Reflections
Psalm 34: 2-3, 17-18, 19, 23 (Read)
“Those who are crushed in spirit He saves.”
David's psalm assures us,
“The Lord hears the cry of the poor.”
The word poor is said to apply to one
who depends completely on God
for his deliverance and his very life.
This is true for David as he is being
pursued by his enemy. It is true for us
in our own personal battle against the
evil one. With God on our side victory
is certain. “The Lord confronts the
evildoers, to destroy remembrance
of them from the earth.”
St Paul is rescued from the lion's mouth
and is empowered by the Lord to finish
the race, to keep the faith, to complete
the proclamation. In his own words,
“The Lord stood by me and gave me
strength.” (2 Timothy 4: 6-8, 17)
David affirms this, “The Lord redeems
the lives of His servants; no one incurs
guilt who takes refuge in Him.”
The Psalm says our prayers are heard
if we have a right relationship with the Lord.
“When the just cry out, the Lord hears them.”
This is confirmed by the writer of Sirach --
“The one who serves God willingly is heard;
his petition reaches the heavens. The prayer
of the lowly pierces the clouds.” (Sirach 35: 20-21)
Jesus teaches us in this Sunday's Gospel,
“The one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
The tax collector preserves his relationship with
God and goes home justified. (Luke 18: 13-14)
That too is part of being poor in spirit. If we want
the Lord to be on our side, then we need
to humble ourselves and recognize
our own lowly status.
And having done all that we can to keep a just
relationship with our God, then we are to bless
the Lord at all times, keep his praise ever in our
mouths, and as the psalm says, “Let my soul
glory in the Lord.”
Amen
Discussion Questions for Reflection
1. The Psalm tells us that God lifts up those who are crushed in spirit.
However difficult it may be for us to be humble in spirit, we can speak
of how gratifying it is for us to depend solely on the Lord for our salvation.
Tell of what this means to you personally.
2. The verses of the Psalm tell us how to be sure that our prayers are heard.
Our psalmist encourages us to have a right relationship with the Lord before
we pray. What is it that you do to be sure that your prayers reach the ears
of the Lord?
I would never think that I have humbled myself "enough." I know how to bow, how to beat my chest during the Nicene Creed, how to give credit to the glory of God for the blessings in my life, and how to ask Abba Father for help, all of my days. To even think that that is enough to make me humble, feels counterintuitive.
ReplyDeleteSpiritual pride can sneak in at any point. Constant vigilance is needed, in my case... because the moment I feel complacent, or satisfied with my efforts, I am on dangerous ground with the enemy. The dark one suggests "You've done enough..." or "It's okay to slack off, no one is the wiser..." or even "What has the Lord done for you lately?"
Last week, our Gospel lesson was on perseverance in prayer. This week, we see the focus on HOW to pray, the spirit in which one should pray.
If I am truly in a state of humility before God, I am sorrowful and repentant before him. I am not comparing myself to another sister, nor am I patting myself on the back for good deeds. I recognize that I can never attain righteousness on my own -- it is a gift through God's grace.
The self-awareness that: I am nothing and he is everything... is a lesson I recently learned from the life of St. Catherine of Siena. I try to recall this truth in my heart every time I pray. In this way, I am close to the Lord's teaching about being crushed in spirit, and I can ensure that the Creator of the Universe will hear my prayer and respond in his beautiful mercy.