Reflections
Psalm 90: 3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 14-17 (Read)
“You turn man back to dust.”Our Psalmist describes us humans
as miserable creatures, whose lives are
dismally brief. We are like the “changing
grass, which at dawn springs up anew,
but by evening wilts and fades.”
What hope is there for us humans
whose lives are cut short in our sleep?
Our sinful nature incurs the righteous
anger of the Lord. “The corruptible body
burdens the soul.” (Wisdom 9:15)
What are we to do?
We are to take refuge in the Lord,
as the Psalm says. We are to pray that
we may gain wisdom of heart, as our
Psalmist says. We are to ask for God's
favor in our lives. We are to humble
ourselves and to learn to fill our limited
days by doing the Lord's will in our lives.
However fleeting our lives, we pray that God
will “prosper the work of our hands,” that
we will know the will of God and act upon it.
We are to pray through the dark night that
God will fill us at daybreak with his kindness,
for this will be the day of our salvation.
We are to have a right relationship with
the Lord, believe in His Son, who took upon
Himself our weak human form, so that
we would know what it means to bear our
cross as He did for us. Christ took on the
earthen shelter of human flesh in order to
show us how to let go of it.
It is no accident that older believers are
counted among those who attend daily Mass.
For as they approach the end of their brief lives
on earth, their days more and more are filled
with the hope of being part of God's kingdom forever.
All of us look forward to the day when we may
sing for joy in God's presence and be filled with
the love of the Lord. As the Psalm says, “May the
gracious care of the Lord our God be ours forever.”
Amen
Discussion Questions for Reflection
1. The Psalm speaks of 'numbering our days aright.' What are you doing
to make your days on earth count for something in the eyes of the Lord?
2. Our Psalm carries a strong message that our human lives are fleeting
but that God is eternal. How are you preparing to be in God's presence
forever?
Our Psalmist, Moses, reminds us that God is eternal; He is not limited by time.
ReplyDeleteBut we are weak and frail whose lives are brief like the changing grass which
at dawn springs up anew, by evening wilts and fades. We will return to dust.
Realizing human life is short, fleeting like the grass on the field,
Our days fly away, quickly pass.
What am I to do? Since my days are numbered, teach me Lord, to number my days aright.
I must take refuge in God.
I must pray that I may gain the wisdom of God, and ask for God’s favor in my life.
I must also put my faith into practice by loving and serving God.
My God, your unfailing love makes us glad. My desire can only be satisfied in eternity. Our time on earth is limited and so I have to use it wisely, keeping our eternal home, Heaven, in mind.