Reflections
Psalm 118: 1-2, 16-17, 22-23
This is an Easter song that marks
the procession of the pilgrims going up
to Jerusalem for the feast of Tabernacles.
The Psalm begins with a call to praise
that starts the procession.
“Give thanks to the Lord …
whose love endures forever.”
The procession sings a hymn
of thanksgiving along the way.
Israel is continuously put to the test,
humbled and then delivered.
In so doing Israel discovers its calling
to be a people of God
and to bear witness to the nations.
Jesus makes this calling his own,
and in the Psalm we read in advance
of the mystery of Christ,
who is rejected and then exalted,
and who becomes the foundation stone
of the new People of God --
“I shall not die, but live.
And declare the works of the Lord.”
As the psalmist says, “The right hand
of the Lord has struck with power;
the right hand of the Lord is exalted.”
Our days of mocking our Savior are over;
we no longer hurl insults at him.
“The stone the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone.”
Our savior has risen.
“By the Lord has this been done;
It is wonderful in our eyes.”
Amen
Discussion Questions for Reflection
1. Our Response is, "This is the day the Lord has made;
let us rejoice and be glad." On this Easter Sunday,
explain what is the basis of your joy and gladness and how your
life is affected by our exalted Savior.
2. Our Lord, rejected by the 'builders' of his time,
has become the 'cornerstone' of our lives. What does it mean
to you to build your faith on the resurrection of Jesus?
My joy comes from the actions, of my saviour, He taught Love, He taught forgiveness and He taught hope. He taught His followers to go out and tell them about His Father and you will have Salvation.
ReplyDeleteI have followed His teachings and acted upon them and have found His peace, His Love and His Hope. This has caused me to feel Joy beyond earthly measure.
Without His resurrection (celebrated by Easter), there cannot be salvation. This is the cause for our joy.
ReplyDeleteHence Easter marks/reaffirms our salvation through Jesus. This is the cornerstone of our Faith.
David
In the Resurrection of the Lord, Jesus has conquered sin and death. We now have His truth and Love as our guides and we have eternal Salvation as our future. We now need to let everyone we know of His truth and salvation. I send you in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit: Amen
ReplyDeleteMy joy comes from the actions of my Savior. He taught Love, He taught forgiveness and He taught hope. He taught His followers to go out and tell people about His Father and you will have Salvation.
ReplyDeleteI have followed His teachings and acted upon them and have found His peace, His Love and His Hope. This has caused me to feel Joy beyond earthly measure.
Without His resurrection (celebrated by Easter), there cannot be salvation. This is the cause for our joy.
ReplyDeleteHence Easter marks/reaffirms our salvation through Jesus. This is the cornerstone of our Faith.
In the Resurrection of the Lord, Jesus has conquered sin and death. We now have His truth and Love as our guides and we have eternal Salvation as our future. We now need to let everyone we know of His truth and salvation. I send you in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit: Amen
ReplyDeleteHappy/joyful Easter! ..... Easter is the reason. We all know that life on this earth,as we know it, is not "fair" or "just". Corrupt/bad people are seemingly rewarded, and often, seemingly "good" people are not. We do the best we can, and if we're Catholic or Christian..........we believe in faith and good works. And I believe, that for the most part, that will enable us to have a rewarding life, on this earth and a glorious eternal life with God. EASTER GIVES US A REASON TO HOPE FOR A SUPERIOR ETERNAL LIFE. We should all be grateful that our God is a merciful God........how many of us would make it, if He is/was a " strictly a just" God?
ReplyDelete