Reflections
Psalm 118: 2-4, 13-15, 22-24 (Read)
“I was hard pressed and falling,
but
the Lord came to me as savior.”
Once
again we visit this powerful psalm
of
praise and thanksgiving. This time the
verses
stress the enduring love that God
has
for us, so much so that despite the part
we
played in crucifying his Son, God went
ahead
with His
plan to save us.
Jesus’
risen presence among us is living
proof
of God’s enduring love. Our
psalmist
assures
us, “God’s
mercy endures forever.”
We
may be hard pressed and falling, or
we
may be spiritually
sick and weakened
by
sin. Are we really any different from those
Dr Luke speaks of in today's
1st
reading,
any
less desperate or in need of the Lord's
healing
power
and presence in our lives?
(Acts
5:15-16)
Fortunately
the Lord comes to us as Savior,
as
our psalmist says.
And the Lord is present
to
us when we are frightened, as He
was present
to
those frightened disciples
in the upper room.
(John
20:19-21)
Who
would have been more hard pressed and
falling
than they were before Jesus appeared
to
them and blessed them and extended
his
peace
to them? That same source of strength
the
psalmist
speaks of is available to us –
all
we have to do is believe and open our hearts
to
receive his saving grace.
As
the psalmist says, the Lord is our strength.
He
is present to us, just as He was in those early
days
of the church described in today's
1st
reading
and
in today's
Gospel of St
John.
We
may not have the awesome experience
Thomas had of physically putting our hand
in
the Lord’s side and our fingers into the nail
marks on his hand, but He is with us.
We
are victorious over death. The Lord’s
deliverance
is cause for joy. Just when we were
down,
the Lord raises us up. “I was hard pressed
and
falling, but the Lord has been my Savior.”
“The
joyful shout of victory is heard.” The
verses of
the Psalm confirm that we
are on firm ground after all.
When
Thomas put his fingers into the Lord's side,
it was clearly a moment of epiphany
for Thomas
and
for us as well.
Thomas was struck with awe,
and came
to believe in
the risen Lord.
What does
it take for us, though
we have not seen, to get down
on our knees
and say, “My Lord and my God.”
(John
20: 24-28)
Christ
has become our cornerstone, as our
psalmist
reminds us. Christ has become a
source
of strength for us, despite his apparent
weakness
that day on the cross, when he died
a
shameful death.
Only
the Lord could have done this remarkable
thing.
As the Psalm
says, “By the
Lord has this
been done; it is wonderful
in our eyes.” This is
cause for rejoicing -- “This
is the day the Lord
has made.” Along
with the disciples and the
early church, “Let
us be glad and rejoice in it.”
Amen
Discussion Questions for Reflection
1. Have you ever been 'hard pressed and falling,' as was our psalmist?
1. Have you ever been 'hard pressed and falling,' as was our psalmist?
Describe how the Lord has been your strength and
courage in times of trouble.
2. As the Psalm says, 'The stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.' Speak of how our Savior has become the rock you can rely on in your life.
2. As the Psalm says, 'The stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.' Speak of how our Savior has become the rock you can rely on in your life.
Jesus Christ is risen. And in Christ, we too shall rise. God's steadfast love endures forever! The words of Psalm 118 have long been used to herald Easter. "This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it!" (118:24).
ReplyDeleteJust as the Psalmist was delivered by God, so now Christ empowers us, comforts us, and snatches us out of the realm of death. All this is done so that we might proclaim the deeds of the Lord. Easter is the day which the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it!
Christ came to earth to save us all from death and sin and to free us. I believe in the power of love.
ReplyDeleteWhen I feel spiritually sick and my faith is weakened by sin, Jesus approaches me as my Savior in the time of doubt. He arose from death to prove his risen presence by the way He showed his wounds and nail marks to Thomas. I have come to believe He surely will raise me up and save me from death. And so Jesus has become a source of strength as a cornerstone for me.
I believe in God's eternal love for me, which gives me security in time of chaos and confusion. Because his risen presence is among us, the joyful shout of victory is heard everywhere.
There have numerous times I have relied on our Lord to be my rock, my strength and courage. When my son was dealing with depression, my husband and I relied heavily on our Lord to give our son strength to overcome his battle, and during that time our Lord was our rock, giving us the strength we needed to get through the difficult times. Without our Lord by our side and family prayers, we would not have survived this difficult situation.
ReplyDeleteCurrently, I am relying on our Lord to get me through the next stage in my life as my boys will be leaving for college and we will be empty nesters. When I think of how lonely and sad I will be, I turn my thoughts to God and feel reassured that He will be there guiding and helping me through the difficult times I may have. I have a tendency to worry a lot about whether they will be alright on their own. I put my trust in God, and He gives me the strength I need to relax and trust that He will take care of things.
Thank you Lord for always being there for me. Praise the Lord, for He is my rock and salvation.