Reflections
Psalm 126: 1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 6 (Read)
“Restore our fortunes, O Lord.”
This Sunday's Psalm celebrates the
reversal of Israel’s fortune, and return
from exile, which could not have
occurred without God’s intervention.
The psalm's verses reflect praise for
what the Lord has done. “The Lord
has done great things for them.”
The psalm is also a petition asking
the Lord to look after the future of the
remaining Israelites. And there is an
expectation that God will guide them
in achieving prosperity.
“Restore again our fortunes, Lord,
like the dry stream beds of the Negeb.”
This calls to mind our first reading from
Jeremiah, where God promises to lead
the remnant of Israel to brooks of water,
on a level road, so that none shall
stumble. (Jeremiah 31:9) We too are
looking for that water which restores
and renews, cleanses us and purifies us,
that living water which satisfies our
spiritual thirst.
The Psalm also reminds us the truly great thing
the Lord has done for us is to send his only
begotten Son to be by our side. Jesus’ presence
in our lives is a guarantee of a spiritual harvest
that will lead to our own salvation. Just as
Bartimaeus, the blind man in the Gospel, is saved
by his own faith, the Lord promises us a transition
from a sinful existence to a world of joy. (Mark 10:52)
The Psalm says it well, “Those who go forth weeping,
carrying the seed to be sown, shall come back rejoicing,
carrying their sheaves.” And therein lies a lesson for us –
to let go of our own baggage, and pick up the Lord’s
burden, because we know his yoke is easy.
Whatever type of spiritual exile may imprison us, Jesus
shows us a way out. God is in the business of deliverance.
As the prophet Jeremiah confirms, we go among the blind
and the lame to the promised land. (Jeremiah 31:8)
We carry our sacks with us and within those seeds that
we sow is contained the promise of new life, the reversal
of whatever misfortune may trouble us. When the
harvest comes in, we can join with the psalmist and sing,
"Our mouths are filled with laughter, our tongues sing for joy.”
Amen
Discussion Questions for Reflection
1. The Psalm alludes to a reversal of spiritual exile that may apply to people like us. Tell of how the Lord has brought you back from a time of being distant from Him.
2. Our psalmist suggests that we carry the seeds of our own salvation even while
we go forth weeping. Speak of how your faith has saved you, when you looked
to the Lord for healing.
It was a four-month period of torment. From the day of her law school graduation in May, until she received the news of her bar exam success in September, the enemy had a field day with my daughter and me. Respectfully, I understand how this struggle might not seem as grave as a terminal illness diagnosis or the loss of a loved one. However, for us, it felt like the darkest valley of our lives.
ReplyDeleteAll summer long, we woke up to accusations of not being good enough and tried to sleep through nightmares. I, along with my adult child, experienced this. I did not have the bandwidth to enjoy my life and carry on a normal schedule. Instead, I withdrew. I needed to be strong to support her efforts, and yet, I fell far short in my faith.
In addition to the spiritual mud-slinging, we had to fight off cultural superstitions. My daughter was born in the year of the rabbit, according to the Asian zodiac. We try not to pay attention to the fortunes associated with being a rabbit -- as with any fascination about the future or about one's horoscope, curiosity can lure you in quickly. As we fought off the temptations to dabble in it, the season was filled with unusual wildlife activity in our backyard. In the mornings, we would find one cute, little bunny after another, dead in the grass, either mauled by some bigger creature or just inexplicably fallen. One of the most visually upsetting scenes we witnessed, was when a hawk-like bird swooped down and carried off a rabbit, the lifeless paws of the bunny just dangling from its beak. The vicious life cycle of nature took place a few feet in front of us and we shuddered at its power while trying to shake off any feelings of being sent a cryptic message.
When you're feeling low, the enemy takes no pity and sends further attacks to confuse and weaken you.
While going through this time, certainly I reached out for prayers and spent time journaling in front of the Blessed Sacrament. Certainly, I went to confession often and tried to receive the peace of the Holy Spirit. My spiritual dryness and fears made it all the more difficult to receive the graces I needed. Even faithful reading of my daily devotionals did not console me. I associated a cheerful message with a good day ahead and a tough message with a day of suffering or humility ahead. You bet I looked ahead to the messages for the upcoming test dates and score announcements dates and the messages were "meh." In fact, they were worrisome. The devil wanted to defeat me using the Word of God! How despicable!
In this terribly, desolate period, I begged God for his holy calm. I pleaded for a way to once again feel some peace and hope for a good outcome. And the Lord does not disappoint -- he led me to rediscover the 54-day Novena to our Blessed Mother. 27 days are spent in petition and 27 days are dedicated to thanksgiving, often BEFORE your miracle/ prayer request happens. Again, I don't wish to blur the lines of heartfelt prayer vs. a "good luck charm," but our Mother Mary intercedes with power. She cannot say no to a desperate heart searching for solace -- and that's what I was.
I began to pray the 54-day novena well before the score announcement, but sure enough, a lost day here or there, eventually led to perfect timing for me to complete the prayers in meaningful time.
in His great mercy, our Father took pity on us. I believe He granted my daughter a passing score so that I might tell his story of victory -- of putting one foot in front of the other, even when I felt nothing but panic and fear and tried not to show it to anyone.
I promised that I would praise His Name forever and ever and that joy and thanksgiving would always be upon my lips. I promised that I would speak of this spiritual warfare battle. In a long circular way, I share that like the people in the Psalm, the Lord has restored our fortunes. "He has done great things for us; we are glad." (v. 3)