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.
Thankfully, our God is a God who understands our limitations and has even experienced our very temptations (while in the form of man). And so, like the Psalmist, I, too, have written and spoken many prayers for guidance and deliverance during times of trial or just feeling lost. David writes, "Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths." (V.5)
ReplyDeleteSo how can I understand the Lord's ways? I know that his plans are higher than mine and that he makes good out of all situations. I am not sure I can ever comprehend his majestic and divine designs but I can PRACTICE TRUST.
I can intentionally say "yes" to him more often, instead of brushing aside a prompting to make that phone call or stop and say "hello" to a neighbor.
I can pass onto my children the truths that have been revealed to me and sit with them in God's massive "waiting room" as we bide our time until he opens the floodgates of favor.
When I truly don't know where to put my next footstep, his very word says, "Your word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path..." (Psalm 119:105)
Getting back to Psalm 25, specifically, we see that a key method to being open to the Lord's ways is holding onto humility. Verse 9 says, "He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way."
In some old churches, doors leading to the sacristy, where priests prepared for Mass, were cut very low. A priest would have to bow down to pass through. In the case of the Church of the Nativity, where Jesus was born, the main entrance only stands at 4 feet tall and 2 feet wide. It might have had a different purpose at first, to prevent people from driving their carts through or riding horses into the Church. And yet today, the entrance is called the "Door of Humility" as you must bow down to enter. These are small, but powerful reminders of the importance of humility.
They remind me that I need to CAST ASIDE PRIDE, before being able to encounter Christ and learn of his ways.