Psalm for Sunday, December 31, 2023

Reflections

Psalm 128: 1-2, 3, 4-5  (Read)

“Blessed are those who fear the Lord
and walk in His ways!”

The Psalm affirms that the blessings 
for those who fear the Lord are 
to be found in the recesses of our 
homes, in the ordinary joys of family.

The worthy wife is valued in the Psalm 
as a fruitful vine because she blesses 
her home and family with the gift 
of her handiwork.  As shown in the Gospel
she uses wisely what is given her as 
her way of obeying the Lord and 
holding Him in awe. 

“Just so will they be blessed 
who fear the Lord.”

If we fear the Lord and walk in His 
ways, we will receive the blessings 
of our labor, prosper, and grow old 
gracefully in the company of our 
wife and children.

Amen

Discussion Questions for Reflection

1.  The Psalm assures us that we will be favored by the Lord, 
if we walk in His ways.  Speak of how you have been blessed 
by obeying the Lord and holding Him in awe.

2.  Our psalmist tells of a worthy wife who uses wisely what 
she has been given.  Give an example of how you have used 
your God-given talent to serve your family or your community.
 

Psalm for Sunday, December 24, 2023

Reflections

Psalm 89: 2-3, 4-5, 27, 29   (Read)

" I have made a covenant with my chosen one."

This Sunday's Psalm sings about God’s  
promises to Israel and God's covenant 
with David.  "I have made a covenant 
with my chosen one."  That same divine 
selection is celebrated in Sunday's  
first reading that tells the story of how David was taken from pasturing sheep to become Israel’s commander.  (2 Samuel 7:8)

Our psalmist quotes the Lord, “I have sworn to 
David my servant: Forever will I confirm your posterity
and establish your throne for all generations.”

And how does this young shepherd boy rise to 
greatness in Israel? He succeeds because he has 
found favor with God, and God will be the source of his 
strength.  This is the same divine strength that St Paul 
tells us is available to each of us, if we believe and 
have faith. (Romans 16:25)

But it isn’t a one way street with the Lord. David is 
to show us that we must give glory to God.  He cries out,
“You are my Father, my God, the Rock, my Savior.”

Mary also finds favor with God and is anointed to be 
the Blessed Mother of our Lord Jesus.  She too responds
by giving glory to God in this week’s Gospel.  (Luke 1:38)

The Lord’s covenant with David stands firm, and it is 
through God’s promise to David that the Messiah is 
born of Mary. “Forever, I will maintain my love for David;
my covenant with him stands firm.” That promise 
to David is fulfilled in the birth of our Savior and for that 
we too must give glory to God.

Amen
 

Discussion Questions for Reflection

1.  David is to call out to the Lord, 'You are my father, my God, the Rock, my savior.'  We too are inspired to cry out to God in a similar way. Tell of the times when you have felt like crying out to God in worship and praise.

2.  Our Psalm response is, 'Forever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.'  One reason to sing of the Lord's goodness is because His promises are trustworthy.  Describe how you have relied on the promises of the Lord in your journey.

Psalm for Sunday, December 17, 2023

Reflections  

Luke 1: 46-48, 49-50, 53-54  (Read)

“My soul rejoices in my God.”  

Our Blessed Mother Mary speaks this hymn 
of praise to God in the words of a humble servant,
“For He has looked upon his lowly handmaid.”

Despite her position as God’s chosen instrument, 
Mary does not exalt herself; she exalts God 
the Father as she professes her Magnificat.
Her soul “proclaims the greatness of the Lord.”
She glorifies the Lord, “The Almighty has done
great things for me.”  Mary is truly God’s anointed
one, and the spirit of the Lord is upon her. 
She “rejoices heartily in the Lord.” 

We too are God’s lowly creatures, and Mary inspires
us to expect the Lord will do great things for us as well.
We too should expect to be singled out by the Lord 
to do His work.  This is our food (to do the Lord’s work)
just as it was for Jesus the Son.

Mary testifies to the light, as does John the Baptist in 
our Gospel reading.  (John 1: 8)
Because of Mary’s faith, the Old Testament 
promises are fulfilled, and the tide is turned. 
As our Blessed Mother says, the hungry (that is who we are) 
are filled with good things. 

Amen 


Discussion Questions for Reflection

1.    Mary declares that God has filled the 'hungry' with good things.  
Do you consider yourself one of the hungry ones? And if so, in what way 
has the Lord fed you with good things?

2.   Our Blessed Mother says, "The Almighty has done great things for me."  
In what way do you also believe that God has done great things for you, 
and how have you responded?

Psalm for Sunday, December 10, 2023

Reflections

Psalm 85:  9-10, 11-12, 13-14   (Read)

"Near indeed is His salvation." 

 












The Psalm is a prayer that God
will grant mercy and forgiveness
to the Israelites, and by extension
we are told that our own salvation 
is near.  “The Lord proclaims peace 
to His people, glory dwelling in our land.”

The Prophet Isaiah tells us in today's 
1st reading, our God declares, “Give 
comfort to my people.”  And Zion is told,
“Cry out at the top of your voice;
here is your God!"  (Isaiah 40:1,6,9)

The Psalm is a promise of salvation.
“Near indeed is salvation for those 
who fear Him.”  St Peter too affirms
that the Lord does not delay in keeping His
promise in today's 2nd reading.  (2 Peter 3:9)

And what should we expect?
Nothing less than the coming of the Messiah
himself.  Our psalmist affirms, “Truth will spring
from the earth,” and for us this takes place
when the Messiah is born.

The psalmist prepares the way of the Lord,
as does John the Baptist in this week's Gospel.
As the Psalm says, “Justice shall walk before 
Him and prepare the way of His steps.”

Amen


Discussion Questions for Reflection

1.  The Psalm says, "Truth shall spring out of the earth."  For us this verse 
foretells the coming of the Messiah, our Lord Jesus Christ.  What else about 
the Psalm prepares us for the birth of our Savior?

2.  Our psalmist says, "I will hear what God proclaims."  This verse can be seen 
as a reminder to study the Word of the Lord.  Explain how your study of the Word 
is strengthening your faith.

Psalm for Sunday, December 3, 2023

Reflections

Psalm 80:  2-3, 15-16, 18-19  (Read)

"Lord, let us see your face and we shall be saved."

The Psalm is a prayer to 
restore Israel, at a time 
when the chosen people 
were scattered and had 
withdrawn from God.

The Psalm is well adapted 
to our prayers during Advent.
We are a people scattered 
and separated from God,
and we await His coming.

Our psalmist makes a direct 
appeal to God to shepherd us,
“Shepherd of Israel listen; 
come to save us.”

“Turn again Lord, attend to this vine.”
The Lord tends to His vineyard.
He protects a shoot planted by His 
right hand, the son of man whom God 
himself made strong.  The coming of 
Christ is intended to revive us, restore 
our strength.  As the Psalm says,

“Then we will not withdraw from you;
give us new life, and we will call upon 
your name.”

We all need to be renewed from
time to time when our faith grows 
lukewarm, when our hearts harden 
due to the sins that separate us 
from God.  We, like the Israelites, 
need to beg for God’s mercy, 
to petition the Lord and seek His 
peace, the peace that will guard our 
hearts and minds, and restore us as 
His people.  We are after all,

the work of His hands. (Isaiah 64:7)

Where does our hope for revival 

come from?  It comes from our savior, 

sent by the Lord, our cornerstone.

In Him we are restored.  “Lord of 

hosts restore us; let your face shine 

upon us, that we may be saved.”

Amen 

Discussion Questions for Reflection

1.  The Psalm says, 'Lord, make us turn to you.' Have you noticed at times when 
we stray off His path how the Lord tugs at each of us so that we return to His ways. Give an example from your own experience.

2.  Our psalmist is writing about the scattered people of Israel, but his words may 
apply to each of us in our separation from God.  In what way do the Psalm's verses encourage you as we begin the season of Advent?

Psalm for Sunday, November 26, 2023

Reflections

Psalm 23: 1-2, 2-3, 5-6  (Read)

"He guides me in right paths."

This well known psalm is a prayer 

that we offer to our Lord, the Good Shepherd.

“The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.”   

We desire to be one of His sheep because He

looks after us and protects us and seeks us

out when we stray.  On the other hand we

do not want to be one of the goats that He

scatters.  Nor do we want to be on the wrong 

side of His judgment when He separates the 

sheep from the goats. 
(See Gospel, Matthew 25: 31-34)

In Sunday’s first reading the prophet Ezekiel tells us --

“The Lord God looks after his scattered sheep.” 

(Ezekiel 34:12)

He brings us back to the sheep-hold

where He will bind up our wounds.

Jesus speaks of himself as the Good Shepherd,

and we are drawn to Him, because He offers 
to lead us beside still waters, to grant us peace, 
and to restore us spiritually.

Our Lord Jesus, King of kings, stands by us 
in the victory over death. 

Our psalmist David says it this way, a thousand
years before the time of Christ,

“You prepare a table before me in the 

presence of my enemies.” 

As the Psalm says, our Lord anoints us; 
He fills our cup so that it overflows.

We are ready to go forth on our own journey 

to discover who we are and how we are to treat others, 

especially the least among us. (Gospel, Matthew 25: 45)

In our journey we learn that, if we really want 
to have eternal life with our Lord, then we must 
become shepherds in our own right, here on earth.

Having been rescued by our Savior, 

and now counted among His obedient sheep, 

and ready to do His will, 

we are groomed to enter the kingdom 

and to sit at the table that God sets for us.

“Surely goodness and mercy 

shall follow me all the days of my life,

and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

Amen

Discussion Questions for Reflection

1.  The Psalm makes it clear we want to stay on the right side of our 
Good Shepherd; we want to be guided in right paths for His name's sake.  
Explain what you are doing so that you will be placed on His right, and not 
on His left with the goats.

2.  As His good sheep, we are being groomed to do His will.  Our psalmist 
says that our Lord anoints us with oil.  Having been anointed by the Lord, 
how are you carrying out His will within your family and your community?

Psalm for Sunday, November 19, 2023

Reflections

Psalm 128: 1-2, 3, 4-5  (Read)

“Just so will they be blessed 

who fear the Lord.”

The Psalm affirms that 
blessings for we who 
fear the Lord are to be 
found in the recesses 
of our homes, in the 
ordinary joys of family.

The worthy wife is valued 
in the Psalm as a fruitful 
vine because she blesses 

her home and family with 
the gift of her handiwork.  
She uses wisely what is 

given her as her way of 

obeying the Lord 

and holding Him in awe.  

And if a man walks with the Lord, 
this will be reflected in the way 
he loves his wife.  Because if a man 
cherishes his wife, as ‘flesh of his flesh’ 
and ‘bone of his bones,’ he nourishes 
his relationship with her, as Christ 
nourishes the Church.  And the man’s 
reward is that his wife will be like 
a ‘fruitful vine’ within his house.  
This is how a man is blessed who 
fears the Lord.

As the Psalm says, if we fear the Lord 
and walk in His ways, we will receive 
the blessings of our labor, prosper, 
and grow old gracefully in the company 
of our wife and children.

Amen

Discussion Questions for Reflection

1.  The Psalm assures us that we will be favored by the Lord, if we walk in 
His ways.  Speak of how you have been blessed by obeying the Lord and 
holding Him in awe.

2.  Our psalmist tells of a worthy wife who uses wisely what she has been 
given.  Give an example of how you have used your God-given talent to serve 
your family or your community.

Psalm for Sunday, November 12, 2023

Reflections


Psalm 63: 2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8   (Read)

“My soul is thirsting for you, 

O Lord my God.”

This prayer of longing was written 

at a time when David was in the 

desert, a place where physical thirst 

was all around him, and the earth 

was parched, lifeless and without 

water.  But David is writing also 

about a spiritual thirst that 

overwhelms him and reminds him 

of the emptiness of life without God. 

David meditates on those happier moments 

when he was close to the Lord, 

when his soul was satisfied as with the riches 

of a banquet, and when he took shelter 

in the shadow of the wings of God.

We too go through times of spiritual deprivation
when we are away from God and indulge in 
sinful practices that separate us from Him.  
At those times, like a penitent sinner, we experience 
our deepest longing for the love of the Lord, and 
we seek out His loving embrace.  As our psalmist 
says, at times like that our soul clings fast to the Lord.   
We bless Him, we glorify Him, we praise Him.

Amen

Discussion Questions for Reflection

1.  Our psalmist seeks the Lord because his soul thirsts for Him.   
Give an example of a time when you have thirsted for God's 
presence and blessing in your life.

2.  The Psalm speaks of gazing toward the Lord in the sanctuary.
Tell of a time when you have gazed at the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament 
Chapel of your parish and how you could see His power and His glory.

Psalm for Sunday, November 5, 2023

Reflections


Psalm 131: 1, 2, 3   (Read)

"In you Lord, I have found my peace."



















Our psalmist David writes about his 
childlike trust in God.  His soul is stilled.   
He is “like a weaned child on its mother’s lap.”

     David is so unlike the priests of Israel 
     described in Sunday’s first reading,  

     who do not listen and are contemptible
     in the Lord’s eyes.  (Malachi 1: 8-10)

     Instead, David listens and submits 
     completely to God in all humility.  
     His heart is not proud, nor are his eyes 
     haughty.  He is so unlike the scribes 
     and the Pharisees described by Jesus 
     in Sunday’s Gospel.   (Matthew 23: 2-6)

     Our psalmist does not busy himself 
     with great matters or concern himself 
     with things beyond his reach. 
     By humbling himself, he will be 
     raised up, as the Gospel promises.

     (Matthew 23:  11-12)

     Our psalmist is in the care of the Lord,

     and he is being cared for as those in 
     the Church of the Thessalonians were – 

     “as a nursing mother cares for her children”

     (1 Thessalonians 2:7)

     There is a message for us, too, in the 
     Psalm’s final verse – David says we are 
     to hope in the Lord, now and forever.  
     That is all we need as believers – 
     the message is simple –  trust in the Lord 
     like a child and learn to do His will.

     Amen

    Discussion Questions for Reflection

      1.   Our psalmist calls for us to be like a child and trust in the Lord unconditionally.

     Give an example of how you are able to do so.
     
      2.   David says he has found his peace in the Lord and that his soul is stilled 
      and quieted.   Speak of how you have been able to find peace.