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?
"The God of glory thunders.”
ReplyDeletePsalmist David assures us the voice of the Lord is powerful and is majestic like thunder over the waters, shaking the desert, striking with flashes of lightening that twists the oaks and strips the forests bare. In this way God has revealed his mighty and miraculous power over nature throughout history.
When Jesus was baptized with the Holy Spirit at the Jordan River, we heard the same powerful voice of God declaring that Jesus is his beloved son with whom He is well pleased. That same power of God raised Christ from the dead.
I give to the Lord the glory due to his name. I worship the Lord because of his holiness and his complete control over us human beings and all his creation.
Since I know I am under God’s complete control, where else could I turn in the time of hardship, even when the storms of life come my way?
Only God has the mighty power to raise me from death. I have realized that He is the only one to give me strength and bless me with peace, no matter what. I have also realized without true faith in Him and blessing from Him it is almost impossible for me to follow and imitate Jesus.
Lately I feel I am imprisoned by sin. I am not practicing my faith and do not put it into action. I feel guilty and confused. In spite of knowing God’s greatness I fall into the devil’s trick. I hear his whispering too much. I compromise my life by making a lot of excuses, by saying you are too old to go out and help the needy, the sick, the unfortunate persons around me. I accuse myself, you are good for nothing, helpless. I am discouraged. I feel weak and limited.
I know Jesus is the only one who can give me the strength to face my daily problems. There is so much dreadful death and tragedy due to the Covid 19 Pandemic around the world. What can I do, except to pray and offer up prayers for those souls who died and prayers for those who are in hospital so they can experience God’s healing power. I pray for the doctors and nurses, for their strength and their mission. At this moment all I could do is to pray the Rosary and Divine Mercy for those who have died. On the other hand I give the Lord glory and thanks for protecting my family from rapidly spreading disease. I pray for the end of Covid 19 soon as possible, so we can live in peace and in harmony on this earth.
We read in verse 4 of Psalm 29, "The voice of the Lord is powerful, the voice of the Lord is full of majesty." The imagery and references in the Psalm continue in the vein of grand action with phrases like "the God of glory thunders" (v.3) and "the voice of the Lord makes the oaks to whirl, and strips the forests bare;" (v.9) All are magnificent displays of God's might.
ReplyDeleteFor me, however, the greatest evidence of His power can be found in my interior life. My inner purity (or lack thereof.) Outward signs of godliness and good works are wonderful witness to fellow man. But I feel compelled to put the focus on having a clean heart with pure motives, leaning entirely on God's wisdom; these are the clearest ways to see God's majesty in my life.
Choosing gratitude when the circumstances are not that promising. Believing the best in people when I have been repeatedly hurt or misunderstood. And somehow, with God's grace, learning from the humility of John the Baptist, as we see in this week's Gospel. Even if he was given a great anointing to preach, he willingly and joyfully submits to God and His will, when He sees the Messiah. And no false modesty is present as he acts to be the worldly baptizer of the Son of God. He is humble, reverent, and fully embraces His specific, lesser role in salvation history.
A beautiful sunset or blooming flower elicits a response of pure praise in my heart. But an interior heart victory when I have chosen the better, and feel God's quiet smile, is the true scene of His magnificence at work in me.