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.
In view of the wonders of grace and righteousness displayed in God's salvation, the whole creation is invited to unite in praise, to sing a new song. The duty, beauty, and benefit of maintaining freshness in piety, service, and worship. And this because God has done marvelous things:
ReplyDeleteHe has created a marvelous universe.
He has established a marvelous government.
He hath bestowed a marvelous gift.
He hath provided a marvelous redemption.
He hath inspired a marvelous book.
The victory. The victories of God in judgment, and in mercy: especially the triumphs of Christ on the cross, and by his Spirit in the heart, and in and by the church at large.
The Lord has made his salvation known and His salvation flows out to all people, regardless of nationality, whether Gentile or not. If we keep the faith and glorify God by singing a new song, His saving power goes through into us.
ReplyDeleteJesus came to save all the people from their sins. Since He is merciful, just and righteous, He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples with equality. He forgives my sins and also heals those who are imprisoned.
Our Lord's salvation is available to all. His victory is obtainable for me too. That's why I shout with joy to the Lord and sing praise. In this way I am worshiping the one true God. Personally He touched me and his saving power made me whole.
As any parent of a high school senior knows, there is a huge amount of stress involved in applying to colleges. Certainly, the Lord is sovereign and my child will land where she's supposed to. Nevertheless, at odd moments of the day, I feel my heart race. I am gripped with fear over whether my precious baby will be accepted to her dream school(s). Does she have enough extracurriculars? Are her leadership skills and good character evident? Has she written the best possible essay?
ReplyDeleteOne particular day last week, I was extraordinarily panicked, for no good reason. I was on day 7 of a novena to St. Therese of Lisieux, my patron saint, known for being "faithful in the little things." After I was finished with the rosary for the day, I looked at the two, fragrant, pink roses my husband had brought in from the backyard. They were fresh, little buds, about to blossom. I wanted a photo of them to send to him. As I tapped the phone camera into focus, the Lord gave me a little wink -- a little sign of encouragement. The inner petals of one of the blooms popped open in front of my eyes. Yes, I blinked, and stared, and rubbed my eyes...
I knew God was telling me that my cries had been heard and that if He cared enough about the lovely petals of one little flower, he cared even more about my daughter and me. I also got my miracle -- I had always heard about the rose-related signs and wonders linked to St. Therese. I now have one of my own.
The rose blooming in front of me is a sure sign of the Lord's healing power. He has given me a new set of eyes when it comes to the details of my life. I can rest in Him. Though I still waver, I have experienced powerful healing of my soul, indeed. I still worry about my daughter's college path, but there is a steadiness to my heart that wasn't there before. I sing to Him a new song.
"Praise The Lord”, …... the purchase of our new house continues. Oh yeah, there continue to be a few hiccups, but now that we’ve drawn the “Good Lord” into the process, we feel confident that all will go well. Our youngest son, Brian, in New Orleans, plans to be here for 5 days, and last night, our oldest son, Michael, in Sacramento, called and announced he’ll be here for 3 days…Hooray!!!! We have an expression when we need help……."Dear Lord Jesus, come and squeeze us.”
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