Reflections
Psalm 24: 1-2, 3-4, 5-6 (Read)
“Who may go up the mountain of the Lord?
This Sunday's Psalm is about a journey to
a holy place. It is a place where we will meet
the Lord. But we are asked, “Who can ascend
the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in
His holy place?”
Our psalmist answers, “The clean of hand and
pure of heart, who has not given his soul
to what is vain, such is the people that seeks
the face of God.”
We are all unworthy to be in the Lord's
presence, but at least we can cleanse
ourselves through confession, and bathe
in the Word. That is how we show our love
for the Lord.
Though we may not have to climb a mountain
to meet the Lord, we must prepare to receive
Him in our hearts. The Psalm is guiding us to
prepare ourselves from within, so that we are
made ready to receive Him when He comes.
Amen
Discussion Questions for Reflection
1. The Psalm asks, "Who can go up to the mountain of the Lord?
How do you prepare yourself to ascend the mountain of the Lord and
stand in His holy place?
2. The Response this Sunday is, "Lord, this is the people that longs
to see your face." Describe the longing in your heart for our Lord.
We ourselves are not our own; our bodies, our souls, are not. We are God's children. We should ask ourselves, "What shall I do to ascend toward God to go up his mountain, that I may abide in that happy, holy place, where He makes his people holy and happy?"
ReplyDeleteWe make nothing of religion, if we do not make heart-work of it. We can only be cleansed from our sins, and renewed unto holiness, by the blood of Christ and the washing of the Holy Spirit. Thus we become his people; thus we receive blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of our salvation. God's peculiar people shall be made truly and forever happy.
Who can stand in His holy place ? As we all know, we are all unworthy, unspiritual, and unholy to be in God's presence. Then how can we go up to the mountain of the Lord?
ReplyDeleteFirst, we have to have a pure heart and seek the face of God by doing spiritual exercising. We do not lift up our soul to an idol. By our faith in God our Lord, we study his Word in every possible way. His Word is light showing me the way to seek his presence.
In addition, we cleanse ourselves to have a pure, clean, and flawless heart through confessing our sins and wrongdoings. I have to prepare my heart to be delighted in God's Laws and precepts. And then I will be good in the eyes of the Lord. My soul will be satisfied. I will be filled with Joy and peace.
I have to prepare myself to go up to His holy place to live with Him forever. I will enjoy eternity with God who provides me with eternal life. In order to obtain this blessing I have to keep my faith in Him and to obey His Laws.
None of us are worthy to ascend the mountain of the Lord. God permitted 40 years of wilderness for his chosen people and even then, many had a difficult time fully loving Jehovah-Jireh, Provider.
ReplyDeleteI don't wish to separate myself from that sinful brood -- I am one of those wandering children. I foolishly choose to wander into the spiritual desert when God's full blessings are right in front of me. Despite my condition, the Lord puts on my heart a longing to see his face. I know that even when I stray from the path, I am not far from the holy mountain.
My longing for God eventually turns into misery if not dealt with through repentance, prayer, the Sacraments, the Rosary, and forgiveness. In recent days, the concept of "forgiving others quickly before resentment takes root" has become crucial to my peace. In so doing, I can be assured of the Father forgiving me... and I am blessed with a glimpse of his face.
My heart does long for the Lord, especially now. I do not have free time and have unfortunately spiraled downward these last few weeks. The stress of junior year, friendship issues, my ballet schedule, and my own unhappiness with myself, are all things that have affected me, perhaps more than they should.
ReplyDeleteI realized that when my mom and I pray in the car on the way to school, I have stopped saying the prayers with her. Instead, I think about my hectic day and what lies ahead. My parents tell me I walk around with a grey and angry face. I let my stress show instead of giving it up to the Lord.
Today (Friday) was a much better day for me because I really tried to let go and let God. My heart was longing for the Lord’s presence, and time with the Lord should come first because He can make every problem work out smoothly.