Psalm for Sunday, January 31, 2021

Reflections

Psalm 95:  1-2, 6-7, 7-9   (Read)

“If today you hear His voice, harden not your hearts.”

Today's Psalm is about obeying and worshiping 

God.  We are urged to bow down in worship before 

our God, whose sheep we are (remember we are His 

well-tended flock).  We are instructed to be alert for 

His voice and to be receptive to His teachings 

(we need to be good listeners).

We are not to harden our hearts or test the Lord 

(as the Israelites did at Meribah).

We are to humble ourselves and open our hearts 

to the Lord; having done so we are set free.

Then we are no longer constrained by the 

things of this world, and we can be open to His love 

and His teachings.  

Moses prophesied that the Lord would speak to us 

through one of our own kind (Deuteronomy 18:18).

So we had better listen to God’s son, Jesus, who 

became one of us so that we could be more like Him.

His works should be sufficient to convince us of His

saving power and grace.

St Paul tells us we need to be free from anxiety and 

distractions (1 Corinthians 7:32).  This is not an easy 

thing to do when we are caught up in the things of the 

world.  We would all benefit from an authoritative 

cleansing of our hearts, and a removal of unclean 

forces that distract us from praising the Lord.  

Then we can make room for Jesus to fill our hearts 

and remain in us.

Amen

Discussion Questions for Reflection

1.  Our psalmist encourages us not to harden our hearts if we hear God's voice.   

Do you find it difficult sometimes to carry out God's will in your life even if you believe He is speaking to you?   Give an example.

2.  The psalm reminds us that we are like sheep and the Lord is our shepherd.  
Are you willing to be just an ordinary sheep among His flock?  If so, what does it 

mean to you to be shepherded by the Lord?

Psalm for Sunday, January 24, 2021

Reflections                                                                               

Psalm 25:  4-5, 6-7, 8-9   (Read)

“Good and upright is the Lord, who shows sinners the way.”  
  
 












We are blessed to have a God who does not disregard us.  
On the contrary, He is a caring, compassionate God, 
willing to humble Himself to share in our humanity, so that 
we might share in His divinity.  Who else would have such 
regard for sinners, for believers who disobey Him?

Our psalmist David humbly offers up his sins to God 
his savior, and waits for God’s guidance. “The Lord guides 
the humble rightly, and teaches the humble His way.”

In today's Gospel the early disciples leave their nets 
and their families behind when Jesus calls out 
to them. (Mark 1:16-20)   Jesus had a plan for His 
disciples, when He singled them out to serve Him. 
God had a plan for Jonah as well (1st reading);
his mission was to warn the people of Nineveh
to repent and turn to the Lord.  (Jonah 3: 1-5)

St Paul, in our 2nd reading, has a similar message for 
all of us, that time is running out and any day now 
would be an acceptable day for us to focus on our own 
salvation. (1 Corinthians 7: 29-31)   The Lord is there 
to guide us, as He was in the days of David, our psalmist.

Whether it's through a Jonah in our midst or a Saint Paul,
the message of the Lord is clear – “Repent and believe 
in the Gospel.”  We may not be able to do this on our own,
but as our psalmist says, “The Lord shows sinners the way.”

The Lord is talking to all of us here; we are all sinners.
We are all able to benefit from the healing power of Jesus.
And where does the power come from to turn away from sin? 
It comes from the Lord,  It is He who encourages us when 
our tongues confess, “Remember no more the sins of my youth; 
remember me only in light of your love.” 

Amen 

Discussion Questions for Reflection

1.  Our psalmist petitions the Lord, 'Teach me your ways.'  
How do you go about learning the ways of the Lord?  Tell how 
the verses of the Psalm help you understand the ways of the Lord.

2.  Our Psalm says the Lord 'shows sinners the way.'  Give an example of how you have been guided by the Lord to turn away from sin and repent.

Psalm for Sunday, January 17, 2021

Reflections

Psalm 40:  2, 4, 7-8, 8-9, 10    (Read)

“Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.”

The Psalm is a prayer of gratitude
and of obedience to the Lord.
Our psalmist David answers God’s call
when he says, “Here I am.” 
Young Samuel does the same
in our first reading. 
Samuel waits expectantly 
for the Lord to speak to him – 
he is ‘all ears’ 
when he hears the Lord’s voice.

He grows up serving the Lord
and following God. (1 Samuel 3: 3-10,19)

Our psalmist says,
“He put a new song into my mouth.”
For us too it is no longer the same old tune
or the same old we.   We are in fact 
a new creation, singing out the good news.

Where does our joyful spirit come from?
It comes from the Lord, and we are called
to share what He has given us and to do
His will, which is our delight.

In the Gospel reading (John 1:35-42),
Andrew recognizes Jesus as the anointed
and is drawn to Him.
Andrew and  his brother Simon 
truly become members of Christ's body.
They are joined to the Lord 
and have become one spirit with Him,
as St. Paul proclaims in our 2nd reading. 

(1 Corinthians 6:15,17)

We too are called to follow Christ
and to do His will.
Obedience isn’t an unpleasant chore for us;
instead as the Psalm tells us, 
“To do your will is my delight.”

Amen

 
Discussion Questions for Reflection

1.  In this beautiful Psalm our psalmist speaks of waiting, waiting for the Lord.   
Tell what it means to you to have waited for the Lord, and what has been the result of your presenting yourself to the Lord?

2.  Our psalmist is delighted to do God's will; he says to God, "Your law is within my heart!"   Have you also felt the Lord's pleasure when you obey Him and serve Him?  What does it mean to you to say God's law is within my heart?

  

Psalm for Sunday, January 10, 2021

Reflections


Psalm 29:  1-2, 3-4, 3, 9-10   (Read) 

“The God of glory thunders.” 

The Psalm is about the splendor and the power of God.  “Give to the Lord the glory due God’s  name.  Bow down before the Lord’s holy splendor.”  The Psalm speaks of the voice of the Lord thundering over the waters.  “The voice of the Lord is power, the voice of the Lord is splendor.”

That same awesome voice was heard over the Jordan River that day when the heavens were torn open and the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus just after he was baptized.  

What could be more powerful than the voice of God declaring, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased."  (Gospel, Mark 1: 11)

What happened at the Jordan River that day was to fulfill
what the Lord said to Isaiah (Sunday's lst reading, Isaiah 42),
“Here is my servant whom I uphold, my chosen one with 
whom I am pleased, upon whom I have put my spirit.” 

The Lord's baptism may have happened over 2000 years 
ago, but for us that was a life changing moment.
God anointed Jesus with the Holy Spirit and power 
that day, the power to serve the faithful (people like us), 
and to do battle on our behalf with the devil. (See also 
Sunday's 2nd reading, Acts 10: 34-38)

From that time forward we too became eligible to serve 
the Lord as His chosen ones.   Isaiah tells us what our 
spiritual mission is to be; like Jesus, we are to be a light
to the nations, and open the eyes of the blind (those who
do not know the Lord).  And imitating Jesus, we are 
to bring out prisoners from confinement (those who may 
be imprisoned by sin).  What better way would there be
for us to serve the Lord?

Amen


Discussion Questions for Reflection

1.  The Psalm asks us, as sons of God, to give to the Lord 
glory and praise.   Tell of what you are doing to serve the Lord
and adore Him within your family and your community.

2.  Our psalmist speaks of a powerful, majestic God, who
speaks with a mighty, thundering voice.  How is God's majesty
at work in you, and how have you been empowered to be a good 
witness for the Lord?