Reflections
Psalm 22: 26-27, 28, 30, 31-32 (Read)
“Let the coming generation be told of the Lord."
The verses of this Sunday's Psalm are uplifting
and speak of the promise of salvation --“The lowly shall eat their fill,”
(We who are poor in spirit are to live
life abundantly) and,
“May your hearts live forever!”
(We can count on the Lord for salvation.)
And praying these verses we recall that
the suffering of the righteous man
has brought about something good
in our human world.
“All the ends of the earth
will worship and turn to the Lord.”
“The generations to come
will proclaim to a people yet unborn
the deliverance you have brought.”
Our hope returns,
and we join with all the families of nations
in giving thanks to God,
who rules the world and dispenses justice.
Jesus says in today's Gospel,
“You can only bear fruit if you remain in me.” (John 15:4)
And how do we remain in Him?
The psalm says, “I will fulfill my vows
before those who fear the LORD.”
(We are to keep His commandments.)
Finally, our psalmist commits
that his descendants will serve the Lord,
“The generation to come will be told of the Lord.”
Here we are inspired by this Sunday's 1st reading,
where Barnabas reports that Saul
spoke out boldly in the name of Jesus. (Acts 9:27)
What better way for us to bear fruit,
than to speak out boldly for our faith,
to our children and grandchildren.
“To him my soul shall live.”
The Psalm ends with a reversal of
the righteous man's condition;
life is restored and the whole world
celebrates His deliverance.
What better Easter message is there than that?
And what more inspiring words for the early
Church as it reaches out to proclaim
the Gospel to the Gentiles.
Amen
Discussion Questions for Reflection
1. Our psalmist says, "I will fulfill my vows
before those who fear the LORD." Does this verse inspire
you to confirm your faith boldly and take up God's praise
in the company of your fellow believers? Discuss.
2. The Psalm ends with an uplifting call for us to proclaim
the Lord's truth to the next generation. Describe how
you have answered the Lord's call and how you go about
telling others about God's love.
The easiest way for me to answer the Lord’s call, is to try and set a good example of what being a a good Christian is all about. The easiest way to do that is to surround yourself with good, God fearing believers. I have a good wife who I feel is closer to God than I am, I have good God fearing friends, and I get a lot of strength and support from the Interfaith Board members and staff. Together I do feel that we are making a positive difference. "Praise the Lord”. I firmly believe we are His hands, feet and mouth.
ReplyDeleteHow do I proclaim the Lord's truth to the next generation? From the time my children were in pre-school up until the 5th grade, I used to teach Religious Education or R.E. The curriculum was well-laid out and I performed my duties faithfully.
ReplyDeleteThe bigger challenge has been to really live out the Lord's truth, day to day, in front of my now-teenaged children. They are smart and quick to point out hypocrisy. For example, how angered I can feel when one of them is wronged by a classmate, or worse, by an adult in a position of authority. Where is God's love in my initial, fleshly response to call down God's wrath on said classmate or adult?
I take solace in the fact that I allow my kids to see me work through my emotions. I teach them to breathe in the Holy Spirit when upset or fatigued. They see me, hear me, ask for forgiveness for my wrongdoings. Together, we experience dependence on the Lord through our morning prayers. We even text prayers to each other throughout the day. As my children grow up, I pray that they know the Lord's love on their own, once taught through my words and actions.
"All the ends of the earth will worship and turn to the Lord." This is the promise of salvation and deliverance our Lord has brought to us and also to unborn generations.
ReplyDeleteIn order to worship the Lord and to proclaim the Word to the people in our generation we have to teach our children's generation in a Godly way. No matter what, we have to set a good example to them as Christians.
We pass our faith to our children, and they will pass their faith to the next generation. As their parents we have to show them a true legacy of faith in God.
I think this is the Lord's call for me -- to be a compassionate mother and understanding wife. In this way I practice my faith and I put God's love into action on a daily basis.