Psalm for Sunday, December 21, 2025

Reflections                                                              

  

Psalm 24: 1-2, 3-4, 5-6   (Read)

“Who may go up the mountain of the Lord?
Who can stand in His holy place?”

The psalm is about a journey to a holy 
place.  It is a place where we will meet 
the Lord.  But we are asked, “Who can 
ascend the mountain of the Lord?  Who 
may stand in His holy place?”

During Advent we become aware that 
although we may not have to climb a holy 
mountain to meet the Lord, we must prepare 
to receive Him in our hearts.  In fact the Psalm
is guiding us to prepare ourselves from within, 
so that we are made ready to receive Him 
when He comes.

This is what our Advent time is about --
preparing ourselves to receive the Lord.
Just as St Paul in our 2nd reading was made ready
to receive “The grace of apostleship,” we too are
called to open our hearts to the Lord.
(Romans 1: 1-7)

What must we do?
We must cleanse our hearts.
The verses of the Psalm say, “The clean of hand
and pure of heart who has not given his soul to
useless things … will receive blessings from the Lord.”
We are all unworthy to be in the Lord's presence,
but at least we can cleanse ourselves through Confession,
and bathe in the Word.  That is how we show our love
for the Lord.

The Psalm calls for the coming of the king of glory,
just as the Gospel calls for the birth of Jesus. (Matthew 1: 18-24)
Who will enter His kingdom?  Our psalmist tells us
that those who love the Lord and those who seek
God's face will receive their reward from God our Savior.

Amen

Discussion Questions for Reflection
 
1.  The Psalm Response asks us, "Let the Lord enter;
He is the king of glory."   How do you prepare yourself
during Advent so that the king of glory can enter your heart?

2.  Our psalmist speaks of a people that seeks the Lord,
that seeks the face of God.   Describe what you are doing
to seek out the Lord in your family and in your community.

Psalm for Sunday, December 14, 2025

 

Reflections
 

Psalm 146: 6-7, 8-9, 9-10   (Read)

“The Lord God keeps faith forever.”

The Psalm tells us that our long journey of waiting and petitioning the Lord has come to an end.  For us, then, the Psalm is about the time of Advent, when the promises of Isaiah and the other prophets 
are fulfilled. (Isaiah 35: 1-6, 10)
The coming of Jesus means for us that we who are afflicted will be set free; we who are hungry will receive real food.

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

And, “The Lord gives sight to the blind.”
Our eyes are opened when we enter the 
kingdom.  St James tells us that our patience 
will be rewarded.  (James 5: 7-10)
And the psalm confirms this, “The Lord raises 
up those who are bowed down.” 
We are raised up with the Lord Jesus.

Our psalmist sings about God's promises to the
oppressed, the hungry, the prisoner, the blind,
and those who are bowed down in one way or
another.  We could all benefit by being set free
in the Spirit or healed, so that we are no longer
blinded.   Then we too would no longer be lame,
but would be able to leap like a stag as the
prophet Isaiah promises. (Isaiah 35: 6)

And how are the promises of the psalmist fulfilled?
Where else but in the healing ministry of Jesus,
as the Gospel tells us.  (Matthew 11: 2-11)
Who else has the grace and the mercy to heal us?

Advent is our time to be joyful.  The coming of
the Messiah opens up a new time for us, a time
of promise.  We can celebrate with our psalmist,
“The Lord shall reign forever; your God, Zion,
through all generations!  Hallelujah!”

Amen


Discussion Questions for Reflection

1.  The Psalm's verses speak of a hopeful time when our God
will come and save us.  Tell of what it means to you to trust in
the Lord, to be set free, and to be raised up.

2.  Our psalmist promises that the Lord will give food to the
hungry.  Speak of your hunger for a closer relationship with the
Lord, and how you expect to receive real food this Advent.

Psalm for Sunday, December 7, 2025

Reflections

Psalm 72: 1-2, 7-8, 12-13, 17   (Read)

“May He rule from sea to sea, and 
from the River to the ends of the earth.” 

Our psalmist speaks about a 
perfect king – a king who judges like God, 
governs His people with justice, His afflicted 
with right judgment.  The psalm's verses speak 
of a king that is to live as long as the sun endures,
like the moon through all generations.

The more we read the Psalm, the more it tells us
about the Messiah to come – “May all kings bow
before him, all nations serve him.” He is to fulfill
all the hopes placed upon Him by the prophets. 
And, “The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him,”
as Isaiah says beautifully in this Sunday's 1st reading. 

Only the expected Messiah can receive from God 
the wisdom and judgment to govern the people with
justice.  The Messiah brings great prosperity and 
rules the promised land from sea to sea.

The Psalm's verses recall for us our Savior's
promises, to rescue us when we cry out and save us 
when we are oppressed.  He lifts us up when we are
poor in spirit.

We see the light -- the Messiah is revealed to us Christians 
as Christ our King.  “May His name be blessed forever;
as long as the sun His name shall remain.”

Amen

 
Discussion Questions for Reflection

1.  This Sunday's Psalm speaks of the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, 
who is to be endowed by God as a just King.   Describe how you will
make room for the Lord in your life so that He may govern how you conduct 
yourself this Advent season.

2.  Our psalmist writes about the profound peace that will flourish when the 
Messiah arrives.   Tell of how you will receive the Lord's peace during Advent 
and how this will affect your life.

Psalm for Sunday, November 30, 2025

 

Reflections

Psalm 122: 1-2, 3-4, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9    (Read)

“I rejoiced when they said to me, 

'Let us go up to the house of the Lord.”

This Sunday we revisit this Psalm that sings of a 

spiritual journey to the house of the Lord, the holy 

city of Jerusalem.  In Sunday’s first reading the 

prophet Isaiah also speaks about a journey to Zion, 

to the house of God, and to God’s holy mountain. 

(Isaiah 2: 2-3)   We too are called to make that 

same journey, that we may walk in His paths. 

Our psalmist says, “Our feet are standing within 

your gates, Jerusalem.” 

But why are we called to make that journey?

Firstly, we stand with the Israelites who already 

dream of gathering together at some future time.

But secondly, for us as Christians, the psalm is a 

vision of the end times, when our spiritual 

pilgrimage leads us from earth to heaven.

Our psalmist says we are called to give thanks 

to the name of the Lord, but we note also there 

are set up judgment seats at our destination.

For our journey ends where God resides, His 

kingdom of heaven, and we must be prepared 

to be in His presence. 

St Paul, in Sunday’s second reading,

cautions us to throw off the works of darkness, 

and to put on the armor of light, to conduct 

ourselves properly as in the day, to put on the

Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 13: 12-14)

Jesus himself says in this  Sunday's Gospel ,

“You must be prepared, for at an hour you do 

 not expect, the Son of Man will come.”

(Matthew 24:44)

Jerusalem in the Psalm symbolizes for us the 

end of our journey, being present with the Lord. 

This is what God has planned for His people --

When we arrive in God's holy city, the kingdom 

of God will come to us in its fullness, and we will 

live in peace. As the psalmist tells us, we will be 

filled with a desire to say, "Peace be with you,

I will pray for your good.”

Amen

Discussion Questions for Reflection

  
1.  As we begin a new season of Advent, the Psalm  encourages us to be prepared for the time when we  will be in God's kingdom and He will be present to us.   Speak about what you are doing to prepare yourself  to be in God's holy city.

2.  As we prepare to receive the Prince of Peace within  our midst, our psalmist asks us to pray for peace within  the walls of the holy city and within ourselves.  What are you doing to ensure that you have peace within you and  how are you conveying your peace to others around you?

Psalm for Sunday, November 23, 2025

 

Reflections 

Psalm 122: 1-2, 3-4, 4-5   (Read)

 

“We will go up to the house of the Lord.”

The Psalm is about a pilgrimage to the holy  city of Jerusalem. “Let us go to the house of the Lord.” And for us it may also be about  a spiritual journey that we must embark upon if we are to enter the Lord’s kingdom and be present to the King of Kings.

For us the way is clear -- we have only to follow God's beloved Son, our Savior.  For just as God chose David to be the shepherd for his chosen people (2 Samuel 5:2), so God chose his Son Jesus to lead us to redemption.  And as St Paul says, the Father saw to it that we would be transferred to the kingdom of his beloved Son. (Colossians 1:13,14)

The gate is narrow, but as the psalmist says, 
“And now our feet are standing within your 
gates, Jerusalem.” Now we too have a share 
in Christ’s inheritance.

And what draws us to make the journey 
through the narrow gate?  We seek to be with 
the Lord, just as did St Dismas, the thief who
was crucified with Jesus on Calvary. 
Sunday’s Gospel quotes St Dismas
when he says, “Jesus, remember me when you 
come into your kingdom.” 
The Lord replies, “Today you will be with me
in Paradise.” (Luke 23:42-43)

This is our goal, too – to complete that pilgrimage 
the psalmist speaks about, to reach that 
holy city where are the “thrones of justice, the 
thrones of the house of David.”

Jerusalem in the Psalm symbolizes for us 
the end of our journey, being present with the Lord.
This is what God has planned for his people.

Amen

Discussion Questions for Reflection

1.  Our Psalm speaks of a journey to the Lord's kingdom.   What progress are you making along the way on your own journey to the Lord's holy city?

2.  The psalmist mentions that he has set foot within the gates of Jerusalem.  Describe your decision to walk the walk and go through the narrow gate that leads to redemption and a share in our Lord's inheritance.