Reflections
“In every age, O Lord, you have been
our refuge.”
Our Psalmist describes us humans
as miserable creatures, whose lives
are dismally brief. We are like the
“changing grass, which at dawn
springs up anew, but by evening
wilts and fades.” What hope is
there for us humans whose lives
are cut short in our sleep? Our
sinful nature incurs the righteous
anger of the Lord.
“The corruptible body burdens the
soul.” (Wisdom 9:15)
What are we to do?
We are to take refuge in the Lord,
as the Psalm says. We are to pray
that we may gain wisdom of heart,
as our Psalmist says. We are to ask
for God's favor in our lives. We are
to humble ourselves and learn to fill
our limited days by doing the Lord's
will in our lives. However fleeting our
lives, we pray that God will “prosper
the work of our hands,” that we will
know the will of God and act upon it.
We are to pray through the dark night
that God will fill us at daybreak with his
kindness, for this will be the day of our
salvation. We are to have a right
relationship with the Lord, believe in His
Son, who took upon Himself our weak
human form, so that we would know
what it means to bear our cross as He
did for us. Christ took on the earthen
shelter of human flesh in order to show
us how to let go of it.
It is no accident that many seniors are
counted among those believers who
attend daily Mass. For as they approach
the end of their brief lives on earth, their
days more and more are filled with the
hope of being part of God's kingdom
forever. All of us look forward to the day
when we may sing for joy in God's
presence and be filled with the love of the
Lord. As the Psalm says, “May the
gracious care of the Lord our God be
ours forever.”
Amen
Discussion Questions for Reflection
1. The Psalm speaks of 'numbering our days aright.' What are you doing to make your days on earth count for something in the eyes of the Lord?
2. Our Psalm carries a strong message that our human lives are fleeting but that God is eternal. How are you preparing to be in God's presence forever?
I am spending as much time as I can in the presence of the Lord in quiet time alone with Him, worshiping Him and getting to know Him through his all powerful word, the Bible. His Word is a lamp to my feet a light to my path.
ReplyDeleteI worship Him at Mass and with fellow believers who are Spirit filled and obeying His word. I look forward to spending eternity worshipping and adoring the one true God of heaven and earth, Father, Son , and Spirit made known to me through Jesus Christ.