Reflections
Psalm 118: 1, 8-9, 21-23, 26, 28, 29 (Read)
“The stone rejected by the builders
has become the cornerstone.”
This Sunday's Psalm is an Easter song.
The psalmist speaks of our savior, our cornerstone.
Our savior is Jesus, and though He appeared
weak and beaten on the cross,
He became victorious over death.
The psalmist speaks of that same irony,
“The stone rejected by the builders
has become the cornerstone.”
The Psalm tells us we are to, “Take refuge in the Lord.”
Though mortals may disappoint us,
the Lord will not leave us discouraged.
Better to take refuge in the Lord
than to put one's trust in princes.
Little children know instinctively whom to trust --
they know where the love is coming from.
And we are the same;
as children of God, we put our trust in the Lord.
He is the Good Shepherd.
Where else would we turn?
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD.”
It is none other than the Good Shepherd who comes
in the name of the Lord, to care and protect us sheep.
(See also Sunday's Gospel, John 10:11-18).
Our calling is only to listen for His voice
and to follow Him.
Who else knows us as He does,
or is willing to lay down his life for us?
The psalm recalls for us
the paschal mystery of Christ,
who is crucified, resurrected,
and then exalted as the capstone of our faith.
God has shown his love for his people --
Jesus’ risen presence among us
is living proof of God’s enduring love.
Our psalmist confirms this, “God’s love endures forever.”
The Lord’s deliverance is cause for joy.
God’s love is empowering, as the psalm suggests,
This is how we pass from death to life.
We may not have been
one of those who saw Christ
after He rose from the dead,
but He is no less real to us.
There is no doubt that
God's divine intervention
was at work in Christ’s resurrection.
As the psalmist says, we know that,
“By the Lord has this been done,
it is wonderful in our eyes.”
Amen
Discussion Questions for Reflection
1. Our psalmist reminds us more than once to trust God, not mortals or princes.
Even though you may not have seen the Lord in person, do you have any difficulty trusting in one you have not seen? Explain.
2. The Psalm says, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.' This verse is used
in scripture to welcome Jesus. Discuss how you have welcomed Jesus into your life.
2. The Psalm says, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.' This verse is used
in scripture to welcome Jesus. Discuss how you have welcomed Jesus into your life.
"Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord." We say it at every Mass just before the consecration. I knew the words were familiar, but may I confess I had to look up exactly where in the Mass we say them? The congregation responds to the celebrating priest, "Holy, Holy, Holy Lord, God of hosts, heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest."
ReplyDeleteThese are the words shouted by the crowds, as they welcomed Jesus their Savior, on his entry into Jerusalem, waving palms and celebrating... only to turn on him, days later. Perhaps these were not exactly the same people who demanded the Roman governor Pilate put Jesus to death. However, the reversal in groupthink symbolizes our own fickleness and hypocrisy.
Am I any different from someone in that crowd? I, too, have rebelled against God. Yet, God still loves me... all of us... and because of Jesus, we can be forgiven. In fact, we can partake of him every week or every day if we desire, in the Eucharist.
For a scary while, the pandemic seemingly took away that blessing. Jesus is the Bread of Life and we need his presence in the Eucharist to nourish us -- both physically and spiritually. When we cannot receive him, yet call him into our hearts, he makes haste to come to us.
In future post-pandemic times, I hope that I can be ever more mindful of the power of the Eucharist and welcoming Jesus into all aspects of my life.