Psalm for Sunday, January 3, 2021

Reflections 

Psalm 72: 1-2, 7-8, 10-11, 12-13   (Read)

“Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.”

 

The Psalm is a prayer for our newborn King,

a Messiah who will be like the “rain coming 

down upon the fields, like showers watering 

the earth.”  Our psalmist prays that our 

newborn King will be anointed by God with 

divine judgment and empowered to rule the earth.

The prophet Isaiah in Sunday's first reading 

predicts that the light of the Lord will cause 

our hearts to overflow, and the riches of the sea 

to be emptied out before us. (Isaiah 60:5) 

Our psalmist also speaks of abundance 

that will flourish in the King's days. 

But the Messiah is among us, to do more than 

bless us materially; the Savior has come to make

our burdens easy, to share our afflictions. 

“The lives of the poor He shall save.”

We see the light, just as the prophet Isaiah said 

we would.  (Isaiah 60:1) 

In the Psalm, the mystery is revealed 

to us, poor in spirit though we are:

“He rescues the poor when they cry out [as we do],

the afflicted who have no one to help.”

This is what our Good Shepherd Jesus is sent to do, 

to shepherd God’s people. This is why we join the 

Magi in paying homage to our newborn King, and 

join with our psalmist in singing,

"Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.”

Amen

 
Discussion Questions for Reflection

1.  Our psalmist mentions 'afflicted ones' and 'the afflicted' in two 

of the Psalm's verses.  Are there times when you can identify yourself 

as an 'afflicted' one?   Tell what remedies are available to you that are 

mentioned in the Psalm.

2.  The Psalm says, 'Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.'   

Using the verses of the Psalm, explain why 'all kings' would want 

to pay homage to our Lord.

Psalm for Sunday, December 27, 2020

Reflections

Psalm 128: 1-2, 3, 4-5  (Read)

“Blessed are those who fear 

the Lord and walk in His ways.”

Our psalmist tells us that a man 
who has a right relationship with 
the Lord will also obtain a right 
relationship with his wife and his 
family.  If we have a right 

relationship with the Lord, we will 
know how to treat our wives and 
our children, and in turn, we will 
discover how blessed we are in 
our home and by the presence of 

our family. “Just so will the man 
be blessed who fears the Lord.”

And if a man walks with the Lord, 
this will be reflected in the way he 
loves his wife.  Because if a man 
cherishes his wife, as ‘flesh of his 
flesh’ and ‘bone of his bones,’ 
he nourishes his relationship with 
her, as Christ nourishes the Church. 

And the man’s reward is that his wife 
will be like a ‘fruitful vine’ within his 
house. This is how a man is blessed 
who fears the Lord.

Having been so favored by God, we 
understand why, 'A man shall leave his 
father and mother and cleave to his wife.' 
God made them one flesh, and, 'What God 
has joined, no human being may separate.'

If we fear the Lord and walk in His ways, 
we will receive the blessings of our labor, 
prosper in a material way, and grow old 
gracefully in the company of our family.

Amen

Discussion Questions for Reflection

1.  The Psalm tells us how to gain God's favor so that our family life will 
be blessed.  What does it mean to you to fear the Lord and walk in His ways?

2.  We learn from our psalmist how to behave toward our wife and our children.  
A right relationship with our family is obtained by having a right relationship 
with our Lord.  Explain how you are putting this teaching into practice.

Psalm for Sunday, December 20, 2020

Reflections

 

Psalm 89:  2-3, 4-5, 27-29   (Read)

" I have made a covenant with my chosen one."

This Sunday's Psalm sings about God’s  
promises to Israel and God's covenant 
with David.  "I have made a covenant 
with my chosen one."  That same divine 
selection is celebrated in Sunday's  
first reading that tells the story of how David was taken from pasturing sheep to become Israel’s commander .  (2 Samuel 7:8)

Our psalmist quotes the Lord, “I have sworn to 
David my servant: Forever will I confirm your posterity
and establish your throne for all generations.”

And how does this young shepherd boy rise to 
greatness in Israel? He succeeds because he has 
found favor with God, and God will be the source of his 
strength.  This is the same divine strength that St Paul 
tells us is available to each of us, if we believe and 
have faith. (Romans 16:25)

But it isn’t a one way street with the Lord. David is 
to show us that we must give glory to God.  He cries out,
“You are my Father, my God, the Rock, my Savior.”

Mary also finds favor with God and is anointed to be 
the Blessed Mother of our Lord Jesus.  She too responds
by giving glory to God in this week’s Gospel.  (Luke 1:38)

The Lord’s covenant with David stands firm, and it is 
through God’s promise to David that the Messiah is 
born of Mary. “Forever, I will maintain my love for David;
my covenant with him stands firm.” That promise 
to David is fulfilled in the birth of our Savior and for that 
we too must give glory to God.

Amen
 

Discussion Questions for Reflection

1.  David is to call out to the Lord, 'You are my father, my God, the Rock, my savior.' 
We too are inspired to cry out to God in a similar way. Tell of the times when you 
have felt like crying out to God in worship and praise.

2.  Our Psalm response is, 'Forever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.'  One reason to sing of the Lord's goodness is because His promises are trustworthy.  Describe how you have relied on the promises of the Lord in your journey.

Psalm for Sunday, December 13, 2020

Reflections  

Luke 1:  46-48, 49-50, 53-54   (Read)

“My soul rejoices in my God.”  

The Blessed Mother Mary speaks this hymn 
of praise to God in the words of a humble servant,
“For He has looked upon his lowly handmaid.”

Despite her position as God’s chosen instrument, 
Mary does not exalt herself; she exalts God 
the Father as she professes her Magnificat.
Her soul “proclaims the greatness of the Lord.”
She glorifies the Lord, “The Almighty has done
great things for me.”  Mary is truly God’s anointed
one, and the spirit of the Lord is upon her. 
She “rejoices heartily in the Lord.” 

We too are God’s lowly creatures, and Mary inspires
us to expect the Lord will do great things for us as well.
We too should expect to be singled out by the Lord 
to do His work.  This is our food (to do the Lord’s work)
just as it was for Jesus the Son.

Mary testifies to the light, as does John the Baptist in 
our Gospel reading.  (John 1: 8)
Because of Mary’s faith, the Old Testament 
promises are fulfilled, and the tide is turned. 
As the Blessed Mother says, the hungry (that is who we are) 
are filled with good things. 

Amen 


Discussion Questions for Reflection

1.    Mary declares that God has filled the 'hungry' with good things.  
Do you consider yourself one of the hungry ones? And if so, in what way 
has the Lord fed you with good things?

2.   Our Blessed Mother says, "The Almighty has done great things for me."  
In what way do you also believe that God has done great things for you, 
and how have you responded?

Psalm for Sunday, December 6, 2020

Reflections

Psalm 85:  9-10, 11-12, 13-14   (Read)

"Near indeed is His salvation." 

 












The Psalm is a prayer that God
will grant mercy and forgiveness
to the Israelites, and by extension
we are told that our own salvation 
is near.  “The Lord proclaims peace 
to His people, glory dwelling in our land.”

The Prophet Isaiah tells us in today's 
1st reading, our God declares, “Give 
comfort to my people.”  And Zion is told,
“Cry out at the top of your voice;
here is your God!"  (Isaiah 40:1,6,9)

The Psalm is a promise of salvation.
“Near indeed is salvation for those 
who fear Him.”  St Peter too affirms
that the Lord does not delay in keeping His
promise in today's 2nd reading.  (2 Peter 3:9)

And what should we expect?
Nothing less than the coming of the Messiah
himself.  Our psalmist affirms, “Truth will spring
from the earth,” and for us this takes place
when the Messiah is born.

The psalmist prepares the way of the Lord,
as does John the Baptist in this week's Gospel.
As the Psalm says, “Justice shall walk before 
Him and prepare the way of His steps.”

Amen


Discussion Questions for Reflection

1.  The Psalm says, "Truth shall spring out of the earth."  For us this verse 
foretells the coming of the Messiah, our Lord Jesus Christ.  What else about 
the Psalm prepares us for the birth of our Savior?

2.  Our psalmist says, "I will hear what God proclaims."  This verse can be seen 
as a reminder to study the Word of the Lord.  Explain how your study of the Word 
is strengthening your faith.

Psalm for Sunday, November 29, 2020

Reflections

Psalm 80:  2-3, 15-16, 18-19   (Read)

“Lord, make us turn to you, and we shall be saved.”

 

The Psalm is a prayer to restore
Israel, and by extension to restore us,
as a scattered people of God.
The Psalm is well adapted to our
prayer during Advent.  We are a people
scattered and separated from God, and
we await His coming.  He alone can
'make us turn to Him' and convert us.
“Shepherd of Israel, lend an ear;
come to save us.”

Our psalmist makes a direct appeal
to God to shepherd us.   “Turn again
Lord, attend to this vine.”  Just as
the Lord tends to His vineyard, He
protects a shoot planted by His right
hand.  The coming of Christ is intended
to revive us, restore our strength.  
As the Psalm says, “Then we will not
withdraw from you; give us new life, and
we will call upon your name.”

Where does our hope for revival
come from?  It comes from our Savior,
our cornerstone, sent by the Lord.
In Him we are restored.   “Lord of
hosts restore us; let your face shine
upon us, that we may be saved.”

We all need to be renewed from
time to time when our faith grows
lukewarm, when our hearts harden
due to the sins that separate us from
God.   We, like the Israelites,  need
to beg for God’s mercy, to petition
the Lord and seek his peace, the peace
that will  guard our hearts and minds,
and restore us as his people.

Amen

 
Discussion Questions for Reflection

1.  The Psalm says, 'Lord, make us turn to you.' Have you noticed at times when we stray off His path how the Lord tugs at each of us so that we return to His ways?  Give an example from your own experience.

2.  Our psalmist is writing about the scattered people of Israel, 
but his words may apply to each of us when we feel separated from God.  In what way are you inspired by the Psalm's verses to repent and seek renewal? 

Psalm for Sunday, November 22, 2020

Reflections

Psalm 23:  1-2, 2-3, 5-6   (Read)

"He guides me in right paths."

This well known psalm is a prayer 

that we offer to our Lord, the Good Shepherd.

“The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.”   

We desire to be one of His sheep because He

looks after us and protects us and seeks us

out when we stray.  On the other hand we

do not want to be one of the goats that He

scatters.  Nor do we want to be on the wrong 

side of His judgment when He separates the 

sheep from the goats. 
(See Gospel, Matthew 25: 31-34)

In Sunday’s first reading the prophet Ezekiel tells us --

“The Lord God looks after his scattered sheep.” 

(Ezekiel 34:12)

He brings us back to the sheep-hold

where He will bind up our wounds.

Jesus speaks of himself as the Good Shepherd,

and we are drawn to Him, because He offers 
to lead us beside still waters, to grant us peace, 
and to restore us spiritually.

Our Lord Jesus, King of kings, stands by us 
in the victory over death. 

Our psalmist David says it this way, a thousand
years before the time of Christ,

“You prepare a table before me in the 

presence of my enemies.” 

As the Psalm says, our Lord anoints us; 
He fills our cup so that it overflows.

We are ready to go forth on our own journey 

to discover who we are and how we are to treat others, 

especially the least among us. (Gospel, Matthew 25: 45)

In our journey we learn that, if we really want 
to have eternal life with our Lord, then we must 
become shepherds in our own right, here on earth.

Having been rescued by our Savior, 

and now counted among His obedient sheep, 

and ready to do His will, 

we are groomed to enter the kingdom 

and to sit at the table that God sets for us.

“Surely goodness and mercy 

shall follow me all the days of my life,

and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

Amen

Discussion Questions for Reflection

1.  The Psalm makes it clear we want to stay on the right side of our 
Good Shepherd; we want to be guided in right paths for His name's sake.  
Explain what you are doing so that you will be placed on His right, and not 
on His left with the goats.

2.  As His good sheep, we are being groomed to do His will.  Our psalmist 
says that our Lord anoints us with oil.  Having been anointed by the Lord, 
how are you carrying out His will within your family and your community?

Psalm for Sunday, November 15, 2020

Reflections

Psalm 128: 1-2, 3, 4-5   (Read)

“Just so will they be blessed 

who fear the Lord.”

The Psalm affirms that 
blessings for we who 
fear the Lord are to be 
found in the recesses 
of our homes, in the 
ordinary joys of family.

The worthy wife is valued 
in the Psalm as a fruitful 
vine because she blesses 

her home and family with 
the gift of her handiwork.  
As in the Gospel she uses 
wisely what is given her as 

her way of obeying the Lord 
and holding Him in awe.  

And if a man walks with the Lord, 
this will be reflected in the way 
he loves his wife.  Because if a man 
cherishes his wife, as ‘flesh of his flesh’ 
and ‘bone of his bones,’ he nourishes 
his relationship with her, as Christ 
nourishes the Church.  And the man’s 
reward is that his wife will be like 
a ‘fruitful vine’ within his house.  
This is how a man is blessed who 
fears the Lord.

As the Psalm says, if we fear the Lord 
and walk in His ways, we will receive 
the blessings of our labor, prosper, 
and grow old gracefully in the company 
of our wife and children.

Amen

Discussion Questions for Reflection

1.  The Psalm assures us that we will be favored by the Lord, if we walk in 
His ways.  Speak of how you have been blessed by obeying the Lord and 
holding Him in awe.

2.  Our psalmist tells of a worthy wife who uses wisely what she has been 
given.  Give an example of how you have used your God-given talent to serve 
your family or your community.

Psalm for Sunday, November 8, 2020

Reflections

Psalm 63:  2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8   (Read)

“My soul is thirsting for you, 

O Lord my God.”

This prayer of longing was written 

at a time when David was in the 

desert, a place where physical thirst 

was all around him, and the earth 

was parched, lifeless and without 

water.  But David is writing also 

about a spiritual thirst that 

overwhelms him and reminds him 

of the emptiness of life without God. 

David meditates on those happier moments 

when he was close to the Lord, 

when his soul was satisfied as with the riches 

of a banquet, and when he took shelter 

in the shadow of the wings of God.

We too go through times of spiritual deprivation
when we are away from God and indulge in 
sinful practices that separate us from Him.  
At those times, like a penitent sinner, we experience 
our deepest longing for the love of the Lord, and 
we seek out His loving embrace.  As our psalmist 
says, at times like that our soul clings fast to the Lord.   
We bless Him, we glorify Him, we praise Him.

Amen

Discussion Questions for Reflection

1.  Our psalmist seeks the Lord because his soul thirsts for Him.   
Give an example of a time when you have thirsted for God's 
presence and blessing in your life.

2.  The Psalm speaks of gazing toward the Lord in the sanctuary.
Tell of a time when you have gazed at the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament 
Chapel of your parish and how you could see His power and His glory.

Psalm for Sunday, November 1, 2020

Reflections

Psalm 24:  1-2, 3-4, 5-6   (Read)

“Who may go up the mountain of the Lord?                                                                      Who can stand in HIs holy place?"

 


This Sunday's Psalm is about a journey to 
a holy place.   It is a place where we will meet 
the Lord.   But we are asked, “Who can ascend 
the mountain of the Lord?  Who may stand in 
His holy place?” 

Our psalmist answers, “The clean of hand and  
pure of heart, who has not given his soul 
to what is vain, such is the people that seeks 
the face of God.”

We are all unworthy to be in the Lord's 
presence, but at least we can cleanse 
ourselves through confession, and bathe 
in the Word.  That is how we show our love 
for the Lord.

Though we may not have to climb a mountain 
to meet the Lord, we must prepare to receive 
Him in our hearts.  The Psalm is guiding us to
prepare ourselves from within, so that we are
made ready to receive Him when He comes.

Amen


Discussion Questions for Reflection

1.  The Psalm asks, "Who can go up to the mountain of the Lord?   
How do you prepare yourself to ascend the mountain of the Lord and 
stand in His holy place?

2.  The Response this Sunday is, "Lord, this is the people that longs 
to see your face."   Describe the longing in your heart for our Lord.