Psalm for Sunday, June 3, 2018

Reflections

Psalm  116: 12-13, 15-16, 17-18   (Read)

“I will take the cup of salvation 

and call on the name of the Lord.”

This saving cup

is the same cup that 

we  share each time 

we participate 

in the Liturgy of 

the Eucharist.

It is the cup of 

the blood that 

Jesus shed 

to mark the 

new covenant 

with people of faith.

We  are saved by Christ; 

He is the divine victim.

Our psalmist asks,

“How can I repay the Lord 

for all the good He has done 

for me?”

The Psalm affirms, “Precious 

in the eyes of the Lord 

is the death of his faithful ones.”

What could be more costly 

than the death of God’s only son?

Yet God consented to the death 

of his Son because of his love 

for us;

God did not spare Him.

Once again we ask,

“How can I repay the Lord 

for all the good He has done 

for me?”

Certainly we are all obliged 

to pay our vows to the Lord,

to give Him praise, 

to obey his commandments,

and to do his will.  As the Psalm says,

“My vows to the Lord I will pay 

in the presence of all his people.” 

We are to praise Him and worship Him 

in the presence of the community.   

It is not just between us and God.    

We are part of a community, and

we are to acknowledge Him 

and bow down to Him publicly.   

And we are to proclaim the Gospel!

Our psalmist says, “O Lord, I am 

your servant, you have loosed 

my bonds.”

We are made free 

by becoming the Lord's servant.

That is how it is when 

we follow his commandments

and do his will.

It is not something that binds us.

Rather, it is something 

that sets us free.

We take delight 

in serving the Lord.

Amen

Discussion Questions for Reflection

1.  Our psalmists asks, "How can I repay the Lord for all the good He has done for me?"  Explain how you would answer this question.

2.  When you "take the cup of salvation," do you receive our Lord's saving power? Say how you respond when you eat His body and drink His blood.