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?
James 1:22 says, "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves."
ReplyDeleteThere is also the saying that "The road to hell is paved with good intentions." An early version of this phrase can be traced to the 12th Century abbot St. Bernard of Clairvaux. He stated that "hell is full of good intentions or desires."
Where am I going with this concept?
I am reminded of it as I ponder the Gospel reading this week and the differing responses of the two sons of the vineyard owner. The first son (who represents tax collectors, prostitutes, and other sinners) says "no" at first, only to change his mind and obey his father. The second son (who represents the chief priests and elders) gives a lip service answer of "yes" but never carries it out, resulting in rejection of his father's wishes.
The simple parable, only found in Matthew, is chastening truth mixed with mercy.
I might be guilty of thinking I have accepted God's plans or His asks of me, when I have not done anything about them. For example, a person and her needs might have been placed on my heart in a spiritual, yet fleeting moment, and I have since forgotten her or become too busy to care.
In other instances, I know I have tried to run away from a challenge that the Lord has given me. But instead, I slowly opened my heart to His way and timing. In such cases, it's usually because there is no other next step EXCEPT TO SURRENDER. "Jesus, I surrender myself to you; take care of everything" is a powerful prayer that helps me alter my response. And by His mercy, He no longer remembers my initial resistance, but is pleased with my changed heart and action.
This week's Psalm 25 passage is pointedly helpful in orienting us toward God in all things. Verse 8 declares, "Good and upright is the Lord; therefore he instructs sinners in the way..." He is the source of all of our answers, including how to turn our rebellion into obedience. And he does not even "remember the sins of my youth..." (v.7)
He is indeed the God of my salvation and his compassionate heart loves to teach wayward daughters like me how to be sincere in my "yes" and to follow through.
This Psalm really touched me because of the words, “Good and upright is the Lord, who shows sinners the way.” I find so much comfort in knowing that God doesn't turn away from us because we are sinners. He knows our weaknesses, our mistakes, our failures, and even the things we wish we could go back and change, yet He continues to call us back to Him.
ReplyDeleteSometimes I think we can be harder on ourselves than God is. We remember the things we have done wrong, the choices we regret, the times we failed, and the ways we wish we had handled things differently. But this Psalm reminds me that God isn't asking me to live in my past. He is asking me to let Him teach me His way.
1. What leads me to follow the Lord's truth?
For me, it is knowing that I can trust Him, even when I don't understand where He is leading me. I don't always know what God's plan is, and there have certainly been times when I have wanted answers that didn't come. But over time, I have learned that following God isn't always about understanding everything. Sometimes it is simply taking the next step and trusting that He knows the way better than I do.
The words “Make known to me your ways, Lord; teach me your paths” feel very personal to me. I find myself praying that often—not necessarily in those exact words, but in my heart. Lord, show me what You want me to do. Help me see things the way You see them. Teach me Your way, because I know that my way isn't always the right way.
And honestly, sometimes I resist. Sometimes I want God to show me the whole path before I'm willing to take the first step. But faith doesn't always work that way. Sometimes He gives me just enough light for today. What keeps me following Him is remembering that He has never stopped being faithful, even when I have struggled to be faithful to Him.
2. How is the Lord's compassion shown in my life?
For me, God's compassion is shown in how many times He has given me another chance. There have been times when I have been disappointed in myself, made mistakes, or wished I could go back and do things differently. But God doesn't hold my past over me. He continues to invite me back and gives me the grace to begin again.
I love the words, “Remember no more the sins of my youth; remember me only in light of your love.” They remind me that my past is part of my story, but it doesn't have to define who I am today. Sometimes I hold onto things that God has already forgiven. I think I am still learning to receive His mercy instead of continuing to punish myself for the past.
To me, that is the beauty of God's compassion. He doesn't just remind me when I've gone the wrong way—He shows me how to turn around and come back to Him. And that gives me hope. No matter how many times I stumble, He is always there, patiently showing me the way home.