Psalm for Sunday, March 5, 2017

Reflections 
         (By J. Kim) 

Psalm 51:  3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 17  (Read)


“A clean heart create for me, O God,
and a steadfast spirit renew within me”

We are all born of a sinful nature.
Just as Adam and Eve fell to temptation
in the Garden of Eden (this Sunday’s first
reading, Genesis 3: 1-7), so too has God's
chosen one (King David) fallen.
David, our psalmist,  is sincerely sorry for 
committing adultery and murder, two 
gravely  sinful acts which separate him
from our loving Father.

But God in his compassion and goodness can

blot out David’s offense, no matter how grave. 
David’s sins, like our own, are offensive to God 
first and foremost – “Against you alone have
I sinned.”

David cries out to be rescued from his fate,

to be saved from death, which is a consequence
of his sins. David’s verses are a prayer of
repentance and recall for us the power of the
Sacrament of Confession. “A clean heart create
for me, O God; and a steadfast spirit renew
within me. Give me back the joy of your salvation.”
His words are prophetic and speak of God’s grace
that becomes available through Christ’s gift of
justification (Sunday's 2^nd reading, Romans 5: 15-19).

Our psalmist pleads with the Lord, "Have mercy on me,

O God, in your goodness; in your abundant compassion
blot out my offense."    We are reminded here that no
sin is too big for God to forgive.   And when we do fall
into deep patterns of sin, we must realize that our 
wrongdoing isn't only against other people, but ultimately,
it's rebellion against the Lord himself. "Against you alone
have I sinned,"  is how David acknowledges this fact.  

God wants to have a close relationship with us, but
unconfessed sin will always get in the way. We must
not only confess our sins openly and sincerely, but
we must work at "restoring the joy of salvation” in
our hearts. 

Once we have rebuilt a solid foundation with God the Father,
no strong assault from Satan will penetrate.  We can have
that very same "steadfastness of spirit" that David asks
for in the Psalm and that Jesus displays in the Gospel.

Amen

Discussion Questions for Reflection

1.  Our psalmist calls upon the Lord to renew within him a 'steadfast spirit.'  

Give an example of how our God has done a work in you so that you can  carry 
your cross with endurance, trusting in God's strength.

2.  The Psalm's verses speak of how we offend God by our sins and separate  
ourselves from His loving presence.   Tell of how, with the help of God's grace,   
you are able to obtain a right relationship with the Lord, and regain the
'joy of your salvation.'

Psalm for Sunday, February 26, 2017

Reflections

Psalm 62:  2-3, 6-7, 8-9  (Read)

“Only in God is my soul at rest;

I shall not be disturbed.”

The Psalm contrasts the appeal of

worldly pursuits against the tranquility

that is found in God alone.

“Only in God is my soul at rest.”

We are to open our hearts totally to

our Lord. We need not be 'disturbed'

at all by the vanity of riches or by seeking
success in wickedness and violence.
These attractions are fleeting; they

do not last; they are weightless in

their nothingness. 

The one solid rock in our lives is God. 

He alone is our stronghold, our salvation,
as our psalmist says.  Even if a mother

should forget the child of her womb,

the Lord will never forsake us, as the

prophet Isaiah tells us in this Sunday's

first reading.  (Isaiah 49:15)

We are all looking for inner peace, but the
world does not show us how to obtain it. 

“Only in God be at rest, my soul.”

We do not put our faith in humans; worldly

success cannot last. Only in God do we put
our trust at all times, for our Lord will care

for us, clothe us, feed us, and give us spiritual

tranquility.

In the words of our Savior (this Sunday's Gospel),

“Seek first the kingdom of God, and all these

things will be given you besides.” (Matthew 6:33)

Having put our trust in the Lord, we pour out our hearts

before him. “Rest in God alone my soul!”

Amen

 
Discussion Questions for Reflection

1.  The Psalm reminds us not to be 'disturbed' by worldly issues or things

that are vain.  Speak about how you are doing along your faith journey 

so that you put God first in your life.

2.  Our psalmist sings about how we may obtain true inner peace, "Only in God 

be at rest, my soul."  Explain how you are able to obtain inner peace and healing 

by trusting only in God.

 

 

Psalm for Sunday, February 19, 2017

Reflections

Psalm 103: 1-2, 3-4, 8, 10, 12-13  (Read)

“The Lord redeems your life from destruction, 

crowns you with kindness and compassion.”

Our psalmist sings the praises 

of a divine and loving God, who 

surrounds us with compassion, 

pardons our sins, heals our ills.

He nurses no lasting anger; 

He has not dealt with us as our 

sins deserve. Our duty is to 

remain faithful to the Lord, and 

to treat His anointed ones with 

love and compassion, as He 

would do.

This Sunday's Gospel teaches 

a powerful and difficult lesson – 

we are to be merciful to our

enemies by imitating the Father.  

(Matthew 5: 43-48)

And the Psalm tells us how to do this, 

by being “Merciful and gracious, slow 

to anger and abounding in kindness.”

Who can love their enemies, and do 

good to them?  It will be difficult if we 

allow our earthly nature to rule us. 

Just as “God has not dealt with us

as our sins merit,” so must we imitate 

God and have compassion on those 

we would typically want to condemn.

We cannot imitate God without a share 

in Christ’s divinity, and in turn being 

empowered by the Holy Spirit within us.  

Only then will we have the kind of 

compassion the psalmist speaks about, 

“As a father has compassion on his 

children, so the Lord has compassion 

on the faithful.”

If we love the Lord, it will show in our hearts, 

and the old things will then pass away.  

The Psalm says it well: “As far as the east 

is from the west, so far has He put our 

transgressions behind us.”

Amen

 
Discussion Questions for Reflection

1.  Our Psalm speaks of a loving and compassionate God, who does not deal with us 

according to our sins.   Are you able to treat those who have harmed you in the same way?  Explain.

2.  The verses of the Psalm remind us of the power of the Sacrament of Reconciliation,

"As far as the east is from the west, so far has He put our transgressions behind us."  

Relate how the Sacrament works for you to put your sins behind you.

Psalm for Sunday, February 12, 2017

Reflections  

            (by J. Kim)

   
Psalm 119: 1-2, 4-5, 17-18, 33-34  (Read)

“Blessed are they who follow the law 
of the Lord.”

Our psalmist is in prayer asking for many 
things.  He asks, "Open my eyes, that I may 
consider the wonders of your law."  We may 
not think of the law as wonderful, but rather 
may consider it restrictive and harsh, but if 
we learn to do His will, we find that we are 
liberated, set free from the sin that drags 
us down.  We choose life instead of death.

The Lord reveals to us very clearly how to 
live a life that is "happy" and full of peace.  
"Happy are those who observe God's 
decrees, who seek the Lord with all their 
heart." 

However, with man's sinful nature, we are 
likely to fall far short.  God never intended 
to justify anyone through the Law of Moses.  
Rather, the law shows us where we are sinful. 
Fortunately for us, God sent his son among us

to redeem us from those sins  

If we are not sure where sin lurks in our lives, 
then our prayer becomes the words of the 
psalmist, “Give me discernment, that I may 
observe your law and keep it with all my heart.”

The closer we walk with the Lord, the brighter 
He shines his goodness into the darkest corners 
of our minds and hearts.  And it's exactly the 
purity of our innermost thoughts and motives 
that matters most to the Lord.  Even the Scribes 
and Pharisees were good at following the law 
with their actions.  The Gospel asks us to delve 
further than that, and make following the law 
about the condition of our inner selves.

(Matthew 5: 17-37)

Amen

Discussion Questions for Reflection 

1.  Our psalmist affirms that those who walk in the law of the Lord,  those who 
observe His decrees, will be happy and blessed.   Based on your own experience, 
how does our Savior lift you back up and restore you when you  stumble?

 2.  The Psalm's verses petition the Lord to instruct us in the way of His  statutes.  
Tell of how you receive guidance and discernment from the Lord that will help you 
observe His law and keep it with all your heart.

Psalm for Sunday, February 5, 2017

Reflections

Psalm 112:  4-5, 6-7, 8-9  (Read)

“Light shines through the darkness

to the upright.”

The Psalm inspires us to have 

a right relationship with the Lord 

by becoming 'upright.'   

Having done so, having delighted

in God's commands, we begin to 

imitate Him and treat our brothers 

and sisters as He would do.

“Light shines through the darkness 

to the upright; he is gracious and 

merciful and just.”  These are 

heavenly qualities (being gracious, 

and merciful and just), and having 

God's light in our hearts

inspires us to do good works,

to “conduct our affairs with justice,”

“give to the poor lavishly.”

And as we measure out a good 

and generous measure, our measure 

is returned to us many times over.  

As the Psalm says, we will be lifted up 

from within; our "horn shall be exalted 

in glory."

Amen

 
Discussion Questions for Reflection

1.  The Psalm's verses are in keeping with this Sunday's Gospel
and the reading from Isaiah.  All three affirm that we people of
faith are the 'light of the world' and are motivated to do good deeds.  
Give an example of how your light shines through in the darkness.

2.  Our psalmist speaks of a man whose 'heart is firm, trusting in
the Lord,' whose 'heart is steadfast.'   In our world today, what makes 
you firm of heart and trusting in the Lord?

 

Psalm for Sunday, January 29, 2017

Reflections

Psalm 146: 6-7, 8-9, 9-10  (Read)

"Blessed are the poor in spirit."

The Psalm is about trusting in God,
the one who made us. “Happy those 

whose hope is in the Lord, the maker 
of heaven and earth.”  Why do we 
trust in God and not princes of this 
world?  Because, “He keeps faith 
forever,” and, “He gives food to the 
hungry."  Who among us is not hungry
for a closer relationship with The Lord?

In Sunday's first reading, the prophet 

Zephaniah tells us to “Seek the Lord 
all you humble of the earth.” 
(Zephaniah 2: 3)    
St Paul in our second reading assures 
us, God is not going to call the wise, 
the powerful, or those of noble birth.
Rather, he calls the lowly, the weak, 

to shame the strong. 
(1 Corinthians 1: 26-28)

The message is clear – The Psalm is 
telling us we really need to humble ourselves
if we want to be raised up with Him. 
That may be hard to do if it means we have 

to swallow our pride and put aside worldly 
concerns.  But it we truly want to be set free
from the sins that bind us, then we need to 

repent and bow down before the Lord and 
seek his grace.  Where else are the promises
of our God fulfilled but in the healing 
ministry of Jesus?  Who else has the grace 

and the mercy to heal us?

So we can pray this Psalm, not only in honor 

of the heavenly Father, but also in honor of 
Christ, whom God exalted. “The Lord shall 
reign forever, through all generations.”

Amen

Discussion Questions for Reflection

1.  Our psalmist says, "The Lord sets captives free."   In what ways are you captive,
and how has the Lord set you free?

2.  The Psalm proclaims, "The Lord gives sight to the blind."  In what areas of your
life were you not able to see things clearly, and give an example of how the Lord
has enabled you to regain your sight.
 

Psalm for Sunday, January 22, 2017

Reflections

Psalm 27: 1, 4, 13-14  (Read)

“The Lord is my light and my salvation.”

The Psalm is about trusting the 
Lord and our desire to spend 
the rest of our days in His 
presence. The Psalm says, 
"One thing I ask of the Lord; 
this I seek: to dwell in the

house of the Lord all the days 
of my life.”

Perhaps this desire to be with 
the Lord is what inspired Simon 
Peter and his brother Andrew 
that day by the Sea of Galilee, 
when they left their father and 
their nets to follow Jesus and 
be his disciples (Sunday's Gospel).
Surely, Peter and Andrew recognized 
Jesus as their own personal light 
and their own personal Savior.  
As the Psalm says, "The Lord is 
my light and my salvation."

As we grow older, we too take steps 
on our journey to be with the Lord, 
to enter His house.  Recall that Jesus 
said, “My house has many mansions.”  
It is no accident that older people
want to go to daily Mass and be with 
the Lord as much as possible.  They 
are called to that promise of eternal 
joy when they may “gaze on the 
loveliness of the Lord” all the days 
of their lives.

Amen

Discussion Questions for Reflection

1.  Two verses of the Psalm assure us that we should not fear, or be afraid 
of anyone, so long as the Lord is our refuge and our salvation.  How do you 
apply these verses to your daily life?

2.  Our psalmist asks, "To dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life 
that I may gaze on the loveliness of the Lord."   Where is the house of the Lord,
and how do you believe you will get there?