Reflections
Psalm 118: 1, 8-9, 21-23, 26, 28, 29 (Read)
“The stone rejected by the builders
has become the cornerstone.”
The psalmist speaks of our savior, our cornerstone.
Our savior is Jesus, and though He appeared
weak and beaten on the cross,
He became victorious over death.
The psalmist speaks of that same irony,
“The stone rejected by the builders
has become the cornerstone.”
The Psalm tells us we are to, “Take refuge in the Lord.”
Though mortals may disappoint us,
the Lord will not leave us discouraged.
Better to take refuge in the Lord
than to put one's trust in princes.
Little children know instinctively whom to trust --
they know where the love is coming from.
And we are the same;
as children of God, we put our trust in the Lord.
He is the Good Shepherd.
Where else would we turn?
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD.”
It is none other than the Good Shepherd who comes
in the name of the Lord, to care and protect us sheep.
(See also today's Gospel, John 10:11-18).
Our calling is only to listen for His voice
and to follow Him.
Who else knows us as He does,
or is willing to lay down his life for us?
The psalm recalls for us
the paschal mystery of Christ,
who is crucified, resurrected,
and then exalted as the capstone of our faith.
God has shown his love for his people --
Jesus’ risen presence among us
is living proof of God’s enduring love.
Our psalmist confirms this, “God’s love endures forever.”
The Lord’s deliverance is cause for joy.
God’s love is empowering, as the psalm suggests,
This is how we pass from death to life.
We may not have been
one of those who saw Christ
after He rose from the dead,
but He is no less real to us.
There is no doubt that
God's divine intervention
was at work in Christ’s resurrection.
As the psalmist says, we know that,
“By the Lord has this been done,
it is wonderful in our eyes.”
Amen
Discussion Questions for Reflection
1. Our psalmist reminds us more than once to trust God,
not mortals or princes. Even though you may not have seen
the Lord in person, do you have any difficulty trusting in one
you have not seen? Explain.
2. The Psalm says, 'Blessed is he who comes
in the name of the Lord.' This verse is used
in scripture to welcome Jesus. Discuss how you
have welcomed Jesus into your life.
We should tell everybody to thank and trust the LORD, because He is good.
ReplyDeleteEvery answer to our prayers is an evidence that the Lord is on our side; and then we need not fear what man can do unto us; we should conscientiously do our duty to all, and trust in Him alone to accept and bless us.
Let us seek to live to declare the works of God, and to encourage others to serve Him and trust in Him. Such were the triumphs of the Son of David, in the assurance that the good pleasure of the Lord should prosper in his hand.
Although I have not yet seen my Lord in person, I am fully aware of His presence in my daily life. Through prayer, I can ask for an infusion of His Spirit, anytime I need it. Our physical world tells us, "Seeing is believing," but heavenly rules tell us, "...we walk by faith, not by sight." 2 Corinthians 5:7
ReplyDeleteI am reminded to live my life thinking of eternal consequences. I am to choose what pleases God, not man. I trust God in every circumstance as verses 8-9 of Psalm 118 emphasize, "It is better to take refuge in the Lord than man... or princes..." I must have faith to live this way because I cannot see, hear, or touch the spiritual world.
I recently heard the testimony of a former NFL player who said he used to write "A of 1" on his arm before each game. Audience of One. The concept resonated with me (and perhaps, more importantly, with my 13 year old son.)
Whenever I feel like I have to perform or that there are people watching my every move, I don't have to worry. I don't live to please others. I live to please our one, true Lord. He rewards me with peace, God-confidence, and strength -- none of which are visual, but palpable, nonetheless.
Who else knows us, his sheep? Only our Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ, who comes in the name of the Lord, to tend and protect and lay down His life for us, his sheep. He becomes the cornerstone of our faith through the paschal mystery. That's why I take refuge in Him.
ReplyDeleteWhether I have seen Jesus physically or not, His risen presence among us is real and living proof of God's enduring love for us. His love is empowering because of His Mercy toward wretched, sinful human beings like us. His redeeming love has power. And so you can see that the Lord's deliverance is cause for joy.
As a child of God, I put my trust in Jesus Christ, our Good Shepherd. I listen to His voice and follow His footsteps. He is the way and the life to me without any doubt. That's why I have accepted Jesus into my life as my Savior.
With all the “Talking Heads” on the TV with their slanted views on the latest news, I have major difficulty in trusting and believing their opinions. Fewer and fewer of them give you the facts, and more and more of them give you their take on what they want you to believe. And, how about the frenzies on the multi-media circuit?
ReplyDeleteSo “YES,” I have difficulty in trusting “these princes.” Be careful what you believe these days. Put your faith in our cornerstone; put your trust in the Lord.
And at a family/neighbor level, put your trust in the little children……..they know whom to trust. God Bless.
I will admit that there have been times that I had difficulty trusting in the Lord and I questioned and doubted whether or not something would work out. However, there have been many more times in my life that I have trusted in the Lord to help and guide me through a difficult situation.
ReplyDeleteRecently my husband lost his job, and we did not know what our future would entail. Everyone prayed for us, and through the power of prayer and trusting that our Lord will take care of us, my husband has thankfully found a new job.
I do believe, I do trust in the Lord even though I have not seen Him in person. Even though it can be difficult to understand some situations we face in our lives, it is important to believe that it is all part of our Lord's plan for our lives. As my children are starting to drive and are getting into cars with their friends, it can be difficult, but I need to trust that our Lord is protecting them. By putting faith and belief in the Lord, I am more confident that He is there for me.