Psalm for Sunday, June 30, 2019

Reflections 

Psalm 16: 1-2, 5, 7, 8, 9-10, 11  (Read)

“With the Lord at my right hand,

I shall never be shaken.”

This psalm of David speaks to us 

about a belief in an everlasting life 

with God. “Lord, my allotted portion 

and my cup, you have made 

my destiny secure.”

The distress that afflicts us from time

to time when we feel separated from God

is overcome – “For you will not abandon 

my soul to the netherworld, nor let your 

faithful servant see the pit.”

We can understand the Psalm's

verses as a prophecy of the resurrection 

of Christ, when we will see God’s Son 

seated at the right hand of the Father.

“You will show me the path to life,

abounding joy in your presence,

the delights at your right hand forever.”

These same verses are quoted by 

St Peter in his speech to the Israelites 

at Pentecost. (Acts 2:25-28)

St Peter uses the Psalm 

as a prophecy that Jesus is to be 

raised up and will sit at the right 

hand of the Father. For us these are 

encouraging words, with a promise 

that we too can look forward to being 

lifted up and spending the rest of our 

days in the presence of the Lord.

The Lord promises, if we are his faithful 

servants, that we will not have to see the pit.

He will not abandon us. As David says, 

this is enough to make our hearts glad 

and our souls rejoice.  

“Therefore my heart is glad and my soul 

rejoices; my body, too, abides in confidence.” 

Our burdens are made light; 

His yoke is easy, and that gladdens the heart 

and strengthens the body. 

Amen

Discussion Questions for Reflection

1.  Our Psalmist speaks confidently about his belief in an everlasting life with God.   

Speak of how you are confident about being raised up with the Lord and spending  

eternity in His presence.

2.  David says, "My Lord, you are my allotted portion and my cup."  Explain what 

these words mean to you.

Psalm for Sunday, June 23, 2019

Reflections

Psalm 110: 1, 2, 3, 4  (Read)

“The Lord said to my Lord: 'Sit at my right 

hand till I make your enemies your footstool.'”

Our psalmist David speaks of the Messiah 

who is to come.   For us, the psalm is about 

the anointing of Jesus as our Savior, Jesus 

as the everlasting King and Priest.  Christ 

will take his throne at the right hand of God, 

as our psalmist predicts.   Christ will make 

his enemies his footstool.  He is able to do 

this because the Father has empowered 

Him to rule over his enemies.

And how does Christ's victory affect us 

earthly humans?  The truth is that we too are 

in the midst of the same spiritual battle that 

Christ has already fought.   And his victory 

means for us that we can be victors as well 

– victors, not victims.  And for that, we praise

God and give thanks to our King.

This Sunday we celebrate the Solemnity of 

the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ  (Corpus 

Christi).  How is it that Jesus, anointed as the 

everlasting King and Priest, humbled himself to 

pour out his blood on the cross for us common 

sinners?  How is it that such a mighty King is 

willing to co-mingle his very flesh and blood with 

our own fallen flesh and blood?  All we can know 

is that God's plan intends that his perfect divine 

presence enters into our fallen, human presence 

and offers healing, wisdom, salvation,and hope. 

(Word Among Us)

How blessed we are that although we are not worthy 

to receive Him, He gives us angels' food, bread from 

heaven – “He fed them with the finest wheat and 

satisfied them with honey from the rock.” (Ps 81:17)

Our Lord is both shepherd and lamb to us, his well 

tended flock. As the Paschal Lamb, He spilled his 

lifeblood for us, feeding us as God sent manna to 

our spiritual fathers.  “Very bread, good shepherd, 

tend us, Jesus, You who all things can and know,

Who on earth such food bestow.”  

(Sequence, Laud, O Zion)

How remarkable that our Lord, though seated 

at the right hand of the Father, comes down from

heaven so that we sinners might have a share in 

his divinity. “I am the living bread that came down 

from heaven, says the Lord; whoever eats this bread 

will live forever.” (Jn 6:51) 

We are inspired to offer our prayers of thanksgiving 

to our Lord --

“Grant O Lord, we pray,

that we may delight for all eternity

in that share in your divine life,

which is foreshadowed in the present age

by our reception of your precious Body and Blood.”

(Order of Mass, Prayer after Communion)

Amen

 

Discussion Questions for Reflection

1.  The Psalm speaks of the anointing of Jesus as our Savior, who will rule 

in the midst of His enemies.  Tell of how you have relied on our Savior to fight 

your spiritual enemies on your behalf.

2.  With our Lord so powerful and seated at the right hand of the Father, does it 

surprise you that He would come down from heaven to mingle His precious body 

and blood with our human flesh and blood?  Explain

 

Psalm for Sunday, June 16, 2019

Reflections

Psalm 8:  4-5, 6-7, 8-9   (Read)

“What is man that you are mindful 

of him?  Yet you have made him 

little less than a god.” 

Why did our Creator give us life? 

Why are we given rule over God's 

works, and why did He put all things 

under our feet?  These age old 

questions are raised again by our 

psalmist, David, who is awed that 

God has made us so much like 

heavenly beings.

It is clear that we are made in the 

image of God, and we are His children. 

As the voice of Wisdom tells us, in 

Sunday's first reading, God takes delight 

in his children.  (Proverbs 8:31)

And St Paul, in the second reading,

reminds us that the Love of God has 

been poured out into our hearts through 

the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.

(Romans 5:5) 

God dwells within us that we might have 

a share in His divinity. 

This Sunday we celebrate the Solemnity of the 

Holy Trinity.  Having been baptized in the Spirit, 

we are able to experience the divine Trinity within 

us.  It is said that we shall feel a resemblance to 

God in our souls.  'It is in the most secret recesses 

of the soul that God is known, in which he acts and 

exists. God is one with us; we can no more separate 

ourselves from God than from our own selves.' 

(Father John Tauler)

The Catechism teaches that God has destined us 

to share in the exchange of love among the Father, 

Son, and Holy Spirit.  'Man's living area is broadened 

and raised up to the supernatural level of divine life.' 

(St John Paul II)

'The Father has sent the Spirit into our hearts so that 

we cry 'Abba, Father.'  God is nearer to us than we are 

to ourselves through the divine indwelling.' (Magnificat).

Believing this is so, then we should be devoted to 

bearing fruit and lifting up our brothers and sisters, 

fulfilling the gifts of the Spirit that have been given to us. 

If we do that, God will truly be pleased, and what better 

way is there to praise Him than by doing His work. 

As our psalmist says, “O Lord, our God, how wonderful 

your name in all the earth!” 

Amen

Discussion Questions for Reflection  
 

1.  Our Psalmist says that we are made 'little less than the angels,

and crowned with glory and honor.'   As a child of God, speak of how 

you are doing the work of the Lord and how you know He takes pleasure 

in what you do.

2.  The Psalm tells us that the Lord has given us humans dominion over 

'all the beasts of the field ... and whatever swims the paths of the seas.'  

We know also that the earth was designed to be lived in.   What are you 

doing to be a good steward over the 'works of His hands?' 

  

Psalm for Sunday, June 9, 2019

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.  

Our psalmist affirms, “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 -- “If 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 today's first 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 today's second reading. 

(1 Corinthians 12:7)

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.