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?
There is power enough in God to help the weakest, and grace enough to help the unworthiest of all that trust in Him. The psalmist waited patiently; he continued believing, hoping, and praying. This is applicable to Christ. His agony, in the garden and on the cross, was a horrible pit. But those that wait patiently for God do not wait in vain. Those that have been under religious melancholy, and by the grace of God have been relieved, they are brought up out of a horrible pit.
ReplyDeleteChrist is the Rock on which a poor soul can alone stand fast. We, by faith beholding the sufferings and glory of Christ, have learned to fear the justice, and trust in the mercy of God through Him. Many are the benefits with which we are daily loaded, both by the providence and by the grace of God.
We all need to work on having a "joyful spirit"……..it comes from the Lord Himself. It requires effort on our part, but it can become our lifestyle.
ReplyDelete"Your law is within my heart." It means to me that we desire to do God's will, and we are ready to do His will by obeying and serving Him with our willing hearts whenever He calls us. And we are able to hear His voice telling us what to do. For the love of God we can serve others as well. We can speak of His faithfulness, righteousness and salvation for us.
ReplyDeleteThe prophet Samuel says, "Here I am, Lord, for your servant is listening." And in the Gospel Andrew and Simon (Peter) leave their fish nets instantly to follow Jesus when He calls them. When I look at both instances, I am sure that God's law was within their hearts.
Our Psalmist mentions that "Sacrifice and offering you did not desire." Samuel told Saul, "To obey God is better than sacrifice."(1Samuel 15: 22). I realize that obedience and lifelong service are what God desires from us. We should act out of devotion and obedience to God.
On my part it is not easy for me to put this into practice. I wait and listen to Him patiently, seeking His direction in my life. And then He puts a new song of praise in my heart. Even though I continue to sin, He protects me from falling into the pit because of His Divine Mercy. How fortunate I am to learn how to please God by reading Psalm 40! I am being transformed into a better Christian because His law is inscribed within my heart.