Celebrate the Psalms: Psalm for Sunday, July 27, 2014

Monday, July 21, 2014

Psalm for Sunday, July 27, 2014

Reflections

Psalm 119: 57, 72, 76-77, 127-128, 129-130 (Read)

"Wonderful are your decrees; therefore I observe them."

Our psalmist is in prayer, expressing his love
for the Lord's commands, and promising to keep
His words.

We may not have the wisdom of Solomon,
but we have enough discernment to recognize
how powerful the Lord's decrees can be in our
spiritual lives.    Just as the law of the Lord
is precious to our psalmist, so too is the law
of the Lord central to our lives and to our faith.

Our psalmist says that the Lord's decrees are
wonderful, and therefore he observes them.
We may not always think of the law as wonderful,
(some people may consider it restrictive), but
if we learn to do His will, we find that we are
liberated, set free from the sin that drags us down.
We choose life instead of death.

Doing God's will (keeping his commandments)
isn't easy, but having received His grace, and having
been granted discernment to know right from wrong,
good from evil, we can follow Him with conviction.
Our 'yes' will mean 'yes' to the Lord; and our 'no'
will mean 'no' to the devil and his minions.

Having decided to do His will, we take delight in
keeping His statutes; they are like honey to us.
And the blessings we receive are part of what
God has prepared for those who love him.

Amen

Discussion Questions for Reflection

1. Our psalmist says he observes the Lord's commandments
because they are wonderful and they shed light.   Explain why
you are committed to follow the Lord's decrees.

2. The Psalm assures us that we go forward if we follow God's
precepts, and in so doing we avoid every false way. Speak of
how God's commandments protect you on your journey of faith
and draw you closer to God.

2 comments:

Tim9:40 PM
HOW HAS GOD EMPOWERED YOU TO DO HIS WORK? MY NEIGHBOR, LORIE, AND I, ARE ORGANIZING A COMBINATION FOOD DRIVE/COLLECTION OF PERSONAL HYGIENE ITEMS FOR INTERFAITH AT THE VALLEY VIEW RANCH, FROM 9:00AM TILL NOON ON SATURDAY, JULY 26TH, OVER IN VALLEY CENTER. HOPEFULLY, LORIE’S DAUGHTER,CHEYENNE (16) WILL BE THERE WITH A BUNCH OF FRIENDS.
I TRY TO BE A GOOD CHRISTIAN NEIGHBOR AND FRIEND.

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Beth11:08 AM
The Lord's Commandments can be our light to show us the way to God so that we won't trip as we walk in the darkness. God's Law makes us wise to teach us and guide us to Salvation. His Decrees give us discernment and wisdom, so that we are able to chose life instead of death.

By living and seeking God's way we have freedom from sin because we will receive Grace from God. His Law is wonderful, not restrictive, and fulfills God's plan for our lives. God's Commandments serve as a mirror to reflect my guilt and sins on my journey of faith. This gives me a chance to draw closer to God through my Confession as well.
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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.