Psalm for Sunday, July 2, 2023

Reflections

Psalm 89:  2-3, 16-17, 18-19   (Read)

"The promises of the LORD I will sing forever."

Whatever our circumstances, 

we are encouraged to sing 

to the Lord of His goodness.

Just as Elisha promised the 

woman of Shunem that 

she would bear a son

(this Sunday's first reading),

so does the Lord reach out

to us in unlikely 

circumstances.

The Lord surprises us when 

we are barren; He renews us 

when we are spent; He grants us a share in the life of 

the Messiah even though 

we are unworthy and sinful.

All we have to do is bear our cross and praise Him, 

sing of His promises forever, as our psalmist says. 

There may be interruptions in our joy, and there 

will be times when we will question, “How could 

the Lord allow this to happen to me?” But so long 

as we bear our cross with dignity and die to sin, 

then we are living for God in Christ Jesus, 

as St Paul reminds us. (Romans 6:11)

Jesus says in today’s Gospel that we are not worthy

of Him if we do not take up our cross.  We must lose

our life for Christ in order to find it.  (Matthew 10: 38-39)

Despite the setbacks we face, we must endure;

for as St Paul tells us, endurance produces character

and character produces hope, which does not

disappoint. (Romans 5: 3-5)

Whatever it takes, our psalmist tells us, “Through

all generations my mouth shall proclaim your 

faithfulness.” Our job is to know the joyful shout;

to walk in the light of God’s countenance; and to 

sing the goodness of the Lord forever.

Amen

 

Discussion Questions for Reflection

1.  Are you able to sing of the promises of the Lord even when you have been 

disappointed or are suffering?  Explain

2.  Are you one of the blessed people who walk in the light of the Lord’s 

countenance?  Speak of how His countenance is reflected in your own face.

Psalm for Sunday, June 25, 2023

Reflections

Psalm 69:  8-10, 14, 17, 33-35   (Read)

"You who seek God, may your hearts revive!"

  

Like Jeremiah, our psalmist cries out 

to the Lord and seeks relief from 

suffering.  The psalmist bears insult 

for the sake of God as a consequence of his zeal 

for the Lord. 

Yet the verses are a plea to God 

and a remedy for the distress into 

which the psalmist has sunk. 

Crying out to God with trust in God’s 

great love is the only answer for those 

lowly ones who are cast down and

persecuted. Seek the Lord and your 

hearts will revive! The Lord hears 

the cry of the poor. 

The Gospel echoes the confidence 

of the psalm's verses. Jesus affirms 

that we are to proclaim the Gospel 

from the housetops and fear not our 

enemies who are powerless to kill 

the soul.  (Matthew 10:27-28)

As the psalm says, even if we are in bonds the 

Lord  will not spurn us. For the Lord in his great 

love will answer us. The psalmist stands on firm 

ground though he was cast out by family and friends.

In the Gospel Jesus confirms that He is on the side 

of those who acknowledge Him as Lord.

Are we bearing insult for our God; do our brothers 

cast us out because of our faith; have we become 

a stranger to our children because zeal for the Lord

consumes us?  If so, we are in good company because

Jesus suffered the insults of those who denied him.

What is our remedy? There is only one way to turn,

as our psalmist says. Pray to the Lord, that in His 

great love He will answer us, that He will favor us, 

and that He will help us. No one else is merciful like 

the Lord; no one else has unlimited amounts of 

kindness; no one else has the power to revive us 

from the inside out. We are His own and His

own who are in bonds He spurns not. 

Amen 

Discussion Questions for Reflection

1.  Have you been spurned by family or friends because of your faith?

How do you respond?

2.  Have you born insult for the sake of the Lord?  

How did you handle it?

 

Psalm for Sunday, June 18, 2023

Reflections 

Psalm 100: 1-2, 3, 5   (Read)

"We are God's people,

the sheep of his flock." 

The Psalm begins with a call for us to 'sing joyfully to the Lord.' And as our psalmist says, we are called to 'worship the Lord with cries of gladness; come before Him with joyful song.' 

But after all, we are like sheep, 

and we need someone to look 

after us so that we don't go astray.  

What could be better than to have Jesus

as our Good Shepherd?   We are his 

lambs; we hear his voice; He knows 

us; and we follow Him. 

As our psalmist says, we belong to God.

And God has given us to his Son. No one 

can take us out of his hand.

We are a well tended flock indeed. 

As our Lord's sheep, we hear his voice, 

we follow Him, and we praise Him because,

'Good indeed is the Lord, his love endures 

forever, his faithfulness lasts through every 

generation.'

Amen

Discussion Questions for Reflection

1.  There is something comforting about being shepherded by
our Lord Jesus.  Our psalmist says we are 'the flock He tends.'
Speak of how you feel to be one of His sheep.

2.  The Psalm tells us to 'serve the Lord with gladness.'   Give an
example of how you are serving Him with a joyful spirit.
 

  

Psalm for Sunday, June 11, 2023

Reflections

Psalm 147: 12-13, 14-15, 19-20   (Read)

“With the best of wheat he fills you."         

God has been a provider to His people
ever since He created us.  But the beauty 
of His providence is that He provides for us 
spiritually as well as physically.  During the 
Liturgy of the Eucharist, as the gifts are 
being prepared, the priest says, 
“Through your goodness we have this bread 
to offer, which earth has given, it will become 
for us the bread of life.” 

We are nourished by the Eucharist, by the body 
and blood of our Lord Jesus.  And that is where 
our life comes from, our hope, our salvation. 
All we have to do is receive Him with a clean heart.

Our Lord's body is real food, and when we eat it
we are given a share in the divine life.  During 
the Mass the celebrant prays, “By the mystery 
of this water and wine may we come to share in 
the divinity of Christ, who humbled Himself 
to share in our humanity.”

St Paul says in our 2nd reading we all “partake 
of the one loaf” (1 Cor 10: 17).  We share in 
the bread of life, and our Savior's body is a
source of nourishment for us.  This Sunday's 
Gospel reminds us that Jesus is the living bread 
from heaven.   Praise God!

Amen

Discussion Questions for Reflection

1.  The Psalm speaks of our Lord as being a good provider; He fills 
us with the best of wheat.  Speak of how you are nourished by the real 
food of the Eucharist.

2.  Our psalmist declares that God's word runs swiftly as the Lord sends 
forth His command to the earth.  These verses allude to the power of 
God's word in our lives.   Tell of how you receive the word of God and how
it affects you.