Celebrate the Psalms: Psalm for Sunday, January 26, 2014

Monday, January 20, 2014

Psalm for Sunday, January 26, 2014

Reflections

Psalm 27: 1, 4, 13-14 (Read)

"The Lord is my life's refuge."

The Psalm is about trusting the Lord
and our desire to spend the rest of our days
in His presence. The Psalm says, "One thing
I ask of the Lord; this I seek: to dwell in the
house of the Lord all the days of my life."

Perhaps this desire to be with the Lord
is what inspired Simon Peter and his brother
Andrew that day by the Sea of Galilee, when
they left their father and their nets to follow
Jesus and be his disciples (Sunday's Gospel).
Surely, Peter and Andrew recognized Jesus
as their own personal light and their own
personal Savior.   As the Psalm says,
"The Lord is my light and my salvation."

As we grow older, we too take steps on our
journey to be with the Lord, to enter His house.
Recall that Jesus said, “My house has many
mansions.” It is no accident that older people
want to go to daily Mass and be with the Lord
as much as possible. They are called to that
promise of eternal joy when they may “gaze on
the loveliness of the Lord” all the days of their lives.

Amen

Discussion Questions for Reflection

1. Two verses of the Psalm assure us that we
should not fear, or be afraid of anyone, so long
as the Lord is our refuge and our salvation. How
do you apply these verses to your daily life?

2. Our psalmist asks, "To dwell in the house of
the Lord all the days of my life that I may gaze on the
loveliness of the Lord."   Where is the house of the Lord,
and how do you believe you will get there?

1 comment:

Tim5:27 PM
In theory, it's a lot easier for an older person to drop EVERYTHING and follow the Lord all the days of our lives....no young children, no work, etc....it's so much easier to say, "why not?" It must have been very difficult for the young fishermen who were in the prime of their lives to give it all up and follow Christ.
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Studying the Psalms

The Psalms are a powerful part of the Mass and are often overlooked in Catholic Bible studies. I believe the Psalms should be studied in relation to the Gospel and the other scripture readings of the Mass, and we should attempt to see how the Psalms tie in to the teaching of the day.

The Psalms, although written thousands of years ago and well before the time of Christ, are alive, and speak powerfully to each of us. These reflections that appear in these pages talk of how we apply the verses of the Psalms to our everyday life and how the Psalms can inspire us, convict us, teach us, and strengthen our faith.

About Barry Lamont

As an adult convert, Barry was baptized nearly 40 years ago in Boston, along with his wife and his two daughters.
His eyes were opened, and he recognized Jesus as the way to his salvation and as the way to ensure the spiritual well being
of his wife and his children. He is now a daily communicant.

Barry realizes there is a spiritual battle going on all around him, and he needs all the weapons that his faith provides.
Scripture says the sword of the spirit is the Word of God.
Barry believes the Word is a powerful instrument of God that
can purify and strengthen him, and guide him.

Following his retirement some ten years ago, Barry began to study the Sunday readings as a member of the Bread of Life Bible Study. He was inspired to celebrate the Psalms as a way of doing the Lord's work. Armed with the power of the Word, Barry believes he is better equipped to do the will of the Lord, who speaks to us through the verses of the Psalms. The Bible says, “It was I who chose you.” Barry now has a job from which he will not be retiring.