Reflections
“In
every age, O Lord, you have been
our refuge.”
Our
Psalmist describes us humans
as
miserable creatures, whose lives
are dismally
brief. We are like the
“changing grass,
which at dawn
springs up anew, but
by evening
wilts and fades.” What
hope is
there for us humans whose
lives
are cut short in our sleep? Our
sinful nature incurs the righteous
anger
of the Lord.
“The corruptible body burdens
the
soul.” (Wisdom
9:15)
What
are we to do?
We
are to take refuge in the Lord,
as
the Psalm says. We are to pray
that we
may gain wisdom of heart,
as our Psalmist
says. We are to ask
for God's favor
in our lives. We are
to humble ourselves
and learn to fill
our limited days
by doing the Lord's
will in our lives. However
fleeting our
lives, we pray that God will
“prosper
the work of our hands,” that we
will
know the will of God and act upon it.
We
are to pray through the dark night
that God
will fill us at daybreak with his
kindness, for
this will be the day of our
salvation. We
are to have a right
relationship with the
Lord, believe in His
Son, who took upon Himself
our weak
human form, so that we
would know
what it means to bear our cross
as He
did for us. Christ took on the earthen
shelter of human flesh in order to show
us how to let go of it.
It
is no accident that many seniors
are
counted among those believers
who
attend daily Mass. For
as they approach
the end of their brief lives on
earth, their
days more and more are filled with
the
hope of being part of God's kingdom
forever. All
of us look forward to the day
when we may sing
for joy in God's
presence and be filled with the
love of the
Lord. As the Psalm says, “May the
gracious
care of the Lord our God be
ours forever.”
Amen
Discussion Questions for Reflection
1. The Psalm speaks of 'numbering our days aright.' What are you doing to make
your days on earth count for something in the eyes of the Lord?
2. Our Psalm carries a strong message that our human lives are fleeting but that
2. Our Psalm carries a strong message that our human lives are fleeting but that
God is eternal.
How are you preparing to be in God's presence forever?
I'm realizing our life is short like grass, fleeting, our days are numbered. Our life's span quickly passes and flies away. Nothing on earth is eternal. We soon turn to dust.
ReplyDeleteAnd so I am to pray that I may gain wisdom how to live a worthwhile life during my time on earth, to love God and serve God through serving others.
I desire to live in eternity with God. Like our psalmist I take my refuge in the Lord. I try to be right in the eyes of God. But I have failed many many times. But I keep trying to gain the favor of God, praying and reading his Word. In doing so God fills me with His loving presence and hope for eternity because He is eternal.