Psalm for Sunday, November 6, 2022

Reflections
 

Psalm 17:  1, 5-6, 8, 15  (Read)

“Hear, O Lord a just suit; attend to my outcry."                                                   

  
We all may have been unjustly attacked 
at one time or another, as our psalmist 
David was, and as were the seven brothers 
mentioned in the 2nd Book of Maccabees.  

When that happens, where do we hide?  

Where do we take refuge? 

Who else but the Lord stands ready to 
console us, protect us “in the shadow of 
His wings?”   Our psalmist reminds us 
that without God we can do nothing,
and it is He who empowers us to prevail. 

And so we trust God, as David does;
we call upon Him, and we cling to Him.  
We are not hesitant to call upon His name, 
“I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God; 
incline your ear to me; hear my word.”    
For His part, God keeps us as the “apple of 
His eye.”   He attends to our outcry;
He hearkens to our prayers, so long as 
our lips are without deceit.

And when we face death, whose face do we 
want to see?  It is the Lord's -- “Let me see 
your face;  when I awake, let me be filled 
with your presence.”  Who else has promised 
us eternal life?  

We must not be afraid to trust God for the 
outcome.  All we have to do is to keep to His 
paths, as our psalmist says.  Our feet do not falter. 
As David did, we call upon the Lord. 
As was true for David, we shall be content in
His presence.  

Amen

 
Discussion Questions for Reflection

1.  Our psalmist says that his steps have kept to 
the Lord's paths, his feet have not faltered.   Explain how 
you have 'walked the walk' in the pathways of the Lord.

2.  The Psalm speaks of how we shall be content in God's 
presence.   Tell of what it means to you to look forward
to the day when you shall behold God's face.

Psalm for Sunday, October 30, 2022

Reflections
                                                                                               

Psalm 145:  1-2, 8-9, 10-11, 13. 14  (Read)

“The Lord lifts up all who are falling
and raises up all who are bowed down.”                                             

We may question why God allows us 

to suffer, why he allows “bad things to happen to good people.”   

We may ask, as the early believers 

probably did,  “Why is it necessary to undergo such hardships to enter the 

kingdom of God?” 

Scripture tells us that afflictions are 

to be expected in our walk with the 

Lord.  We may not understand what 

God is up to, but we can be sure
that our faith will be strengthened 

if we stand fast in the face of suffering.  

We will become better witnesses for Christ 

if we are humbled; we become better servants 

if we bear up with our difficulties and trust 

in the Lord.  As our psalmist tells us, 
“The Lord is trustworthy in every word, and
faithful in every work.”

Endurance is a Godly quality and will help us
to get 'yoked' to Jesus.   Having done that, together
with our psalmist David, we join with the faithful
and speak of the glory of God's reign and bless
His name.

The book of Wisdom tells us that God loves all
things He has created, and loathes nothing He
has made.  David says it this way, “The Lord is
good to all and compassionate toward all His works.”
This verse is fulfilled in Sunday's Gospel –
Zacchaeus could just as well sing this psalm,
“I will praise your name forever, my king and my God.”

When we reflect on what God has done for us,
we remember that we live our lives amidst an
unending stream of divine love.  God has always
done good things for us.  That is God's nature –
as the Psalm says, “The Lord is gracious and merciful
and of great kindness.”

And so we pray this psalm to bless, praise, and exalt
the heavenly Father in His perfection and in His works.
“Great is the Lord and highly to be praised.”

Amen


Discussion Questions for Reflection

1.  Our psalmist asks us (His faithful ones) to speak of God's might and discourse of the glory of God's kingdom.  Give an example of how you have complied with our psalmist's appeals.

2.  We are assured by the Psalm that the Lord lifts up all who are falling and raises up all who are bowed down.  Share how your faith has been strengthened by any hardships you may have undergone.

Psalm for Sunday, October 23, 2022

Reflections 

Psalm 34: 2-3, 17-18, 19, 23   (Read)

“Those who are crushed in spirit He saves.”

David's psalm assures us, 

“The Lord hears the cry of the poor.”

The word poor is said to apply to one

who depends completely on God

for his deliverance and his very life.

This is true for David as he is being 

pursued by his enemy. It is true for us

in our own personal battle against the 

evil one. With God on our side victory 

is certain. “The Lord confronts the 

evildoers, to destroy remembrance 

of them from the earth.” 

St Paul is rescued from the lion's mouth 

and is empowered by the Lord to finish 

the race, to keep the faith, to complete 

the proclamation. In his own words, 

“The Lord stood by me and gave me 

strength.”  (2 Timothy 4: 6-8, 17)

David affirms this, “The Lord redeems 

the lives of His servants; no one incurs 

guilt who takes refuge in Him.”

The Psalm says our prayers are heard 

if we have a right relationship with the Lord, 

“When the just cry out, the Lord hears them.” 

This is confirmed by the writer of Sirach -- 

“The one who serves God willingly is heard; 

his petition reaches the heavens. The prayer 

of the lowly pierces the clouds.” (Sirach 35: 20-21)

Jesus teaches us in this Sunday’s Gospel, 

“The one who humbles himself will be exalted.” 

The tax collector preserves his relationship with 

God and goes home justified. (Luke 18: 13-14)

That too is part of being poor in spirit. If we want 

the Lord to be on our side, then we need 

to humble ourselves and recognize

our own lowly status.

And having done all that we can to keep a just 

relationship with our God, then we are to bless 

the Lord at all times, keep his praise ever in our 

mouths, and as the psalm says, “Let my soul 

glory in the Lord.”

Amen

Discussion Questions for Reflection

1.  The Psalm tells us that God lifts up those who are crushed in spirit.  

However difficult it may be for us to be humble in spirit,  we can speak 

of how gratifying it is for us to depend solely on the Lord for our salvation.   

Tell of what this means to you personally.

2.   The verses of the Psalm tell us how to be sure that our prayers are heard.  

Our psalmist encourages us to have a right relationship with the Lord before 

we pray.  What is it that you do to be sure that  your prayers reach the ears 

of the Lord? 

 

Psalm for Sunday, October 16, 2022

Reflections


Psalm 121:  1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8   (Read)

“Our help is from the Lord.”
 
The Psalm is a prayer for believers
when we are uncertain, when we face
the dangers of this world, or when we
encounter obstacles on our journey of
faith and works.

Where does our help come from?
As our psalmist says, it comes from 
the Lord.   Just as Moses raised up 
his hands and obtained God's intervention 
on the side of  Israel (Exodus 17:11-12),
so too the Psalm calls for us to look upward 
for God’s help, “I lift up my eyes toward the
mountains.”
And our psalmist reminds us, “The Lord is your
guardian.”  We are obliged to pray, “May He not
suffer our foot to slip.”

We may rest assured that our Lord sends us the Holy
Spirit to safeguard us, and we give thanks that our
protector is a guard who never falls asleep at his post,
nor is He ever off duty.  “May He slumber not who
guards you, indeed He neither slumbers nor sleeps.”

When we do battle with evil or injustice,
who can we turn to?   Are we likely to overcome
the powers and principalities that threaten us
along the road by depending on our puny defenses?
Not so, the Psalm reminds us.  Without the Lord as our
shade we are subject to the sun's harmful rays
and the moon's evil influences.   But if we trust
in the Lord,  “The Lord will guard you from all evil.”

But how do we get God’s attention when we need
His help?  Jesus tells us how in the Gospel –
we are to pray with persistence, without becoming
weary,  like the widow who obtains a just decision
from the unwilling judge. (Luke 18:1-5)
And as the Psalm concludes, if our faith is strong, 
and we trust in the Lord,
“The Lord will guard our coming and going,
both now and forever.”

Amen


Discussion Questions for Reflection

1.  Our psalmist says that the Lord is beside you at your right hand.   
Speak of what it is that reassures you of the Lord's protection on your 
journey.

2.  The Psalm is about the power of prayer and of trust in the Lord.  
Give an example of how you have persisted in prayer and obtained 
the Lord's help in overcoming difficulty.
 

Psalm for Sunday, October 9, 2022

Reflections


Psalm 98: 1, 2-3, 3-4   (Read)

“Sing to the Lord a new song.”   

 










The Lord makes all thing new, and we are 
a new creation, the work of his hands.
And so it is right that we sing a “new song” 
to the Lord, who has done marvelous things for us.   
 
This is a Psalm of joy, and because God's saving
power has been revealed to all the nations, we are
all encouraged to “break into song, sing praise.”
 
“The Lord's right hand and holy arm have won
the victory.”  It is clear from this Sunday's readings
that God's healing power is not limited to the Israelites.
In this Sunday's first reading the Syrian army commander
Naaman is healed in the land of Yahweh.  (2 Kings 5:14)
 
And in Sunday's second reading, St Paul reminds us
that the 'word of God is not chained' and that if we
persevere and die with Christ, we too will be counted
among the living, the chosen ones.   (2 Timothy 2: 9-10)
 
Then in the Gospel, God's saving power is made
available to a grateful Samaritan, who is the only
one healed that has learned to sing the new song,
glorifying God in a loud voice and falling at the feet
of Jesus in thanksgiving.  (Luke 17: 11-19)
 
God's salvation flows out to all people, whether they
be soldiers from foreign lands, lepers, or those imprisoned.
And how is salvation obtained, how is the victory won?
It is won by God's holy arm, His son, our Savior
Jesus Christ.  Victory is obtainable for us too, if we
keep the faith, give thanks to God, and praise Him.
As the Psalm says, “Shout with joy to the Lord, sing praise.”   
 
Amen


Discussion Questions for Reflection

1.  Our Psalmist declares, "The Lord has revealed to the nations His saving power."  
Tell of how the Lord has revealed to you personally His saving power.
 
2.  The Psalm urges us to "Sing to the Lord a new song."   Speak of what it means 
to you to have learned the 'new song' of praising and worshiping the one true God.