Reflections
Psalm 16: 5, 8, 9-10, 11
“With the Lord at my right hand,
I shall never be shaken.”
This psalm of David speaks to us
about a belief in an everlasting life
with God. “Lord, my allotted
portion and my cup, you have made
my destiny secure.”
The psalmist takes refuge in the Lord --
“With the Lord at my right hand,
I shall never be shaken … my body
also dwells secure.”
The distress that the prophet Daniel
speaks about in our lst reading is
overcome by the assurance in the psalm
that the Lord will not abandon his
people (us). “For you will not abandon
my soul to the netherworld, nor let your
faithful servant see the pit.”
Finally, we can understand the last
verses as a prophecy of the resurrection
of Christ, with the full expectation of the
glorious day when we will see God’s son
seated at the right hand of the Father.
“You will show me the path to life,
abounding joy in your presence,
the delights at your right hand forever.”
These same verses are quoted by
St. Peter in his speech to the Israelites
at Pentecost. Peter also uses the psalm
as a prophecy that Jesus would be
raised up and would sit at the right
hand of the Father. For us these are
encouraging words, with a promise
that we too can look forward to being
lifted up and spending the rest of our
days in the presence of the Lord.
The Lord promises, if we are his faithful
servants, that we will not have to see the pit;
He will not abandon us. As David says,
this is enough to make our hearts glad
and our souls rejoice.
Amen
Discussion Questions for Reflection
1. Our psalmist says that he will not be shaken or disturbed
so long as the Lord is with him at his right hand. Speak of how
the Lord enables you to be strong, so that your faith cannot be shaken.
2. The Psalm says that the Lord will show us the path to life.
Explain what this verse means to you.
2. The Catholic bible has many great stories of how the Lord, through example and teachings in the New Testament show us how to reach our ultimate destination: Heaven. Many stories in the Old Testament show how even after GOD delivered the people from slavery they went back to their old ways and didn't heed His warnings through the prophets, which I liken to our modern day lives. We need to study the bible, attend bible study,help the poor and live our faith.
ReplyDelete2. The Catholic bible has many great stories of how the Lord, through example and teachings in the New Testament, shows us how to reach our ultimate destination: Heaven. Many stories in the Old Testament show how even after GOD delivered the people from slavery, they went back to their old ways and didn't heed His warnings through the prophets, which I liken to our modern day lives. We need to study the bible, attend bible study, help the poor, and live our faith.
ReplyDeleteI believe the key is that the Lord "will show us the path to life." And, we should NOT doubt that He will. We cannot see into the future or know why bad things happen, people are elected, or not elected etc. etc. Sometimes it is very difficult to accept. However, it's not up to us to challenge God......what He allows to happen is according to His divine plan. But we should never forget that we are His hands, feet, voice etc. It's important for us to listen and act responsibly in accordance with His plan.
ReplyDeletePsalmist David trusts God's love and feels a sense of security in Him. God's right hand holds him tight so that he'll not be shaken; God never lets a faithful servant see the pit. The risen Lord will lift us up; He'll neither forget nor abandon us. Instead, He'll bring us life - even though we have a fear of death. He'll show us the path of life. He'll fill us with joy and delight as we look forward to spend the rest of our days in the presence of the Lord, which makes our hearts glad and our souls rejoice. We believers seek God's help so that we can make a right decision and live the way God desires. And so we will have an inheritance as coheirs with eternal pleasures at His right hand.
ReplyDeleteGod is the force that people hang onto in our lives. It is something that no matter what, we always have God as an option for us and in our lives. I feel strengthened by the good I see in people. I can see how God is in each person. It reminds me that God is everywhere and He is always there to keep you safe.
ReplyDelete