Reflections
Psalm 34: 2-3, 16-17, 18-19, 20-21 (Read)
“Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.”
Once again we revisit this psalm of thanksgiving.
And for the third consecutive Sunday the Gospel
challenges us to stop murmuring and stand up
for our faith.
And the question is the same, “Do I truly believe
that Jesus is the living bread that came down
out of heaven and that whoever eats His flesh
and drinks His blood will remain in Him and
will live forever?”
Like Joshua, am I prepared to take a stand and
declare, “As for me and my household we will
serve the Lord.” Joshua commits himself and
his family to serve the Lord. (Joshua 24:15)
What better commitment would there be for me,
in our time?
Where would I go if I did not serve the Lord?
To whom would I turn without my Lord and Savior,
Jesus Christ? I thirst for Jesus and would be parched
and dry without Him in my life. I must Stop murmuring
about how difficult it may be to accept His words
and declare that Jesus is truly the Holy One of God.
Who else would hear my cry, as our psalmist says,
or confront evildoers on my behalf ?
“Many are the troubles of the just, but the Lord delivers
them all.” We are all afflicted. Our Spirit may be
crushed (as the psalmist says), but “God watches over
all our bones.”
“When the just cry out, the Lord hears them, and from all
their distress he rescues them.” Who else would listen
to my cry? If I cry out to the Lord, He will hear me and
rescue me from all distress. Where else would I turn?
I have the Lord as my ally in my fight against the evil one.
And with Him on my side victory is certain. “The Lord
confronts the evildoers, to destroy remembrance of them
from the earth.”
So the teaching is clear – “Let His praise be ever in my mouth,
and let my soul glory in the Lord.”
Amen
Discussion Questions for Reflection
1. If we truly serve the Lord, we can be confident that 'He will watch over
all our bones,' as the Psalmist says. Explain how your faith has given you
peace and strength in the face of your afflictions.
2. We are engaged in a spiritual battle with the evil one and his helpers,
but our Psalmist says that the Lord will confront evildoers and destroy them.
Tell of how you have been able to defeat evil with the Lord on your side.
"Who do you say that I am ?" I am convinced that He is the Holy One of God, the living bread of life who came down from Heaven, and He has the words of eternal life.
ReplyDeleteIf we trust Him daily we experience how good He is. For instance when troubles strike my life and my life's going gets rough and tougher, through Jesus Christ I experience His love and grace. This is because He provides me with spiritual nourishment through the Eucharist: Endurance, Forbearing, Forgiveness, a compassionate heart, and joy.
He is on our side when we do battle against the evildoers. Most of all, in order to defeat my emotional weakness He has helped me to surrender to Him and be obedient. He reminded me of my past sins and made me humble, and I repented.
Peace prevails within me as a sweet fragment when I obey Him. In this way I taste His goodness and love towards me.
Every day we are challenged, and our personal space is invaded. It’s when we over react that we fall under the influence of the evil one. Over time, I have learned that the best course of action is not to over react. I have learned that my Faith gives me peace and strength in dealing with adversity.
ReplyDeleteIf we hope to spend eternity in praising God, it is fit that we should spend much of our time here in this world. When we look to the world, we are perplexed, and at a loss. But on looking to Christ depends our whole salvation, and all things needful thereunto do so also.
ReplyDeleteBy taste and sight we both make discoveries, and have enjoyment; Taste and see God's goodness; take notice of it, and take the comfort of it. He makes all truly blessed that trust in him. As to the things of the other world, they shall have grace sufficient for the support of spiritual life.
Nothing is more needful to true godliness than a contrite heart, broken off from every self-confidence. In this soil every grace will flourish, and nothing can encourage such a one but the free, rich grace of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
The righteous are taken under the special protection of the Lord, yet they have their share of crosses in this world, and there are those that hate them. Both from the mercy of Heaven, and the malice of hell, the afflictions of the righteous must be many. No man is desolate, but he whom God has forsaken.