall that the second part of it reads "...and all these things shall be yours as well." I love it when I can take the Word literally. :-) All jokes aside, there are levels of meaning here, and I understand that as I seek God and his kingdom, my heart changes. And I end up desiring what he does.
I might be like the son in this week's Gospel reading, who says, "no" at first. However, upon reflection, I can feel my interior self changing and understand that God's will is the best for me; what he calls me to do is what will bring me the most happiness. Therefore, I can try to do what God asks of me, even if my initial reaction is to deny it.
We can count on the truth of passages like Psalm 25:6-7, "Be mindful of your compassion, O Lord, and of your merciful love, for they have been from of old. Remember not the sins of my youth, or my transgressions; according to your mercy remember me, for your goodness' sake, O Lord!"