Psalm for Sunday, October 28, 2012

 Reflections

Psalm 126:  1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 6

"Those who go forth weeping,
carrying the seed to be sown, 
shall come back rejoicing, carrying
their sheaves."

The Psalm celebrates the reversal
of Israel’s fortune, and return
from exile, which could not have
occurred without God’s intervention.
The verses reflect praise for what
the Lord has done.  “The Lord has
done great things for them.”
The Lord did a great thing for
the Israelites when he “restored
the fortunes of Zion,” as the
psalmist says, and freed the
remnant from exile. 

The Psalm is also a petition asking
the Lord to look after the future
of the remnant.  And there is an
expectation that God will guide
them in achieving prosperity. 
“Restore again our fortunes,
Lord, like the dry stream beds
of the Negev.” This calls to mind
our lst reading in Jeremiah,
where God promises to lead the
remnant to brooks of water,
so that a good harvest is assured.
We too are looking for that water
which restores, and renews,
cleanses us and purifies us, that
living water which satisfies our
spiritual thirst.

The Psalm also reminds us that
the truly great thing the Lord has
done for us is to send his only
begotten son to be by our side.
Jesus’ presence is a guarantee
of a spiritual harvest that leads
to our own salvation.  Just as the
blind man in the Gospel is healed
by his own faith, the Lord promises
us a transition from a sinful existence
to a world of joy.

The Psalm says it well, “Those who
go forth weeping, carrying the seed
to be sown, shall come back rejoicing,
carrying their sheaves.”  And therein
lies a lesson for us – to let go of our
own baggage, and pick up the Lord’s
burden, where we know his yoke is easy.

Whatever type of spiritual exile
may discourage us or imprison us,
Jesus shows us a way out.  God is in
the business of deliverance and
as Jeremiah confirms in our 1st reading,
we go among the blind and the lame
to the promised land. 

We carry our sacks with us and
from those seeds that we sow is
contained the promise of new life,
the reversal of whatever misfortune
may trouble us.  When the harvest
comes in, we can join with the
psalmist and sing, "Our mouths are filled
with laughter, our tongues sing for joy.”

Amen


Discussion Questions for Reflection

1.  The Psalm alludes to a reversal of spiritual
exile that may apply to people like us.  Tell of how
the Lord has brought you back from a time of being
distant from Him.

2.  Our psalmist suggests that we carry the seeds of
our own salvation even while we go forth weeping.
Speak of how your faith has saved you, when you
looked to the Lord for healing.