Reflections
“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.
"Gratitude begets gratitude... Our struggle ends when gratitude begins... Healing begins with gratitude.." Such secular sayings ring true for all and have their source in Biblical teaching.
ReplyDeleteI like to remind myself that gratitude leads to worship, because we shift our focus FROM our circumstances TO God... growing in our awe and reverence for Him. And worship is connected to "fear of the Lord" with its proper attitude of respect. If we take that one step further, "fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom..." (Proverbs 9:10)
With wisdom, any human heart can better understand how to apply knowledge of God and reap the benefits of a healed and rich life. We can be cured of our own spiritual leprosy and keep our hearts tethered closely to Christ. No need for any barriers or distance here. Our ultimate goal as Christians is to be united with Jesus for eternity.
Such a truth is cause for me to "sing a new song." I embrace the joy and hopefulness of all that the Lord has done for me... and will do for me... and will do THROUGH me. Amen.