Psalm for Sunday, August 16, 2015

Reflections
 
Psalm 34:  2-3, 4-5, 6-7  (Read)

“Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.”

We visit this encouraging psalm again this 
Sunday perhaps because the Lord wants us
to participate fully in the Eucharist and we 
need to hear it again.  Why are the same 
verses repeated?  Perhaps because they 
reinforce so well the powerful message of 
the Gospel, in which Jesus tells us that if 
we are to be raised up with Him, we must 
eat of His flesh and drink of His blood.
Perhaps it is because we struggle with what 
Jesus says, as the Jews did at the time.
We are told that even the disciples had 
difficulty accepting Jesus' words. (John 6:51-58)

The message is simple, as our psalmist reminds us – 
we must taste the goodness of the Lord if we are to 
truly allow our soul to glory in the Lord.  In today's 
first reading Wisdom invites us too to obtain life by 
eating of her food. (Proverbs 9:5-6)

We are to feed on Jesus if we are to have life.  If we 
eat His flesh and drink His blood, we will live forever.  
It is His humanity that enables us to eat of His flesh 
and His blood.  And it is by the grace of God that we 
are thus able to obtain a share in His divinity.  This is 
far more that our ancestors' manna. This is truly the 
bread of life.

By sharing in His body and blood, we glorify the Lord, 
and as our psalmist says, we become 'radiant with joy.'
Our faces no longer blush with shame.  We are a new 
creation.  The Lord is present to us.   We remain in Him 
and He remains in us.

Amen


Discussion Questions for Reflection

1.  The Psalm reminds us of the power of the Eucharist.  We must taste 
the goodness of the Lord if we want to be delivered from all our fears.  
Speak of how the Eucharist raises you up physically and spiritually.

2.  Our psalmist encourages us to 'glorify the Lord' and to 'let our soul glory 
in the Lord.'   Explain how your faith has enabled you to draw closer to God 
by being filled with the Spirit.