Psalm for Sunday, June 4, 2023

Reflections

Daniel 3: 52, 53, 54, 55, 56   (Read)

“Blessed are you, O Lord, praiseworthy

and exalted above all forever.”

  

 

This week's Responsorial is taken from the book 

of Daniel. The verses are an excerpt

from the songs of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego 

who have been thrown into the fiery furnace 

by king Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon.

These three young Jewish men

refuse to worship the god of Nebuchadnezzar,

nor will they worship the golden statue

that has been set up by the King.

As a consequence they are cast into

a white hot furnace by the King.

But these brave young men are seen 

walking about in the flames, singing to God 

and blessing the Lord, using the words 

in this week's Responsorial.

An angel of the Lord goes down into the furnace and 

makes the inside of the furnace as though a

“dew laden breeze were blowing through it.”

So the fire in no way touches or causes them pain or harm.

These three in the furnace with one voice sing, 

glorifying and blessing God. The unwavering faith of

the three makes a strong impression on King Nebuchadnezzar

when he sees that these three young servants

of God have trusted in God and yielded their bodies,

rather than serve or worship the Babylonian god or

a golden statue. The King himself is so overwhelmed

that he undergoes a conversion and 

exclaims, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach,

Meshach, and Abednego.” 

The verses of the Responsorial affirm the power of God's 

love for us.  When we encounter our own trial by fire
and emerge unscathed then we too are inspired to respond
with the words of the three young Jewish men in the fiery
furnace, “Blessed are you, O Lord, praiseworthy and 

exalted above all forever.”

Just as the men in the furnace were in awe of the glory 

of the Lord, who sent an angel to rescue them, we too 

stand in awe of the loving presence of our God.  Helpless 

without the strength of God in our lives, let us not focus on 

our own predicaments, but on the greatness of our God, 

“Blessed are you O Lord. Glory and praise forever!”

Amen

 
Discussion Questions for Reflection

1.  The verses of the Responsorial are songs of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who are rescued from the fiery furnace.  We all encounter trial by fire when we live our faith.  Speak of your own rescue by the power of the Lord.

2.  Daniel relates the story of King Nebuchadnezzar's conversion after he observes 
the inspiring witness of the three young Jewish men.   Tell of how your own witness 
inspires others to become people of faith.

Psalm for Sunday, May 28, 2023

Reflections
 

Psalm 104:  1, 24, 29-30, 31, 34   (Read)

“Lord, send out your Spirit.”

“If you take away their breath, they perish; when you send forth your spirit, they are created.”  Animated by the Spirit, the divine Breath, we who are His creatures sing of the glory of our Creator.

“When you send forth your Spirit, you renew 
the face of the earth.”   God is the source of all natural life.  

So also the Holy Spirit is the source of all supernatural life.  

We are nothing without the divine Breath,  “When you 

take away their breath, they perish and return to their dust.”

It is this same creative Breath which came down on the 
disciples in that locked room that St Luke speaks of in 
this Sunday's 1st reading. (Acts 2:1-4)
The Holy Spirit empowered the disciples to go forth 
and proclaim the Gospel boldly to men of all nations, 
speaking different tongues.

We too are called to be baptized in the Spirit, and 
to receive the divine Breath of the Lord.   Having been 
baptized in the Spirit, we are a new creation, and are 
called to glorify the Lord in what we do.  In this way, 
as the Psalm says, “May the Lord be glad in his works.”

Fortunately, for us too, the Spirit is manifested in 
each of us for some benefit, as St. Paul reminds us 
in our 2nd reading. (1 Corinthians 12:7)
All we have to do is accept Christ and believe in Him.
Then we too will have the gift of life. 

Without the breath of God, we are nothing.  Just as 
the Holy Spirit empowered the disciples at Pentecost,
so too are we empowered by our Creator.  The presence 
of the Holy Spirit within us is how we share in the divinity 
of Christ.  

Without the breath of the Holy Spirit, we have no spiritual life.
But thanks to God's gift, we are a new creation, and we are 
baptized into Christ.  And that alone gives us reason 
to praise God.  As our psalmist says, “Pleasing to him be 
my theme; I will be glad in the Lord.”

Amen


Discussion Questions for Reflection

1.   Our Psalm reminds us that we are dependent on the Lord for our 
very breath.   Tell about what makes you aware of the 'divine Breath' in your life.

2.  Our Sunday Psalm Response is, 'Lord, send out your Spirit and renew the face of the earth.'   Is the Holy Spirit doing a work in you?   Are you a 'new creation?'  Speak about your baptism in the Holy Spirit.

Psalm for Sunday, May 21, 2023

Reflections 

Psalm 47: 2-3, 6-7, 8-9   (Read)

“God mounts His throne amid shouts of joy.” 

This Sunday we celebrate the Ascension of our Lord, who was 

taken up to heaven to be seated 

at the right hand of the Father, 

far above every principality, 

with authority over every nation, 

as our second reading tells us.  

(Ephesians 1: 20-21)

With such an awesome God on His throne, 

what hope do we have as mere human beings 

that He will have anything more to do with us? 

How far removed can we be if this Jesus is taken

up to heaven and has all things put beneath His 

feet (including us)?

Fortunately, for us men, Jesus leaves us with a way 

to share in His divinity, through the Holy Spirit which 

He gives to us.  His power and presence remain within 

us, so long as we repent from our sins and believe 

in Him.

Power is often associated with arrogance and brutal 

treatment, but our God uses His power to work 

miracles, and bring about healing. He is risen, and

is seated at the right hand of the Father in heaven. 

Knowing this, we shout with joy, and we praise Him.

After Jesus' Ascension, the disciples began their 

active ministry, empowered by the Holy Spirit.

That same power is given to us so long as we believe; 

we too are called to ministry.  And for that we are 

inspired to praise the Lord, as the psalmist says, 

“Clap your hands, shout to God with joyful cries; 

sing praise to God!”

Amen

Discussion Questions for Reflection

1.  The Psalm speaks of God mounting His throne and reigning over the nations.   

If God is raised up so far above us, how do you go about having a relationship 

with our Lord so that He is present to you?

2.  The Psalm's verses tell of God as the great king over all the earth, and we are 

urged to sing praise to our king.  Describe how our Lord's Ascension inspires you 

to celebrate with shouts of joy.

Psalm for Sunday, May 14, 2023

Reflections

Psalm 66: 1-3, 4-5, 6-7, 16, 20   (Read)

“Say to God, “How tremendous are your deeds!”

The Psalm celebrates the awesome power of God, manifest in “His tremendous deeds among the children of Adam.” Our psalmist recalls the dividing of the Red Sea, which delivered Israel from the Egyptians, by the favor of God.  That same awesome power that split the Red Sea became available to the early apostles of the Church, as they went about healing and doing signs and wonders.

Where does that power come from to heal 
the lame and drive out unclean spirits?   
It comes from the Holy Spirit, who accomplishes 
in each of us a spiritual resurrection.

No wonder those early believers in Samaria 
were eager to have St Peter and St John lay 
hands on them so they could receive the Holy 
Spirit (Sunday's 1st reading, Acts 8: 14,17). 
In response, they cry out to God with joy, as our 
psalmist says, “Let all the earth cry out to God 
with joy.”

We too cannot help but sing praise to God 
when we feel His presence within us.  In Sunday's 
Gospel (John 14:16-18) our Savior promises that 
He will not leave us spiritual orphans.  Rather, 
He assures us that we are in Him and He is in us.
We proclaim His glorious praise, and we on earth 
worship Him.  We want all the earth to know what 
God has done for us; as the Psalm says, we shout 
joyfully to God and proclaim His glorious praise.

Amen


Discussion Questions for Reflection  

 1.  The Psalm urges us to say to God, "How tremendous are your deeds!" 
Speak of the Lord's awesome works in your life and how you go about 
praising Him.

2.  Our psalmist blesses God who "refused me not."  Tell of how your petitions 
and prayers have been answered by the Lord.
 

Psalm for Sunday, May 7, 2023

Reflections

Psalm 33: 1-2, 4-5, 18-19  (Read)

“The eyes of the Lord are upon those who fear Him, to deliver them from death, and preserve them in spite of famine.”


The Psalm says that the Lord's eyes are upon us because we hold Him in awe, we praise Him.  Like a Good Shepherd He protects us from harm; He puts up a hedge around us and provides us with armor in our battle against death and the evil one.  He feeds us when we go through periods of spiritual hunger.  He nourishes us and gives us our daily spiritual bread. 

Where else would we turn for deliverance from death, the kind of death which is a consequence of sin?  Remember,  “The wages of sin is death,” and we are all afflicted.  Fortunately for us, Christ destroyed death and brought life to us 

We would be dead in our sins without the Lord's 
protection, defeated by the evil one without the 
Lord's armor.  And when our hearts are starved 
for God's presence, when our bones are dry, He 
nourishes us and breathes life into our dry bones.

It is through Him that we are saved.  Our 
own feeble efforts count for nothing. We must be 
submissive and abandon ourselves to His Plan. 
Our Savior himself tells us in today's Gospel,
"I am the way and the truth and the life," and He
teaches us, "Whoever believes in me will do the 
works that I do." (John 14: 6,12)

Because Christ humbles himself for our sake, 
becomes a slave to our sin, there is hope for us, 
even in our time of spiritual famine.  That is the 
meaning of the response, “Lord, let your mercy 
be on us, as we place our trust in you.”

Amen 

 
Discussion Questions for Reflection 

1.  Our psalmist speaks of holding the Lord in awe and knows that the eyes 
of the Lord are upon us.  Describe how you react when the eyes of the Lord
are upon you and you are in His presence.

2.  The Psalm Response today inspires us to place our trust in the Lord and 
await His mercy.  Tell of how your trust in the Lord has strengthened you and 
inspired you to do His will.