Reflections
Psalm 126: 1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 6 (Read)
“When
the Lord brought
back the captives
of
Zion, we were
like men dreaming.”
What
God did for the Israelites, he does
also
for us. The
Jews were liberated from
being
captives of the wicked Babylonians,
and
we are liberated from the captivity of sin
by
that same God who sent his Son to save us.
Just
as the woman in the Gospel this Sunday
is
saved from being stoned to death, Jesus
redeems
all of us from our wicked ways.
God
takes pleasure in restoring us, as the
psalmist
says, and his pleasure is reflected
by
the joy in our hearts when we are reconciled
with
Him. “Our mouths [are] filled with laughter;
our
tongues [sing] with joy.”
It
may seem like we
are dreaming when we
make our own Exodus from
our past lives of
disobedience. The future may
be filled with
a few dry stream beds, but
if we are diligent
and sow the seeds of repentance, we
will be
rewarded with a bountiful harvest and as
the
psalmist says, “We will reap with cries of joy.”
We
join with our psalmist who affirms,
“The
Lord has done great things for us.”
There
is good news for us too --
we
have the Messiah to lead us in our own
spiritual
Exodus, away from slavery to sin,
and
put us under the gentle yoke of Christ
our
Savior.
This
is a message of hope; it is a calling that
is
future oriented. Isaiah, in Sunday's
first
reading, says
the Lord is doing something
new. (Isaiah 43:19) St
Paul, in the
second
reading,
says that faith will lead us to
an
“upward calling” in Christ. (Philippians
3:14)
For
a better future we must do our part --
we
must sow the seeds in order to gain
repentance. “Those
who sow in tears shall
reap rejoicing.” Jesus
did not condemn the
woman caught in adultery
– she is given a
chance to repent and to
pass from death
to life. (John 8:10-11) In
the same way
a
seed dies and produces a harvest –
“Those who go
forth weeping, carrying
sacks of seed, will return with
cries of joy,
carrying their bundled sheaves.”
Amen
Discussion Questions for Reflection
1. Our psalmist speaks of the the Jewish captives being set free and
brought back from Babylon. Tell of your own liberation this Lenten season
from being captive to sin.
2. The psalm contains a message of hope for us all -- that we shall reap
2. The psalm contains a message of hope for us all -- that we shall reap
joyfully in the days ahead. Share how you
expect to be raised up with the
Lord as we approach our Easter celebration.
The Lord hath done great things for us - We see it; we feel it; we acknowledge it. A surrounding world may see it in our conversion, in us being turned from sin, in the influence of religion upon us, in our comfort, calmness, and peace, that "The Lord has done great things" for us.
ReplyDeleteThe Lord hath done great things for us — And we should thankfully acknowledge it, and praise The Lord for He has not only restored our liberty, but manifested the greatness of his power. Therefore we are justly filled with joy and triumph.
As the Jews were liberated from being captives of the wicked Babylonians, I wish to be liberated from the captivity of sin. How? God's ability to restore my life is beyond my understanding. But Jesus redeems all of us from our wicked ways, as he rescued the adulterous woman in the Gospel from being stoned to death. He never condemned her.
ReplyDeleteThe Lord has done great things for me, and He brings good out of my sins. That's why He fills my mouth with joy and laughter. I will do good deeds and charitable works with love for my neighbors. I will pray more, asking his forgiveness of my sins. Furthermore, I will approach Easter joyfully with a thanksgiving heart.
"The Lord is good to me." "God is good all of the time." Many catch-phrases in our culture speak of the goodness of the Lord. I am overwhelmed with gratitude when I reflect on how the Father has compassionately helped me time and again. Or sent an angel to pave a path before me that looked humanly impossible.
ReplyDeleteThe Lord cleared a path for the Israelites when He parted the Red Sea, as we are reminded of in the first reading. He parts Red Seas for us everyday if we look for the miracles in our daily lives.
Sometimes, the path to dry land is only visible after a rough patch, a storm, or a needed cleansing with the help of the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
I am feeling well-cared for this Lent because the Lord assures me that I am restored. As In v. 3, "The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy." I do not need to dwell on past mistakes but rather focus on present graces. (I must make note that not even future graces should be imagined.) God gives us what we need for each day.
I think we should all be concerned with our upcoming choices for President, and Commander-in -Chief. It’s playing out in front of us, and all we can do is wait until it’s our turn to vote. We need to get down on our knees and pray that the best possible candidate is elected. May God Bless America!
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