Reflections
Psalm 72: 1-2, 7-8, 10-11, 12-13
“All kings shall pay him homage,
all nations shall serve him.”
Our psalmist speaks about a
perfect king – a king who judges
like God, governs his people with
justice, his oppressed with right
judgment. But where is such a king
to be found? Not likely among the
kings of Israel.
The psalm speaks of a king that is
to live as long as the sun endures,
like the moon through all generations.
So there is a mystery about him –
“He rules from sea to sea, from the
river to the ends of the earth.”
The verses of the psalm recall for us
the Epiphany – “The Kings of Tarshish
and the Isles shall offer gifts; the kings
of Arabia and Seba shall bring tribute.”
[as in today's Gospel].
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.”
We see the light, just as the prophet
Isaiah said we would in our 1st reading.
The mystery is revealed to us, poor in
spirit though we are: “He rescues the poor
when they cry out, the afflicted who
have no one to help.” This is what our
Good Shepherd, Jesus, is sent to do,
to shepherd God’s people. This is why
we join the magi in paying homage
to our newborn King and join with our
psalmist in singing, "Blessed be the Lord;
Blessed be His glorious name."
Amen
Discussion Questions for Reflection
1. Our psalmist describes a powerful king who
will rule from sea to sea. Yet this king stoops
to rescue the afflicted and has pity on the lowly
and the poor. In what way do these verses speak
to you about the coming of our Savior?
2. The psalm mentions that all the kings of the
civilized world shall offer gifts to this newly endowed
king. Are you also inspired to bring tribute to our
newborn Savior, and what sort of gift will you offer?
I wish we had a sitting President/Leader just as you've described. Like so many others, I truly don't know what to believe any more from our media, local, State and National politicians, etc. Life here in Emerald Heights is good, but I'm ready for the 2nd coming!
ReplyDeleteWhat can we give back?....How about by being part of the solution and not part of the problem. How about by giving our time, treasure and talent? By leading by example, and by supporting good leadership.
ReplyDeleteThe scene of the Epiphany, the three wise men's journey to look for a newborn baby, the Messiah,and pay homage to Him, was a mystery to me. I kept asking myself why they had to trouble themselves to come all the way from afar to visit a baby, offering gifts and bringing tribute. Now I came to realize that they recognized Him as our Messiah who will rule us with righteousness and justice. And He is sent to us by God to shepherd God's people. He'll deliver the poor, afflicted and oppressed. He'll redeem us from the chains of Satan. He is the only one who can save us. And so I join with our psalmist in singing His glorious name, and saying Amen, Amen. He has already come once. Even though He is with us, I'm looking forward to His 2nd Coming as well. Because there will be no more tears, no more suffering and no more dying when He returns. His kingdom will extend forever to the ends of the earth. It fills me with hope.
In the meantime, I think I'll offer Him my time - to serve and to reach out to love my neighbors with a willing heart, especially to my husband, children, and relatives who need my help, my comfort and my material support. This will be my gift to our newborn Savior. God will be my first priority in everything I do.