Monday, October 31, 2016

Psalm for Sunday, November 6, 2016


Reflections


“Hear, O Lord a just suit; attend to my outcry.”


 













Each of us may have been unjustly attacked
at one time or another, as our psalmist
David was, and as were the seven brothers
in Maccabees. (2 Maccabees 7:1-2, 9-14)
When that happens, where do we hide? 
Where do we take refuge?

Who else but the Lord stands ready to
console us, protect us “in the shadow of
His wings?” Our psalmist reminds us that 
without God we can do nothing, and it is He 
who empowers us to prevail.

And so we trust God, as David does;
we call upon Him, and we cling to Him.
We are not hesitant to call upon His name,
“I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God;
incline your ear to me; hear my word.”
For His part, God keeps us as the "apple of
His eye."  He attends to our outcry;
He hearkens to our prayers, so long as
our lips are without deceit.

And when we face death, whose face do we
want to see? It is the Lord's -- “Let me see
your face; when I awake, let me be filled
with your presence.” Who else has promised
us eternal life?

We must not be afraid to trust God for the
outcome. All we have to do is to keep to His
paths, as our psalmist says. Our feet do not falter.
We call upon the Lord.   As was true for David, 
we shall be content in His presence.

Amen 


Discussion Questions for Reflection

1.  Our psalmist says that his steps have kept to the Lord's paths, his feet have not 
faltered.   Explain how you have 'walked the walk' in the pathways of the Lord.

2.  The Psalm speaks of how we shall be content in God's presence.   Tell of what it
means to you to look forward to the day when you shall behold God's face.

 

Monday, October 24, 2016

Psalm for Sunday, October 30, 2016


Reflections




“The Lord lifts up all who are falling
and raises up all who are bowed down.”



 












We may question why God allows us to suffer,

why he allows “bad things to happen to good people.”

We may ask, as the early believers probably did,

“Why is it necessary to undergo such hardships

to enter the kingdom of God?”



Scripture tells us that afflictions are to be

expected in our walk with the Lord. We may not

understand what God is up to, but we can be sure

that our faith will be strengthened if we stand fast

in the face of suffering. We will become better

witnesses for Christ if we are humbled; we become

better servants if we bear up with our difficulties

and trust in the Lord. As our psalmist tells us,

“The Lord is trustworthy in every word, and

faithful in every work.”



Endurance is a Godly quality and will help us

to get 'yoked' to Jesus. Having done that, 

like our psalmist David, we join with the faithful

and speak of the glory of God's reign and bless

His name.



The book of Wisdom tells us that God loves all

things He has created, and loathes nothing He

has made. (Wisdom 11:24)  David says it this way, 
“The Lord is good to all and compassionate 
toward all His works.”  This verse is fulfilled in 
Sunday's Gospel – Zacchaeus could just as well 
sing this psalm, “I will praise your name forever, 
my king and my God.”  (See also Luke 19:1-10)



When we reflect on what God has done for us,

we remember that we live our lives amidst an

unending stream of divine love. God has always

done good things for us. That is God's nature –

as the Psalm says, “The Lord is gracious and 
merciful and of great kindness.”



And so we pray this psalm to bless, praise, 
and exalt the heavenly Father in His perfection 
and in His works.

“Great is the Lord and highly to be praised.”



Amen


Discussion Questions for Reflection

1.  Our psalmist asks us (His faithful ones) to speak of  God's might and discourse 
of the glory of God's kingdom.  Give an example of how you have complied with our
psalmist's appeals.

2.  We are assured by the Psalm that the Lord lifts up all who are falling and raises up 
all who are bowed down.  Share how your faith has been strengthened by any hardships 
you may have undergone.


Monday, October 17, 2016

Psalm for Sunday, October 23, 2016

Reflections 

Psalm 34: 2-3, 17-18, 19, 23  (Read)


“Those who are crushed in spirit He saves.”
















David's psalm assures us,
“The Lord hears the cry of the poor.”
The word poor is said to apply to one
who depends completely on God
for his deliverance and his very life.
This is true for David as he is being
pursued by his enemy. It is true for us
in our own personal battle against the
evil one. With Him on our side victory
is certain. “The Lord confronts the
evildoers, to destroy remembrance 
of them from the earth.”

St Paul is rescued from the lion's mouth 
and is empowered by the Lord to finish 
the race, to keep the faith, to complete 
the proclamation. In his own words, 
“The Lord stood by me and gave me 
strength.” (2 Timothy 4: 6-8, 17)
David affirms this, “The Lord redeems 
the lives of His servants; no one incurs 
guilt who takes refuge in Him.”

The Psalm says our prayers are heard 
if we have a right relationship with the Lord, 
“When the just cry out, the Lord hears them.” 
This is confirmed by the writer of Sirach --
“The one who serves God willingly is heard; 
his petition reaches the heavens. The prayer 
of the lowly pierces the clouds.”(Sirach 35: 20-21)

Jesus teaches us in this Sunday’s Gospel, 
“The one who humbles himself will be exalted.” 
The tax collector preserves his relationship with 
God and goes home justified. (Luke 18: 13-14)
That too is part of being poor in spirit. If we want 
the Lord to be on our side, then we need 
to humble ourselves and recognize
our own lowly status.

And having done all that we can to keep a just
relationship with our God, then we are to bless 
the Lord at all times, keep his praise ever in our 
mouths, and as the psalm says, “Let my soul 
glory in the Lord.”

Amen

Discussion Questions for Reflection

1.  The Psalm tells us that God lifts up those who are crushed
in spirit.  However difficult 
it may be for us to be humble in spirit,  we can speak of how gratifying it is for us to depend 
solely on the Lord for our salvation.   Tell of what this means to you personally.

2.   The verses of the Psalm tell us how to be sure that our prayers
are heard.  Our psalmist encourages us to have a right relationship with the Lord before we pray.  What is it that 
you do to be sure that  your prayers reach the ears of the Lord?
 

Monday, October 10, 2016

Psalm for Sunday, October 16, 2016

Reflections
Psalm 121: 1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8  (Read)


“Our help is from the Lord.”

















The Psalm is a prayer for believers

when we are uncertain, when we face

the dangers of this world, or when we

encounter obstacles on our journey of

faith and works.



Where does our help come from?

As our psalmist says, it comes from the Lord.

Just as Moses raised up his hands and

obtained God's intervention on the side

of Israel (Exodus 17:11-12), so too 
the psalm calls for us to look upward 
for God’s help, “I lift up my eyes toward 
the mountains.” And our psalmist reminds us, 
“The Lord is your guardian.” We are obliged 
to pray, “May He not suffer your foot to slip.”



We may rest assured that our Lord sends us
his Holy Spirit to safeguard us, and we give 
thanks that our protector is a guard who never 
falls asleep at his post, nor is He ever off duty. 
“May He slumber not who guards you, indeed 
He neither slumbers nor sleeps.”



When we do battle with evil or injustice,

who can we turn to? Are we likely to overcome

the powers and principalities that threaten us

along the road by depending on our puny 
defenses? Not so, the psalm reminds us. 
Without the Lord as our shade, we are subject 
to the sun's harmful rays and the moon's evil 
influences. But if we trust in the Lord, 
“The Lord will guard you from all evil.”



But how do we get God’s attention when we 
need  His help? Jesus tells us how in the Gospel –

we are to pray with persistence, without becoming

weary, like the widow who obtains a just decision

from the unwilling judge. (Luke 18:1-5)

And as the Psalm concludes, if our faith is strong,
and we trust in the Lord, “The Lord will guard our 
coming and going, both now and forever.”



Amen


Discussion Questions for Reflection

1.  Our psalmist says that the Lord is beside you at your right hand.   

Speak of what it is that reassures you of the Lord's protection on your journey.

2.  The Psalm is about the power of prayer and of trust in the Lord.  Give an example 

of how you have persisted in prayer and obtained the Lord's help in overcoming difficulty.



Monday, October 3, 2016

Psalm for Sunday, October 9, 2016

Reflections 

Psalm 98: 1, 2-3, 3-4  (Read)


“Sing to the Lord a new song.”
 













The Lord makes all thing new, and we are
a new creation, the work of his hands.
And so it is right that we sing a “new song”
to the Lord, who has done marvelous things 
for us.

This Sunday's psalm is a psalm of joy, and
because God's saving power has been 
revealed to all the nations, we are all 
encouraged to “break into song, sing praise.”

“The Lord's right hand and holy arm have won
the victory.” It is clear from this Sunday's 
readings that God's healing power is not limited 
to the Israelites.  In Sunday's first  reading the 
Syrian army commander Naaman is healed 
in the land of Yahweh. (2 Kings 5:14-17)

And in Sunday's second reading St Paul 
reminds us that the 'word of God is not chained'
and that if we persevere and die with Christ, 
we too will be counted among the living, 
the chosen ones. (2 Timothy 2: 9-12)

Then in the Gospel, God's saving power is 
made available to a grateful Samaritan, who,
having been cleansed of leprosy, has learned 
to sing a new song, glorifying God in a loud 
voice and falling at the feet of Jesus 
in thanksgiving. (Luke 17:14-16)

God's salvation flows out to all people, whether 
they be soldiers from foreign lands, lepers, or 
those imprisoned.  And how is salvation obtained; 
how is the victory won?  It is won by God's Holy 
arm, His son, our Savior Jesus Christ. Victory is 
obtainable for us too, if we keep the faith, give
thanks to God, and praise Him.  As the Psalm 
says,  “Shout with joy to the Lord, sing praise.”

Amen


Discussion Questions for Reflection
   
 
1.  Our Psalmist declares, "The Lord has revealed to the nations His saving power."  
Tell of how the Lord has revealed to you personally His saving power.
 
 
2.  The Psalm urges us to "Sing to the Lord a new song."   Speak of what it means 
to you to have learned the 'new song' of praising and worshiping the one true God.