Psalm for Sunday, December 22, 2024

 

Reflections

Psalm 80: 2-3, 15-16, 18-19   (Read)

"O Shepherd of Israel, hearken, and come to save us."

This Psalm is a prayer to restore 
Israel, and by extension to restore us,
as a scattered people of God. 
The Psalm is well adapted to our 
prayer during Advent.  We are a people 
scattered and separated from God, and 
we await His coming; He alone can 
'make us turn to Him' and convert us.

 “Shepherd of Israel, lend an ear … come to save us.”

 
Our psalmist makes a direct appeal 
to God to shepherd us.  “Turn again 
Lord ... attend to this vine.”  Just as 
the Lord tends to His vineyard, He 
protects a shoot planted by His right 
hand.  The coming of Christ is intended 
to revive us, restore our strength.   
As the Psalm says, “Then we will not 
withdraw from you; revive us, and 
we will call on your name.”
 
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.”
 
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.
 
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 are you inspired by the Psalm's verses to repent 
and seek renewal, especially during this season of Advent?

Psalm for Sunday, December 15, 2024

Reflections

Isaiah 12: 2-3, 4, 5-6

 "God indeed is my salvation."

This is a Song of Thanksgiving from the prophet Isaiah, expressed in the language of the Psalms.  But the prophet is also speaking about salvation -- “God indeed is my salvation.”  And there is more – “With joy you will draw water from the fountains of salvation.”

These verses speak to us of our Savior and are in keeping with the theme of our 1st reading, from the Book of Zephaniah,  “The Lord our God is a mighty savior.”

And how should we feel about being saved?
We are to “rejoice in the Lord always,”
as St. Paul tells us in our 2nd Reading from 
the Letter to the Philippians.

And what effect does the promise of salvation 
have on us?  We draw strength from our saving
relationship with God – Isaiah says it for us, 
“I am confident and unafraid.”  (Remember,
God’s perfect love drives out fear.)  Isaiah 
gives us further evidence, “My strength and 
my courage is the Lord.”

And where does the power come from that
is the source of our courage?   It comes from 
our baptism, first with water, then from our 
baptism in the Holy Spirit.  This is the good 
news that John preached in our Gospel reading,
when he promised that the Christ would 
baptize us with the Holy Spirit.

Finally, Isaiah reminds us, during this season 
of Advent, that we are to sing praise to the Lord --
“Let the good news be known throughout all 
the earth!”  We are to “shout with exultation, 
for great in our midst, is the Holy One of Israel!”

Amen


Discussion Questions for Reflection

1.  Our Response this Sunday is, 'Cry out with joy and gladness:
for among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.'   Describe how 
you prepare to receive Jesus inside your heart during this season of Advent.

2. Isaiah says, "My strength and my courage is the Lord."  Explain what this verse means to you, especially at this time of the year.

Psalm for Sunday, December 8, 2024

Reflections

Psalm 126: 1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 6   (Read)

“The Lord has done great things for us.”
 
This Sunday's Psalm speaks about the 
joyous return of Israel from exile and 
captivity.  “The Lord has restored the 
captives of  Zion.”  As we hear in 
Sunday's 1st reading (Baruch 5:1), 
Jerusalem is to take off her robe of 
misery and to put on the splendor of 
God forever.  Truly, “The Lord has 
done great things for them.”

But there is more -- as the Psalm says,
the Lord has done great things for us 
as well.  What could be more wonderful
than what Christ does for us, in leading
us out of our spiritual captivity in a sinful
world, to a place of splendor where the
Father dwells.  We are restored by the
Lord’s grace, and our spiritual dryness
is filled with the baptismal waters, like
the dry stream beds of the Negeb.

But we must do our part – the 'sowing
of tears' is a time of repentance for us.
It is just as John the Baptist proclaims
in the Gospel – we must be baptized in
repentance, for the forgiveness of our sins.
(Luke 3:3)

And what is the sign of true repentance?
It is when one produces good fruit by
what we sow.   As the Psalm says,
“Those who go forth weeping, carrying
sacks of seed, will return with cries of joy,
carrying their bundled sheaves.”

Finally the Psalm reminds us that the
truly great thing the Lord has done for us
is to send His only begotten Son to be by
our side.  Jesus’ presence is a guarantee
of a spiritual harvest that leads to our
own salvation.

Amen


Discussion Questions for Reflection

1.  Our psalmist reminds us, 'We are filled with joy,' because the Lord 
has done great things for us!   Tell of  how these verses speak to you 
during this Advent season of the arrival of our incarnate Lord.

2.  The Psalm says, 'Those who sow in tears shall reap rejoicing.'  Describe how repentance has led to salvation in your spiritual life.