Psalm for Sunday, June 4, 2017

Reflections

Psalm 104: 1, 24, 29-30, 31, 34  (Read)

 
“When you send forth your spirit, they are created.”

 










Animated by the Spirit, the divine breath, we who are 
His creatures sing of the glory of our Creator.

“When you send forth your Spirit, you renew the face 
of the earth.”  God our Creator is the source of all 
natural life.  So also the Holy Spirit is the source
of all supernatural life.  We are nothing without the 
divine breath --
“When you take away their breath, they perish and 
return to their dust.”

It is this same creative breath that came down on the 
disciples in that locked room St Luke speaks of in 
Sunday's 1st reading. (Acts 2:1-4)  
The Holy Spirit empowered the disciples to go forth 
and proclaim the Gospel boldly to men of all nations, 
speaking different tongues.

We too are called to be baptized in the Spirit, and to 
receive the divine breath of the Lord.  Having been 
baptized in the Spirit, we are a new creation, and are 
called to glorify the Lord in what we do.  In this way, 
as the Psalm says,  “May the Lord be glad in his works.”

Fortunately, for us too, the Spirit is manifested in each 
of us for some benefit, as St Paul reminds us in our 
second reading. (1 Corinthians 12:4-7)
All we have to do is accept Christ and believe in him.

Without the breath of the Holy Spirit, we have no 
spiritual life.  But thanks to God's gift, we are a new 
creation; we are baptized into Christ, and we share 
in the divinity of our Lord.  And that alone gives us 
reason to praise God.  As our psalmist says, 
“Pleasing to him be my theme; I will be glad in the Lord.”
 
Amen

Discussion Questions for Reflection
   
1.  As in our Psalm, do you also feel the presence of the 'divine breath' in your 
spiritual life?  Speak of how the Holy Spirit is at work in your life.

2.  Our psalmist says that the Spirit of the Lord 'renews the face of the earth.'   
Tell of how you are a new creation, after having been baptized in the Holy Spirit.

Psalm for Sunday, May 28, 2017

Reflections

Psalm 47: 2-3, 6-7, 8-9  (Read)

“God mounts His throne amid shouts of joy.”

This Sunday we celebrate the Ascension 

of our Lord, who was taken up to heaven 

to be seated at the right hand of the Father, 

far above every principality, with authority 

over every nation, as our 2^nd reading

tells us (Ephesians 1: 20-21).

With such an awesome God on His throne, 

what hope do we have as mere human beings 

that He will have anything more to do with us? 

How far removed can we be if this Jesus is taken

up to heaven and has all things put beneath His 

feet (including us)?

Fortunately, for us men, Jesus leaves with us a way

to share in His divinity, through the Holy Spirit which 

He gives to us. His power and presence remain within 

us, so long as we repent from our sins and believe 

in Him.

Power is often associated with arrogance and brutal

treatment, but our God uses His power to work

miracles, and bring about healing. He is risen, and

is seated at the right hand of the Father in heaven.

Knowing this, we shout with joy, and we praise Him.

As today's Gospel tells us, after Jesus' ascension, the

disciples began their active ministry, empowered by

the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28: 16-20). That same power

is given to us so long as we believe; we too are called

to ministry. And for that we are inspired to praise

the Lord, as the psalmist says, “Clap your hands,

shout to God with joyful cries; sing praise to God!”

Amen

Discussion Questions for Reflection

1.  The Psalm speaks of God mounting His throne and reigning over the nations.   

If God is raised up so far above us, how do you go about having a relationship 

with our Lord so that He is present to you?

2.  The Psalm's verses tell of God as the great king over all the earth, and we are 

urged to sing praise to our king.  Describe how our Lord's ascension inspires you 

to celebrate with shouts of joy.

Psalm for Sunday, May 21, 2017

Reflections
 
Psalm 66: 1-3, 4-5, 6-7, 16, 20  (Read)

“Say to God, “How tremendous are your deeds!”

The Psalm celebrates the awesome power 
of God, manifest in “His tremendous deeds 
among the children of Adam.” Our psalmist 
recalls the dividing of the Red Sea, which 
delivered Israel from the Egyptians, by the
favor of God.  That same awesome power 
that split the Red Sea became available 
to the early apostles of the Church, as they 
went about healing and doing signs and 
wonders.

Where does that power come from to heal 
the lame and drive out unclean spirits?   
It comes from the Holy Spirit, who accomplishes 
in each of us a spiritual resurrection.

No wonder those early believers in Samaria 
were eager to have St Peter and St John lay 
hands on them so they could receive the Holy 
Spirit (Sunday's 1st reading, Acts 8: 14,17). 
In response, they cry out to God with joy, as our 
psalmist says, “Let all the earth cry out to God 
with joy.”

We too cannot help but sing praise to God 
when we feel His presence within us.  In Sunday's 
Gospel (John 14:16-18) our Savior promises that 
He will not leave us spiritual orphans.  Rather, 
He assures us that we are in Him and He is in us.
We proclaim His glorious praise, and we on earth 
worship Him.  We want all the earth to know what 
God has done for us; as the Psalm says, we shout 
joyfully to God and proclaim His glorious praise.

Amen


Discussion Questions for Reflection  

 1.  The Psalm urges us to say to God, "How tremendous are your deeds!" 
Speak of the Lord's awesome works in your life and how you go about praising Him.

2.  Our psalmist blesses God who "refused me not."  Tell of how your petitions and 
prayers have been answered by the Lord.
 

Psalm for Sunday, May 14, 2017

Reflections

Psalm 33: 1-2, 4-5, 18-19  (Read)

“The eyes of the Lord are upon those
who fear Him, to deliver them from death,
and preserve them in spite of famine.”


The Psalm says that the Lord's eyes are 
upon us because we hold Him in awe, 
we praise Him.  Like a Good Shepherd 
He protects us from harm; He puts up 
a hedge around us and provides us with 
armor in our battle against death and the
evil one.  He feeds us when we go through 
periods of spiritual hunger.  He nourishes 
us and gives us our daily spiritual bread.

Where else would we turn for deliverance 
from death, the kind of death which is a 
consequence of sin?  Remember,  
“The wages of sin is death,” and we are 
all afflicted.  Fortunately for us, Christ
destroyed death and brought life to us

We would be dead in our sins without the Lord's
protection, defeated by the evil one without the
Lord's armor.  And when our hearts are starved
for God's presence, when our bones are dry, He
nourishes us and breathes life into our dry bones.

It is through Him that we are saved.  Our
own feeble efforts count for nothing. We must be
submissive and abandon ourselves to His Plan.
Our Savior himself tells us in today's Gospel,
"I am the way and the truth and the life," and He
teaches us, "Whoever believes in me will do the
works that I do." (John 14: 6,12)

Because Christ humbles himself for our sake,
becomes a slave to our sin, there is hope for us,
even in our time of spiritual famine.  That is the
meaning of the response, “Lord, let your mercy
be on us, as we place our trust in you.”

Amen

 
Discussion Questions for Reflection

1.  Our psalmist speaks of holding the Lord in awe and knows that the eyes 
of the Lord are upon us.  Describe how you react when the eyes of the Lord
are upon you and you are in His presence.

2.  The Psalm Response today inspires us to place our trust in the Lord and 
await His mercy.  Tell of how your trust in the Lord has strengthened you and
inspired you to do His will.

Psalm for Sunday, May 7, 2017

Reflections

Psalm 23: 1-2, 3-4, 5, 6  (Read)

“The Lord is my shepherd;

there is nothing I shall want.”

We are like sheep and we look to 
the Good Shepherd to lead us beside 
still waters, and guide us along right 

paths. We fear no harm, because the 

Good Shepherd is at our side.

The Psalm's words are a source of 

peace for us, a source of strength, 

a source of healing.  The Lord 

provides for us, as he does the little

sparrows and the lilies of the field –

“There is nothing I shall want.”

The Lord restores us, for we had gone astray

like sheep, but have returned to the shepherd

and guardian of our souls.  

(Sunday’s 2^nd reading,1 Peter 2:25)  

Jesus himself assures us that we who enter 

the sheepfold through Him will be saved and 

will find pasture (Gospel, John 10:9).

We lack nothing when we trust in the Lord.

We fear nothing, even when our lives are at

a low point spiritually or physically. Having

been rescued by our Savior, and now counted

among His obedient sheep, we are ready to do

His will. We are groomed to enter the Kingdom

and dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Amen

Discussion Questions for Reflection

1.  The Psalm assures us that we will be given repose by the Lord and led to restful waters.  Describe how these verses are a source of peace and a source of healing for you.

2.  Our psalmist assures us that only goodness and mercy will follow us all the days of our 

life and that we shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.   Tell of how you are comforted 

by these words that speak of our eternal joy in the Lord's mansion.