Psalm 130: 1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8 (Read)
“With the Lord, there is mercy and fullness of redemption.”
The psalmist calls to the Lord from “out of the depths”
of his sin that has brought him near to death. He asks
the Lord, “Hear my cry for mercy.” He waits with longing
for the Lord, knowing that God forgives, and redeems us,
even when we abandon Him. “My soul looks for the Lord
more than sentinels for daybreak.”
There is no way we can please God, so long as we remain
in the flesh, as St Paul says in Sunday's 2nd reading (Romans 8:8).
But God forgives us, gives us 'life in the spirit' and saves us
from death (remember 'the wages of sin is death.') What
greater act of forgiveness could there be than the sacrifice
of the Son of God for our sins? “But with you there is
forgiveness, that you may be revered.”
We too await our redemption with hope, knowing that even
if we are dead in our sins, the Lord will revive us. We too
cry out to the Lord for forgiveness – “Lord, may your ears
be attentive to my cry for mercy.”
Redemption is a promise made to us, just as the Lord
promised the Israelites that he would open their graves and
put his Spirit within them, so they would live. (Ezekiel 37:12-14)
That same Spirit raised Jesus from the dead, and St Paul
tells us the Spirit of God will give life to our mortal bodies also. (Romans 8:11)
This is that “full redemption” the psalmist talks about that is
later made real to us in the Gospel story of Lazarus. (John 11:1-45)
And so we too have come to believe and revere our Lord,
as happened in the Gospel among the Jews in Bethany.
Truly, 'Our God is an awesome God.'
Amen
Discussion Questions for Reflection
1. Our psalmist sings about the promise of forgiveness that is available to us
if we trust in the Lord. Speak about how you will seek out God's mercy during
this Lenten season.
2. The Psalm talks about 'plenteous redemption,' or the 'fullness of redemption.'
Tell what this means to you as you prepare for the coming of Easter.
This year’s Lent has felt like a chore for me. I was ill on Ash Wednesday and could not attend Mass; I recognize that it’s not technically a holy day of obligation, but I still felt that I had begun the season on the wrong foot. I had tried to hold myself to some new standards of self-sacrifice and almsgiving, but with a spring break smack-dab in the middle of Lent, many of those goals were abandoned.
ReplyDeleteOn top of my personal challenges and wayward walk, COVID-19 hit the world. Rather than focus on how I can help others, I have been fixated on how to find the proper supplies of groceries, paper products, sanitizing products, and yes, even enough wine to get me through the quarantine. At a time when spending MORE time with the Lord seems natural (like Lazarus’ sister Mary would do), I continue to be the other sister, Martha, busy with gathering supplies and making online orders.
I read my devotionals and enjoy the calm wisdom for a few moments, before my flesh desires to check the news and see if I can purchase more necessities. I am so glad that two crucial weeks remain in Lent so that I can make some changes...
TRUST in the Lord is the answer; and I am grateful that his MERCY runs deeper than my gravest sin. If the universal church cannot gather for Mass, I can focus on my domestic church — my family. I can proclaim His healing and protective powers and receive the Spirit’s calm. I can lead my loved ones in prayer and direct them to the fruitful and abundant online sources of God’s Word.
Yes, for the remainder of Lent I wish to take a closer interior look and call on God more to fill the dark and fearful corners of my mind and heart. As v. 7-8 say, “O Israel, hope in the Lord! For with the Lord there is mercy, and with him plenteous redemption... and he will redeem Israel from all their iniquities.” What hope indeed!