Reflections
Psalm 95: 1-2, 6-7, 7-9 (Read)
“If today you hear His voice, harden not your hearts.”
Today's Psalm is about obeying and worshiping God.
We are urged to bow down in worship before our God,
whose sheep we are (remember we are His
well-tended flock). We are instructed to be alert
for His voice and to be receptive to His teachings
(we need to be good
listeners).
We are not to harden our hearts or test the Lord
(as the Israelites did at Meribah). We are to humble
ourselves and open our hearts to the Lord
(having done so we are set free).
Then we are no longer constrained by the
things of this world, and we can be open to His
love and His teachings.
Moses prophesied that the Lord would speak to us
through one of our own kind (Deuteronomy 18:18).
So we had better listen to God’s son, Jesus, who
became one of us so that we could be more like Him.
His works should be sufficient to convince us of His
saving power and grace.
St Paul tells us we need to be free from anxiety and
distractions (1 Corinthians 7:32). This is not an easy
thing to do when we are caught up in the things of
the world. We would all benefit from an authoritative
cleansing of our hearts, and a removal of unclean
forces that distract us from hearing the voice of
the Lord. Then we can make room for Jesus
to fill our hearts and remain in us.
Amen
Discussion Questions for Reflection
1. Our psalmist encourages us not to harden our hearts if we
hear
God's voice. Do you find it difficult sometimes to carry out
God's will
in your life even if you believe He is speaking to you? Give
an example.
2. The psalm reminds us that we are like sheep and the Lord is
our shepherd.
Are you willing to be just an ordinary sheep among His flock?
If so, what
does it mean to you to be shepherded by the Lord?
Reflections
Psalm 25: 4-5, 6-7, 8-9 (Read)
“Good and upright is the Lord, who shows sinners the way.”
We are blessed to have a God who does not disregard us.
On the contrary, He is a caring, compassionate God,
willing to humble Himself to share in our humanity, so that
we might share in His divinity. Who else would have such
regard for sinners, for believers who disobey Him?
Our psalmist David humbly offers up his sins to God
his savior, and waits for God’s guidance. “The Lord guides
the humble rightly, and teaches the humble His way.”
In today's Gospel the early disciples leave their nets
and their families behind when Jesus calls out
to them. (Mark 1:16-20) Jesus had a plan for His
disciples, when He singled them out to serve Him.
God had a plan for Jonah as well (1st reading);
his mission was to warn the people of Nineveh
to repent and turn to the Lord. (Jonah 3: 1-5)
St Paul, in our 2nd reading, has a similar message for
all of us, that time is running out and any day now
would be an acceptable day for us to focus on our own
salvation. (1 Corinthians 7: 29-31) The Lord is there
to guide us, as He was in the days of David, our psalmist.
Whether it's through a Jonah in our midst or a Saint Paul,
the message of the Lord is clear – “Repent and believe
in the Gospel.” We may not be able to do this on our own,
but as our psalmist says, “The Lord shows sinners the way.”
The Lord is talking to all of us here; we are all sinners.
We are all able to benefit from the healing power of Jesus.
And where does the power come from to turn away from sin?
It comes from the Lord, It is He who encourages us when
our tongues confess, “Remember no more the sins of my youth;
remember me only in light of your love.”
Amen
Discussion Questions for Reflection
1. Our psalmist petitions the Lord, 'Teach me your ways.'
How do you go about learning the ways of the Lord? Tell how
the verses of the Psalm help you understand the ways of
the Lord.
2. Our Psalm says the Lord 'shows sinners the way.' Give an example
of how you have been guided by the Lord to turn away from sin and repent.
Reflections
Psalm 40: 2, 4, 7-8, 8-9, 10 (Read)
“Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.”
The Psalm is a prayer of gratitude and of
obedience to the Lord. Our psalmist David
answers God’s call when he says, “Here I am.”
Young Samuel does the same in our first reading.
Samuel waits expectantly for the Lord to speak
to him; he is ‘all ears’ when he hears the Lord’s
voice. He grows up serving the Lord
and following God. (1 Samuel 3: 3-10,19)
Our psalmist says, “He put a new song into
my mouth.” For us too it is no longer the same
old tune or the same old we. We are in fact
a new creation, singing out the good news.
Where does our joyful spirit come from?
It comes from the Lord, and we are called
to share what He has given us and to do
His will, which is our delight.
In the Gospel reading (John 1:35-42),
Andrew recognizes Jesus as the anointed one
and is drawn to Him. Andrew and his brother
Simon truly become members of Christ's body.
They are joined to the Lord and have become
one spirit with Him, as St. Paul proclaims in
our 2nd reading. (1 Corinthians 6:15,17)
We too are called to follow Christ and to do
His will. Obedience isn’t an unpleasant chore
for us. Instead, as the Psalm tells us,
“To do your will is my delight.”
Amen
Discussion Questions for Reflection
1. In this beautiful Psalm our psalmist speaks of waiting,
waiting for the Lord. Tell what it means to you to have waited
for the Lord, and what has been the result of your presenting
yourself to the Lord?
2. Our psalmist is delighted to do God's will; he says to God,
"Your law is within my heart!" Have you also felt the Lord's pleasure
when you obey Him and serve Him? What does it mean to you
to say God's law is within my heart?
Reflections
Psalm 29: 1-2, 3-4, 3, 9-10 (Read)
“The voice of the Lord is over the waters.”
The Psalm speaks of the voice of the Lord
thundering over the waters, “The voice of the
Lord is power, the voice of the Lord is splendor.”
That same awesome voice was heard over the
Jordan River that day when the heavens were
torn open and the Holy Spirit descended upon
Jesus as He was being baptized by John.
What could be more powerful than the voice
of God declaring, “This is my beloved Son,
with whom I am well pleased.”
(Gospel, Mark 1:11)
What happened at the Jordan River that day
was to fulfill what the Lord said to the prophet
Isaiah, “Here is my servant whom I uphold,
my chosen one with whom I am pleased, upon
whom I have put my spirit.” (Isaiah 42:1)
The Lord's baptism may have happened over
2000 years ago, but for us that was a life
changing moment. God anointed Jesus with
the Holy Spirit and power that day, the power
to serve
the faithful (people like us), and to
do battle on our behalf with the devil.
(Acts 10:38)
From that time forward we too became eligible
to serve the Lord as His chosen ones. Isaiah
tells us what our spiritual mission is to be:
like Jesus, we are to be a light to the nations,
and open the eyes of the blind (those who do not
know the Lord). And imitating Jesus, we are
to bring out prisoners from confinement
(those who may be imprisoned by sin).
(Isaiah 42:6-7) What better way would there
be for us to serve the Lord?
Amen
Discussion Questions for Reflection
1. The Psalm encourages us to give God the glory due
His holy name. Tell of how you give God the glory in your
activities and your everyday life.
2. Our
psalmist speaks of a powerful, majestic God, who
speaks with a mighty, thundering voice. How is God's majesty
at work in you, and how have you been empowered to be a good
witness for the Lord?
