Monday, October 17, 2022

Psalm for Sunday, October 23, 2022

Reflections 



“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? 
 


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