Reflections
Psalm 98: 1, 2-3, 3-4 (Read)
“Sing to the Lord a new song.”
The Lord makes all thing new, and we are
a new creation, the work of his hands.
And so it is right that we sing a “new song”
to the Lord, who has done marvelous things for us.
This is a Psalm of joy, and because God's saving
power has been revealed to all the nations, we are
all encouraged to “break into song, sing praise.”
“The Lord's right hand and holy arm have won
the victory.” It is clear from this Sunday's readings
that God's healing power is not limited to the Israelites.
In this Sunday's first reading the Syrian army commander
Naaman is healed in the land of Yahweh. (2 Kings 5:14)
And in Sunday's second reading, St Paul reminds us
that the 'word of God is not chained' and that if we
persevere and die with Christ, we too will be counted
among the living, the chosen ones. (2 Timothy 2: 9-10)
Then in the Gospel, God's saving power is made
available to a grateful Samaritan, who is the only
one healed that has learned to sing the new song,
glorifying God in a loud voice and falling at the feet
of Jesus in thanksgiving. (Luke 17: 11-19)
God's salvation flows out to all people, whether they
be soldiers from foreign lands, lepers, or those imprisoned.
And how is salvation obtained, how is the victory won?
It is won by God's holy arm, His son, our Savior
Jesus Christ. Victory is obtainable for us too, if we
keep the faith, give thanks to God, and praise Him.
As the Psalm says, “Shout with joy to the Lord, sing praise.”
Amen
Discussion Questions for Reflection
1. Our Psalmist declares, "The Lord has revealed to the nations His saving power."
Tell of how the Lord has revealed to you personally His saving power.
2. The Psalm urges us to "Sing to the Lord a new song." Speak of what it means
to you to have learned the 'new song' of praising and worshiping the one true God.
The Lord has revealed to the nations His saving power...
ReplyDeleteI am personally protected by Him all of the time. A recent incident involving one of my children caused me great anxiety. I cannot delve into detail except to say that the POTENTIAL consequences are great... and still, in fact, looming as a possibility. From the moment I learned about it, my heart started racing and I tried to console my child, though I myself was scared and shaky.
The Lord gave me a powerful passage to remember. I am familiar with the verses but it’s the first time in a long time that I am clinging to every word of the passage; it’s easier to quote it for someone else than for ME. The Lord also provided the exact translation of this passage that made most sense to me. Here it is:
Philippians 4:6-7 (NLT)
"Don’t’ worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus."
I am currently relying on these very words to get me through each day... and the days to come. I thank God, in advance, for keeping my child in His protection, His saving power!
Our Psalmist declares, “The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.” And also he urges us, “Sing to the Lord a new song.”
ReplyDeleteThese statements made me pause to think. Surely God’s saving power was made available to me when I was afflicted with sickness, especially when I was suffering from acute anxiety.
I was imprisoned, mentally unstable. I wished I’d rather die than to live.
Now I am in the process of healing physically, spiritually, and mentally.
I have learned God’s healing power is not limited to the people of Israel.
We are all encouraged to break into song, and sing praise. The Syrian commander Naaman is healed from leprosy in the land of Yahweh and a blind Samaritan man is healed and learns to sing the new song glorifying God in thanksgiving.
It is a good to know God’s salvation flows out to all people regardless of their origin. We too will be counted among the living, the chosen ones.
Isn’t it good news that God’s salvation is obtainable for us too ?
It is a new song for me to praise God for what he has done for me.
Shout for joy to the Lord! Sing to the Lord a new song because He has made his salvation known!