Reflections
Psalm 66: 1-3, 4-5, 6-7, 16-20 (Read)
“Say to God, “How tremendous are your deeds!”
The Psalm celebrates the awesome power of God, manifest in “His tremendous deeds among the children
of Adam.” Our psalmist recalls the dividing of the Red Sea, which delivered Israel from the Egyptians, by the favor
of God. That same awesome power
that split the Red Sea became available to the early apostles of the Church, as they went about healing and doing signs and wonders.
Where does that power come from to heal
the lame and drive out unclean spirits?
It comes from the Holy Spirit, who accomplishes
in each of us a spiritual resurrection.
No wonder those early believers in Samaria
were eager to have St Peter and St John lay
hands on them so they could receive the Holy
Spirit (Sunday's 1st reading, Acts 8: 14,17).
In response, they cry out to God with joy, as our
psalmist says, “Let all the earth cry out to God
with joy.”
We too cannot help but sing praise to God
when we feel His presence within us. In Sunday's
Gospel (John 14:16-18) our Savior promises that
He will not leave us spiritual orphans. Rather,
He assures us that we are in Him and He is in us.
We proclaim His glorious praise, and we on earth
worship Him. We want all the earth to know what
God has done for us; as the Psalm says, we shout
joyfully to God and proclaim His glorious praise.
Amen
Discussion Questions for Reflection
1. The Psalm urges us to say to God, "How tremendous are your deeds!"
Speak of the Lord's awesome works in your life and how you go about
praising Him.
2. Our psalmist blesses God who "refused me not." Tell of how your petitions and prayers have been answered by the Lord.
ReplyDelete"Say to God, 'How awesome are your deeds! So great is your power that your enemies cringe before you...'" (v.3)
Evidence of the Lord's victorious hand on my life is everywhere. The heart of my husband is softened to prayer. My adult children are healthy, protected, and blessed with interesting careers. I have reached a place of understanding with a family member who was once a thorn in my side. In my little physical world, these are big and divine developments.
My interior state is a murkier place. God reigns supreme but I am challenged by the temptations to be complacent, lukewarm, or even negligent about my faith. Daily, I need the gift of the Holy Spirit to re-inspire me.
In God's perfect design, the readings in the run-up to Pentecost coincide with the Marian devotions of the month of May. I recently learned that I can pray for Mary to make me "docile to the voice of the Holy Spirit and sensitive to his presence." (Taken from a former address by Pope Francis, highlighted by a sister in Bible Study).
How this concept hits me! My journey to devote more of my heart to the Blessed Mother not only leads me closer to her Son, but also to the Holy Spirit.
In this week's Gospel, we understand how lovingly Jesus leaves us the gift of the Helper, Advocate, Paraclete. We are left with the grace to live as He instructs us, or at least the ability to try. The God who "turned the sea into dry land..." (v.6) is the same God who desires my heart. As the Psalmist proclaims in verse 20, "Blessed be God, because he has not rejected my prayer or removed his merciful love from me!"
Reading this passage from Psalm 66, the line that stays with me most is, “How tremendous are your deeds!” It feels like an invitation not just to admire God from a distance, but to actually look at my own life and recognize where He has been at work. When I’m honest, I don’t always stop to do that. I move quickly from one thing to the next, often overlooking the quiet ways God has carried me, protected me, and guided me.
ReplyDeleteWhen I think about His “tremendous deeds,” I naturally think of the great miracles—the parting of the Red Sea, the signs and wonders in the early Church—but what strikes me more deeply is that the same power is still at work, even now, even in me. It may not always look dramatic, but I can see it in the moments where I’ve been given strength I didn’t have on my own, or peace in situations that should have overwhelmed me. There have been times when something in me shifted—old habits losing their hold, wounds beginning to heal—and I know that didn’t come from me. That was the Holy Spirit quietly bringing new life where I couldn’t.
This idea of a “spiritual resurrection” really speaks to me. I can look back and see parts of my life that felt stuck or lifeless, and yet somehow God brought movement and renewal. Not all at once, not perfectly, but steadily. And when I recognize that, I understand a little more why the psalmist calls us to cry out with joy. There’s something that rises up naturally when I become aware of God’s presence—it makes me want to thank Him, to acknowledge Him, even if it’s just in a simple, quiet prayer.
At the same time, I notice how easy it is for me to hold back, especially when it comes to trusting God with my needs. The psalm speaks about God not refusing our prayers, and that challenges me. There have been prayers of mine that were answered in ways I didn’t expect, sometimes not in the timing I wanted, but looking back, I can see that God was still listening. In some cases, He gave me exactly what I asked for. In others, He gave me something deeper—patience, clarity, or the grace to endure. Even when I didn’t realize it at the time, He was still responding.
What moves me most is the reminder from the Gospel that I am not left alone, that I am not a spiritual orphan. God is not distant from my struggles or indifferent to my life. He is present, within me, through the Holy Spirit. And that changes everything. It means that the same God who performed mighty works throughout history is still active, still working, still loving—right here, in the ordinary details of my life.
So today, I feel called to be more aware, more grateful, and more open. To actually name the ways God has been good to me. To praise Him not just in big moments, but in the quiet ones too. And maybe most importantly, to trust that He is still at work, even in the places where I don’t yet see the outcome.
“How tremendous are your deeds, Lord.” I want that to be more than just a line I read—I want it to become something I truly live and believe.