Reflections
Psalm 122: 1-2, 3-4, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9 (Read)
“I
rejoiced when they said to me,
'Let
us go up to the house of the Lord.”
This
Sunday we revisit this Psalm that sings
of a
spiritual journey to the house of
the Lord, the holy
city of Jerusalem. In
Sunday’s first reading the
prophet Isaiah also speaks
about a journey to Zion,
to the house of
God, and to God’s holy mountain.
(Isaiah
2: 2-3) We
too are called to
make that
same journey, that we may walk in
His paths.
Our psalmist says, “Our feet are
standing within
your gates, Jerusalem.”
But
why are we called to make that journey?
Firstly,
we stand with the Israelites who already
dream
of gathering together at some future time.
But
secondly, for us as Christians, the psalm is a
vision
of the end times, when our spiritual
pilgrimage
leads us from earth to heaven.
Our
psalmist says we are called to give thanks
to
the name of the Lord, but we note also there
are
set up judgment seats at our destination.
For
our journey ends where God resides, His
kingdom
of heaven, and we must be prepared
to
be in His presence.
St
Paul, in Sunday’s
second reading,
cautions
us to throw off the works of darkness,
and
to put on the armor of light, to conduct
ourselves
properly as in the day, to put on the
Lord
Jesus Christ. (Romans 13: 12-14)
Jesus
himself says in this Sunday's
Gospel ,
“You must be
prepared, for at an hour you do
not expect, the
Son of Man will come.”
(Matthew 24:44)
Jerusalem
in the Psalm symbolizes for us the
end
of our journey, being present with the Lord.
This
is what God has planned for His people --
When
we arrive in God's holy city, the kingdom
of
God will come to us in its fullness, and we will
live
in peace. As the psalmist tells us, we will be
filled
with a desire to say, "Peace be with you.”
I
will pray for your good.”
Amen
Discussion Questions for Reflection
1. As we begin a new season of Advent, the Psalm encourages us to be prepared
for the time when we will be in God's kingdom and He will be present to us.
Speak about what you are doing to prepare yourself to be in God's holy city.
2. As we prepare to receive the Prince of Peace within our midst, our psalmist asks
2. As we prepare to receive the Prince of Peace within our midst, our psalmist asks
us to pray for peace within the walls of the holy city and within ourselves. What are
you doing to ensure that you have peace within you and how are you conveying your
peace to others around you?
