Psalm for Sunday, April 3, 2022

Reflections 

Psalm 126:  1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 6   (Read)

“When the Lord brought back the captives

of Zion, we were like men dreaming.” 

 

What God did for the Israelites, he does 

also for us.  The Jews were liberated from 

being captives of the wicked Babylonians, 

and we are liberated from the captivity of sin 

by that same God who sent his Son to save us. 

Just as the woman in the Gospel this Sunday 

is saved from being stoned to death, Jesus 

redeems all of us from our wicked ways.

God takes pleasure in restoring us, as the 

psalmist says, and his pleasure is reflected 

by the joy in our hearts when we are reconciled 

with Him. “Our mouths [are] filled with laughter; 

our tongues [sing] with joy.” 

It may seem like we are dreaming when we 

make our own Exodus from our past lives of 

disobedience.  The future may be filled with 

a few dry stream beds, but if we are diligent 

and sow the seeds of repentance, we will be 

rewarded with a bountiful harvest and as the 

psalmist says, “We will reap with cries of joy.” 

We join with our psalmist who affirms,

“The Lord has done great things for us.” 

There is good news for us too -- 

we have the Messiah to lead us in our own 

spiritual Exodus, away from slavery to sin, 

and put us under the gentle yoke of Christ 

our Savior.

This is a message of hope; it is a calling that 

is future oriented. Isaiah, in Sunday's first 

reading, says the Lord is doing something 

new (Isaiah 43:19).  St Paul, in the second 

reading, says that faith will lead us to an

“upward calling” in Christ (Philippians 3:14).

For a better future we must do our part --

we must sow the seeds in order to gain 

repentance.  “Those who sow in tears shall 

reap rejoicing.”  Jesus did not condemn the 

woman caught in adultery – she is given a 

chance to repent and to pass from death 

to life (John 8:10-11).  In the same way 

a seed dies and produces a harvest – 

“Those who go forth weeping, carrying 

sacks of seed, will return with cries of joy, 

carrying their bundled sheaves.”

Amen

Discussion Questions for Reflection

1.  Our psalmist speaks of the the Jewish captives being set free and

brought back from Babylon.  Tell of your own liberation this Lenten season 

from being captive to sin.

2.  The psalm contains a message of hope for us all -- that we shall reap 

joyfully in the days ahead.  Share how you expect to be raised up with the 

Lord as we approach our Easter celebration.