Psalm for Sunday, January 5, 2014

 
Reflections

Psalm 72:  1-2, 7-8, 10-11, 12-13 (Read)

 
 








 “Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.”

The Psalm is a prayer for our newborn King,
a Messiah who will be like the “rain coming
down upon the fields, like showers watering
the earth.”  Our psalmist prays that our
newborn King will be anointed by God with
divine judgment and empowered to rule the earth.

The prophet Isaiah in our 1st reading predicts
that the light of the Lord will cause our hearts
to overflow, and the riches of the sea to be
emptied out before us.  Our psalmist also speaks
of abundance that will flourish in the King's days.
But the Messiah is among us, to do more than
bless us materially; the Savior has come to make
our burdens easy, to share our afflictions.
“The lives of the poor He shall save.”

We see the light, just as the prophet Isaiah said
we would.  In the Psalm, the mystery is revealed
to us, poor in spirit though we are:
“He rescues the poor when they cry out [as we do],
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,
"Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.”

Amen


Discussion Questions for Reflection

1.  The Psalm says that 'profound peace' will flower
when our newborn King arrives.   Speak of what this
verse means to you and how you gain inner peace and
strength from the arrival of our Savior.

2.  Our psalmist writes that the King will save the lives
of the poor and rescue the afflicted.   Give an example
of how you have been healed by our Lord physically,
spiritually, or emotionally.