Reflections
Psalm 33: 4-5, 6, 9, 18-19, 20, 22 (Read)
“The eyes of the Lord are upon those who fear him; to deliver them from death
and preserve them in spite of famine.”
We have been chosen by God to be
his people. God is all powerful,
“By the word of the Lord the heavens
were made; “For He spoke, and it came to be.”
This Sunday's 1st reading reminds us we are
to keep his commandments. (Deuteronomy 4:40)
And we do this because we hold Him in awe.
Like a Good Shepherd He protects us from harm.
He puts up a hedge around us and provides us
with armor in our battle against death and the evil one.
He feeds us when we go through periods of spiritual
hunger. He nourishes us and gives us our daily bread.
“Our soul waits for the Lord, who is our help and
our shield.” It is said that even people who have
no faith have a longing in their hearts for God.
There is something missing in their lives.
For us who are believers, we are dependent on
the Lord. We openly seek his help and his
protection. He is our shield in the spiritual battle
that we all have to fight.
We would be dead in our sins without the Lord's
protection, defeated by the evil one without the
Lord's armor. And when our hearts are starved
for God's presence, when our bones are dry,
He nourishes us and breathes life into our dry
bones. “Lord we have put our hope in you.”
“Our soul waits for the Lord.” We are delivered
from death, kept alive in times of spiritual famine.
We can expect to receive his grace. And for this,
we praise the Lord. As the psalmist says,
we know He will fill the earth with kindness
and that his kindness will be upon us.
“We have put our hope in the Lord.”
Jesus, in turn, puts his hope in us,
commanding us to go out and make disciples
of all nations. (Matthew 28:19)
As God's children we must be obedient
and carry out his commission.
We have been given to Jesus so that we may
proclaim the good news of salvation.
In this way we carry out the Lord’s works
and celebrate what the Psalm says,
“The Lord loves justice and right.”
Amen
Discussion Questions for Reflection
1. Our Psalm Response this week is, 'Blessed the people the Lord
has chosen to be his own.' Do you believe that you have been chosen
by God to be one of His children? Explain.
2. Our psalmist speaks of preserving us in spite of 'famine.' Have you
gone through periods of spiritual hunger? How has your faith enabled you
to regain your strength and obtain nourishment?
One can receive spiritual nourishment in many different ways. No one can ignore or forget that our Lord is present in our lives and hearts at all times.
ReplyDeleteI feel the spiritual nourishment when I listen to Christian radio as I drive; it helps me connect and feel extra protection at the same time. One day I was driving to pick up my boys from school when suddenly my car would barely move. Thankfully I arrived and was able to coast safely into a parking area. It is at times like this that I know that God is protecting me.
My nourishment comes from Faith and Trust. For example, exercise doesn't always come easy for me; however, when I am walking on the treadmill I pray the Rosary and it motivates me to continue.
I am not proud to admit that I find myself crying out mainly in times of need. I should be Thanking our Lord for all that is good in my life, not just looking for Him at times of need.
Yes, definitely I have been chosen by God to be one of His children. In John 15:16 Jesus says, "You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go out and bear fruit--fruit that will last." That's why my soul is longing for His presence in times of spiritual famine. I am yearning to receive His Grace.
ReplyDeleteToday at Mass there was the Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament. When I looked at the Host, I realized that Jesus was looking at me. I sought his forgiveness and his help. I confessed to Him how I miss his mighty presence in my parched, dry spiritual life. All of sudden my eyes welled up with tears. He nourished me with His Grace.
I realized how important it is to seek His face as often as possible. He rains on us with His Spirit. He deserves our praise and thanks because He loved us first.
Yes, I believe I will be one of the chosen ones! I’m lucky……..I am a "Cradle Catholic,” and as such I was born into and grew up in the Catholic Faith. I really had very little involvement with other faiths as I was growing up. As an older adult, I’ve had an opportunity to learn about and observe people of different faiths. I think people of "all faiths" greatly benefit from having faith in God. I’m just glad that my parents were of the Catholic faith. I have much admiration for the many that converted to Catholicism in their adult years. I feel really sorry for the many people that are not faith based in any religion. I think they are missing out on a lot, now and in the hereafter.
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