Reflections 
Psalm 96: 1, 3, 4-5, 7-8, 9-10 (Read)
“Awesome is He; give to the Lord the glory due His name!”
The Psalm is a message to Israel’s neighbors, and to the rest of the world, that there is one true God. “Tell God’s glory among the nations; among all peoples God's marvelous deeds."
The Israelites have returned from exile and have been brought back from near death as a people. The remnant has survived, and the Israelites have been delivered by the one and only God.
And so they sing a “new song,” celebrating the
“newness of God” that comes with the joy of
praising Him as sovereign. “Sing to the Lord a
new song; sing to the Lord, all you lands.”
As the Psalm says, we are all summoned to
adoration of our sovereign. We are called
to give Him glory and praise.
In this Sunday's first reading the prophet Isaiah confirms
there is no other God besides Him. (Isaiah 45: 5)
The gods of other nations are mere idols, and they
all do nothing, says our psalmist. But our God made
the heavens; He is to be praised and feared.
And how do we praise Him?
How do we give the Lord the glory due His name?
We engage in works of faith; we undertake a labor
of love for Him, as St. Paul tells us in today's
2nd reading. (1 Thessalonians 1: 3)
All peoples are invited to recognize our God,
and pledge to obey Him. “Say among the nations,
“The Lord is King; the world will surely stand fast,
never to be shaken.”
And having acknowledged that God is sovereign,
how should we and all the nations behave?
The Gospel tells us how -- Jesus says,
“Repay to God what belongs to God.” (Matthew 22: 21)
And we understand our calling,
“Give to the Lord the glory due His name!”
Amen
Discussion Questions for Reflection
1. The Psalm exhorts us to "Sing to the Lord a new song."
How does your song go when you sing praise to God? What
do you have to say to the Lord?
2. Our psalmist encourages us to "Give the Lord glory and honor."
We are called to give glory to God in the works of faith that we do.
Speak of how you give God the glory in what you do.
I love singing. Those around me may or may not like it, but my spirit is lifted when I offer up my song to the Lord. He is worthy of all praise -- song helps me in this expression of gratitude and thanksgiving. The Lord deserves it all.
ReplyDeleteSong also helps to remind me to live in hopeful expectation that something amazing is about to happen. Not all of life is rosy. When the thorns pop up, I look to God with anticipation of "How, Lord, will you solve this? How will you work it out?" This is true in the microcosm that is my life. I also claim its verity in the face of world problems -- such as the Israel-Hamas war.
There is no human solution to the escalating violence, barbarity, and agony. How can any of us sing a new song at this time? With God, we still can. He has proven throughout history that he is a Way-Maker, literally parting seas, where the land ends.
There is even Biblical history of God's men singing into battle. 2 Chronicles 20:21 tells us that King Jehoshaphat commanded that singers go out IN FRONT of the army, praising God and giving him thanks! Needless to say, the victory was theirs. The enemies of Judah actually rose up against each other and destroyed one another. Such examples show us that God is faithful to those who honor him and we need only depend on his power to fight our battles.
God's design is unique, perfect, and beyond our understanding. In the first reading, God's anointing and use of King Cyrus of Persia, shows that he welcomes ALL of his creatures throughout the world, Jew or Gentile. No one is beyond hope or reach of God's purpose.
Verse 4 of Psalm. 96 says "For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; he is to be feared above all gods." We can know that the God of Israel, Yahweh, the same God we worship, is the one, true God... and he still reigns. Amen.