Psalm for Sunday, October 19, 2025

Reflections

Psalm 121: 1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8   (Read)

“Our help is from the Lord.”
 
The Psalm is a prayer for believers
when we are uncertain, when we face
the dangers of this world, or when we
encounter obstacles on our journey of
faith and works.

Where does our help come from?
As our psalmist says, it comes from 
the Lord.   Just as Moses raised up 
his hands and obtained God's intervention 
on the side of Israel (Exodus 17:11-12),
so too the Psalm calls for us to look upward 
for God’s help, “I lift up my eyes toward the
mountains.”
And our psalmist reminds us, “The Lord is your
guardian.”  We are obliged to pray, “May He not
suffer our foot to slip.”

We may rest assured that our Lord sends us the Holy
Spirit to safeguard us, and we give thanks that our
protector is a guard who never falls asleep at his post,
nor is He ever off duty.  “May He slumber not who
guards you, indeed He neither slumbers nor sleeps.”

When we do battle with evil or injustice
who can we turn to?   Are we likely to overcome
the powers and principalities that threaten us
along the road by depending on our puny defenses?
Not so, the Psalm reminds us.  Without the Lord as our
shade we are subject to the sun's harmful rays
and the moon's evil influences.  But if we trust
in the Lord,  “The Lord will guard you from all evil.”

But how do we get God’s attention when we need
His help?  Jesus tells us how in the Gospel –
we are to pray with persistence, without becoming
weary,  like the widow who obtains a just decision
from the unwilling judge. (Luke 18:1-5)
And as the Psalm concludes, if our faith is strong, 
and we trust in the Lord,
“The Lord will guard our coming and going,
both now and forever.”

Amen


Discussion Questions for Reflection

1.  Our psalmist says that the Lord is beside you at your right hand.   
Speak of what it is that reassures you of the Lord's protection on your 
journey.

2.  The Psalm is about the power of prayer and of trust in the Lord.  
Give an example of how you have persisted in prayer and obtained 
the Lord's help in overcoming difficulty.
 

Psalm for Sunday, October 12, 2025

Reflections

Psalm 98: 1, 2-3, 3-4   (Read)

“Sing to the Lord a new song.”   

 










The Lord makes all thing new, and we are 
a new creation, the work of his hands.
And so it is right that we sing a “new song” 
to the Lord, who has done marvelous things for us.   
 
This is a Psalm of joy, and because God's saving
power has been revealed to all the nations, we are
all encouraged to “break into song, sing praise.”
 
“The Lord's right hand and holy arm have won
the victory.”  It is clear from this Sunday's readings
that God's healing power is not limited to the Israelites.
In this Sunday's first reading the Syrian army commander
Naaman is healed in the land of Yahweh.  (2 Kings 5:14)
 
And in Sunday's second reading, St Paul reminds us
that the 'word of God is not chained' and that if we
persevere and die with Christ, we too will be counted
among the living, the chosen ones.   (2 Timothy 2: 9-10)
 
Then in the Gospel, God's saving power is made
available to a grateful Samaritan, who is the only
one healed that has learned to sing the new song,
glorifying God in a loud voice and falling at the feet
of Jesus in thanksgiving.  (Luke 17: 11-19)
 
God's salvation flows out to all people, whether they
be soldiers from foreign lands, lepers, or those imprisoned.
And how is salvation obtained, how is the victory won?
It is won by God's holy arm, His son, our Savior
Jesus Christ.  Victory is obtainable for us too, if we
keep the faith, give thanks to God, and praise Him.
As the Psalm says, “Shout with joy to the Lord, sing praise.”   
 
Amen


Discussion Questions for Reflection

1.  Our Psalmist declares, "The Lord has revealed to the nations His saving power."  Tell of how the Lord has revealed to you personally His saving power.
 
2.  The Psalm urges us to "Sing to the Lord a new song."   Speak of what it means to you to have learned the 'new song' of praising and worshiping the one true God.

Psalm for Sunday, October 5, 2025

 

Reflections

Psalm 95: 1-2, 6-7, 8-9    (Read)

"Oh that today you would hear His voice."
   
 











Knowing God's will is hard enough;
discernment is a gift from God.
But even if we are gifted enough to
be able to discern God 's will,
can we have the courage and conviction
to actually do His will?   Today more than 
ever we need to hear His voice.  As God the
Father said, “This is my beloved Son
with whom I am well pleased; listen to Him.”

In the Gospel, Jesus instructs the disciples
how to do all they have been commanded.  
As followers of Jesus, we too are to do all 
that we are obliged to do.

Doing the will of God must have been 
difficult even for the disciples, hand picked 
by our Lord himself.  How much more so is 
the will of God a challenge for ordinary 
persons like us?  Even the disciples must 
have been in awe of what Jesus was 
commanding them to do.

“Harden not your hearts.”
Our spiritual history is full of occasions
where the faithful were known to have
hardened their hearts and refused to listen
to God's voice, though they had seen
His works, as our psalmist mentions.
But after all, He is our God, as the psalm says,
and we are the people he shepherds.

Our job is to kneel before the Lord who
made us and to carry out His will the best
we can.   And if we are careful to listen 
to His voice, He will empower us to do 
His will, just as Jesus empowered the 
disciples to rise up to the challenge of 
the great commission and to become ordinary
men performing extraordinary deeds.

Amen


Discussion Questions for Reflection
 
1.  Our psalmist encourages us not to harden our hearts 
when we hear God's voice.   Do you find it difficult sometimes 
to carry out God's will in your life even if you believe 
He is speaking to you?   Give an example.

2.  The psalm reminds us that we are like sheep and the Lord is 
our shepherd.   Are you willing to be just an ordinary sheep among 
His flock?  If so, what does it mean to you to be shepherded 
by the Lord?

Psalm for Sunday, September 28, 2025

Reflections 

Psalm 146: 7, 8-9, 9-10    (Read)

“The Lord gives food to the hungry,
sets captives free.”

Christ Jesus carries out the promises 

of the Psalm – He sets us captives free and gives sight to us so we can truly see.

The Lord raises us up when we are down. 

He sustains us -- with real food and drink. 

Who among us is not hungry for a closer 

relationship with The Lord?

You may ask, “When were we oppressed, 

or hungry, or in prison?” Have we not 

been under pressure from the evil one 

to commit sin? Have we not been held 

captive at one time or another by our sins? 

And do we not experience a hunger for 

the Lord and for a deeper faith?

That same power that gives sight to the 

blind and raises up those who are bowed 

down is available to free us from whatever

imprisons us. All it takes is to receive Him 

and open our hearts to our Savior.

The Psalm is telling us we really need 

to humble ourselves if we want to be 

raised up with Jesus. That may be hard 

to do if it means we have to swallow our 

pride and put aside worldly concerns. 

But if we truly want to be set free from 

the sins that bind us, then we need to 

repent and bow down before the Lord, 

accept our brokenness, and seek His 

healing ministry. Only then will we begin 

to have a right relationship with the Lord.

Having done so, we can pray this Psalm, 

not only in honor of the heavenly Father, 

but also in honor of Jesus Christ, whom 

God exalted. We then join with the psalmist 

and sing, “The Lord shall reign forever; 

our God, through all generations.”

Amen

  

Discussion Questions for Reflection
   

1.  Our psalmist assures us that the Lord gives food to the hungry.   Describe how your spiritual hunger is satisfied by the nourishment you receive from God.

 

2.  The Psalm says that the Lord thwarts the way of  the wicked.   Reflect on your experience and give an  example of how the Lord has overcome evil that was a threat to you.

Psalm for Sunday, September 21, 2025

 

Reflections

Psalm 113: 1-2, 4-6, 7-8   (Read) 

 “He raises up the lowly from the dust.”

This Psalm teaches us once again 

that our God, who is at once exalted above all men, is willing to stoop low 

and to raise us up to His own level.   

God reverses common wisdom, 

and we who are called His servants 

are lifted up out of the dung heap 

of life and treated as royalty in His kingdom. 

“Who is like the Lord, our God, who is enthroned
on high and looks upon the heavens and the earth
below.”   It is God's nature to seek out the lowly
and the afflicted ones of this world, and who is to say
that we are not all afflicted?

Christ Jesus shows an amazing ability to bring up
to His level the outcast of society – the poor, the
lowly, the barren.  Often criticized for eating and
drinking with sinners, our Savior shows us how
to behave toward our neighbors, to understand
that it is the sick who need a physician.

Jesus' behavior is in sharp contrast to the conduct
of the merchants described in Sunday's first reading

(Amos 8: 4-7).   They have undisguised contempt for 

the poor whom they are exploiting.   But Jesus 

reminds us that the poor have a divine and powerful 

advocate.   The compassion of our Lord reaches 

down to those whom the powerful of the earth regard 

as nothing.  Jesus devotes his spiritual wealth and 

loving attention not to those who can give something 

in return, but to those whom the world disregards.   

With such a loving God in our midst, we are inspired
to become like Him, and to join with our psalmist and
sing praise to our God, and praise his name.

Amen

Discussion Questions for Reflection 

1.  Our Psalm reminds us that the Lord on high reaches down to our human level to lift us up.   How can it be that our God, who is exalted above all nations, is willing to stoop to our lowly level and show concern for us?

2.  What does it mean when our psalmist says that God raises up the lowly from the dust and seats them with princes?

Psalm for Sunday, September 14, 2025

 

Reflections (by J Kim)        

Psalm 78: 1-2, 34-35, 36-37, 38  (Read)

"Do not forget the works of the Lord!"

The Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross

draws on Psalm 78, a passage that recounts 

the rebellious nature of the people of Israel.   

The Psalmist describes their forgetfulness, 

disobedience, ungratefulness, and insincere 

praise of God.  As we read such descriptions, 

we must soberly recognize our own shortcomings 

and look up to the Holy Cross to deliver us from sin. 

Beginning with Verse 34, "While he slew them 

they sought him and inquired after God again," 

we are linked to the first reading.  Numbers 21 

describes God's use of venomous snakes to punish 

the people for their unbelief and complaining.  In their 

suffering, the people turn to Moses and the Lord for help; 

Moses is instructed to make a bronze snake and put it up 

on a pole for all to see.  The people looked up, believed,

and were healed.  In the Gospel of John, the image

is brought to its full meaning:  as the Israelites were 

healed by obeying God's command to look up at the 

elevated bronze serpent, believers today can be saved

by looking up to Jesus and his death on the cross.

Unfortunately, the next verses of the Psalm detail 

the fickle nature of the Israelites.   Over and over, 

they would claim to follow God for a while and then 

turn away from him.  "But they flattered him with their 

mouths and lied to him with their tongues, though their 

hearts were not steadfast toward him, nor were they 

faithful to his covenant."  (v. 36-37).  They followed God 

with their words and not with their hearts.  

An omniscient and all-powerful God would have every 

right to be angered.  Does our Lord choose to punish

His children?  The most tender, comforting, and 

awe-inspiring answer is found in v. 38:  "But he, being

merciful, forgave their sin and destroyed them not; '

Often he turned back his anger and let none of his wrath 

be roused."  God shows mercy on the Israelites; as many 

times as they rebel, He offers love and guidance, 

sometimes, firmly.  He is the same with us today, 

exhibiting perfect patience.  We must not "forget the 

works of the Lord," but remember to seek Him and 

exalt the cross at all times, not just in seasons of dire need.  

Amen

Discussion Questions for Reflection

1.  Just like the Israelites, when have you been guilty of forgetfulness,

thanklessness, or rebellion?  What has been God's response?

2.  How do you "Exalt the Cross" in your daily life?  Or... perhaps, 

do you need to raise Him up higher for yourself and others to see?

Psalm for Sunday, September 7, 2025

 

Reflections

Psalm 90: 3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 14, 17   (Read)

“In every age, O Lord, you have been 

our refuge.”

Our Psalmist describes us humans 

as miserable creatures, whose lives 

are dismally brief.  We are like the 

“changing grass, which at dawn 

springs up anew, but by evening 

wilts and fades.”  What hope is 

there for us humans whose lives 

are cut short in our sleep?  Our 

sinful nature incurs the righteous 

anger of the Lord.

“The corruptible body burdens the 

soul.”  (Wisdom 9:15)

What are we to do?

We are to take refuge in the Lord, 

as the Psalm says. We are to pray 

that we may gain wisdom of heart, 

as our Psalmist says. We are to ask 

for God's favor in our lives. We are 

to humble ourselves and learn to fill 

our limited days by doing the Lord's 

will in our lives.  However fleeting our 

lives, we pray that God will “prosper 

the work of our hands,” that we will 

know the will of God and act upon it.

We are to pray through the dark night 

that God will fill us at daybreak with his

kindness, for this will be the day of our

salvation.  We are to have a right 

relationship with the Lord, believe in His 

Son, who took upon Himself our weak 

human form, so that we would know 

what it means to bear our cross as He

did for us. Christ took on the earthen 

shelter of human flesh in order to show 

us how to let go of it.

It is no accident that many seniors are 

counted among those believers who 

attend daily Mass.  For as they approach 

the end of their brief lives on earth, their 

days more and more are filled with the 

hope of being part of God's kingdom 

forever.  All of us look forward to the day 

when we may sing for joy in God's 

presence and be filled with the love of the 

Lord.  As the Psalm says, “May the 

gracious care of the Lord our God be 

ours forever.”

Amen

Discussion Questions for Reflection

1.  The Psalm speaks of 'numbering our days aright.'  What are you doing to make your days on earth count for something in the eyes of the Lord?

 
2.  Our Psalm carries a strong message that our human lives are fleeting but that God is eternal.  How are you preparing to be in God's presence forever?