Reflections
Psalm 96: 1-2, 2-3, 7-8, 9-10
“Give to the Lord the glory due his name!”
This psalm is a song of Israel, the chosen people, brought back
from exile. Their joy and praise
is understandable; in our 1st reading
(Isaiah) God calls them “His Delight,
His Espoused.” No wonder they
want to “sing to the Lord a new song,”
and tell of God’s glory and His
marvelous deeds.
We are all summoned to adoration
of our sovereign God. We are called
to give Him “glory and might, as our
psalmist says. And we are called
to bring gifts as we enter His courts.
But no matter how precious our own
offerings may be, they are no match
for the gifts of the Spirit that each
of us receives, and which St. Paul speaks
about in our 2nd reading. Each of us
receives these spiritual gifts individually,
and they are given through the Spirit to us
for 'some benefit.'
In this week's Gospel our Lord Jesus uses
His marvelous gifts to turn water into wine
at the wedding in Cana, and so reveals
His glory. Even today the Lord provides
real food and real drink for us, in the
Eucharist. What better nourishment
could there be in our lives? As the psalm
says, we are called to be grateful and
“give to the Lord the glory due His name,”
to bow down to the Lord and to tremble
before Him.
Amen
Discussion Questions for Reflection
1. Our psalmist encourages us to 'Sing to the Lord a new song."
What is it about your faith that makes you want to sing praise to the Lord?
2. The Psalm urges us to 'Proclaim His marvelous deeds to all the nations.'
How will you go about proclaiming the Gospel to those around you in your
family and your community?
"the spiritual gifts that we receive".........Each of us is different and unique with very special talents that God has given us. Our goal in this life is to match up our special talents with God's plan and purpose for us. The lucky few are able to identify their talents early on, grow them, and match them up with God's plan. Oh, what a blessing! "These are the gifts we can bring to His court."
ReplyDeleteSome religions are like a hairshirt and very demanding. What a blessing it is, that we have all found the Catholic religion and live in this country and in these times. We are indeed fortunate, and God blessed.
From the beginning, I was confused about the definition of Faith. The Bible says that our faith comes from hearing of the Word. But as far as I'm concerned, faith is a gift from God, the most precious gift of all. I learned through my faith journey I could develop my faith putting my trust in God and reading the Scriptures. I could give praise and glory to God either in time of hardship or in time of joyfulness. That is faith. But without faith we can't please Him. By faith we could receive things from God and by faith we could be healed, and He makes us whole. I have learned that everything we receive from God comes by Faith. His saving power is at work through an individual's faith.
ReplyDeleteAt the wedding in Cana, He turned pure water into real wine. It was a miracle. He did wonders.
Nothing is impossible for Him. He revealed His glory--He is the Son of God who is faithful and is full of compassion towards us. Even though His time had not arrived yet, He was obedient to His Mother. He provides for our needs. Moreover, He cares about our Salvation. With my faith I am able to help build the kingdom of God, reaching out to those needy in love. I proclaim His wonderful deeds wherever I go.