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?
I love the way God's voice "thunders over the mighty waters" (v3) and "breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon" (v5). A great storm at sea or a tall, deeply-rooted tree seem immoveable to us. And yet, to our powerful God, who created all, these are small feats. This glorious God, whose voice tears the heavens open at Jesus' baptism, is the same caring, gentle, Abba father who loves us. From majestic to tender, his range is great.
ReplyDeleteIt would be easy to feel insignificant, but the message invites us to feel the opposite: to be empowered. Fueled by God's Spirit, we are to be on fire for Him. We are to share with those around us this incredible news of love. We teach our children to repay others' mean intentions with kindness. We show compassion in the pain of another. We remain faithful in doing what is right, even when the world doesn't care or isn't looking. Pleasing God is our heart's highest goal and also the way to the deepest happiness we will ever know
We have a duty to glorify God……but we need to mean it. We can’t just provide "lip service.” We need to be true believers, AND act accordingly. I am trying to be more proactive….that’s what I feel God is calling me to do .
ReplyDeleteOne of the former Interfaith clients died on the streets of Escondido a week ago, and since he was a Catholic, Msgr Dennis of San Rafael Parish came to Interfaith and gave a funeral service for him that I attended.
The voice of the Lord is powerful and majestic. The Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus when He was baptized by the Prophet John. The heavens were opened, the voice of God declaring, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased."
ReplyDeleteI took a moment to think about how is my standing with God, asking myself these questions, "Am I right in the eyes of God ?" "Am I pleasing Him in my thoughts, words and actions?" I doubted.
God wants our life-long, steadfast obedience to Him, just like Jesus obeyed. But as a human being, I feel weak and limited whenever I face my daily problems. But I have come to know that God is in control. He has a power that controls His creations. If we give glory to Him, He will give us strength to deal with the daily problems we face.
I was so anxious yesterday. I surrendered our medical problems to Our Lord. I trust Our Lord will continue to preserve and protect us from the devil's hand if we cry out to Him with all our heart. He enlightens our thoughts and hearts, guiding us in His way. His power is available to heal us. We are able to obtain God' Grace to be a good witness for the Lord. Almighty God will bless His people with wisdom and peace if we listen to Him.