Monday, September 14, 2026

Psalm for Sunday, September 20, 2026

 

Reflections




“Great is the Lord and highly to be praised.”


When we reflect on what 
God has done for us,
we remember that God 
has always done good
things for us.   That is 
God's nature.  As the Psalm 
says,  “His greatness is 
unsearchable.”  And so 
we pray this psalm to 
bless, praise, and exalt 
the heavenly Father in 
His perfection and in 
His works.

Our psalmist dwells on 
the everlasting nature of God,
on His love and presence 
throughout all time, and we 
are called to praise the Lord 
forever and ever.
Our psalmist reminds us, 
“The Lord is good to all 
and compassionate 
toward all His works.” 
We know this inherently 
because we live our lives 
within an unending stream 
of divine love.

“The Lord is near to all 
who call upon him.”
His presence is shown 
in the help, nourishment, 
and salvation that He shows 
to us.  The prophet Isaiah 
urges us, “Seek the Lord 
while He may be found, 
call Him while He is near.”
(Isaiah 55: 6)

We praise God because of 
His divine attributes
of compassion and love.
And fortunately for us, 
the Son shares fully in 
the perfection and works 
of the Father.  So we also 
sing this psalm in honor of 
Christ our Savior, Who shares 
fully in the perfection of God,
and in the works of the Father,


Amen


Discussion Questions for Reflection

1.  Our psalmist assures us, 'The Lord is near to all who call upon Him.'   
This verse requires us to make the extra effort to reach out to God if we want to be in His presence.  Tell of how you have reached out to the Lord and what has been the result.

2.  The Psalm calls upon us to praise His name forever and ever.  Say how you go about praising the Lord in your daily life.  Give examples.



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1 comment:

  1. Adry's Blog12:27 AM

    This Psalm really spoke to me, especially the words, “The Lord is near to all who call upon Him.” I have read those words many times, but there are seasons in my life when I have had to really hold onto them and remind myself that God is near, even when I don't feel His presence.

    1. “The Lord is near to all who call upon Him.”

    For me, reaching out to the Lord has not always meant having beautiful or meaningful prayers. Sometimes reaching out to God has simply been saying, “Jesus, help me.” There have been moments when I didn't know what else to say, when I was tired, worried, discouraged, or simply didn't understand what God was allowing in my life. Sometimes my prayer has been nothing more than sitting quietly and trying to place everything in His hands.

    I've also learned that reaching out to God doesn't mean that He will always immediately change the situation I'm praying about. Sometimes I have asked Him to take away a burden, and the burden was still there. I’ve prayed for answers and had to wait. I've prayed for strength and wondered where that strength was going to come from. But looking back, I can see that God was still there.

    Sometimes His answer has been a peace that I couldn't explain. Sometimes it has been the strength to get through one more day. Sometimes it has come through another person, a Scripture verse, a conversation, or something so small that I might have missed it if I hadn't been paying attention. And sometimes, honestly, I have reached out to God and felt nothing at all. Those are probably the hardest times for me. There have been moments when prayer has felt almost like talking to a ceiling. I know God is there, I believe He is there, but I don't necessarily feel Him there. And that is when I have had to learn that faith cannot depend only on what I feel.

    I think that is part of what this Psalm is reminding me of. “The Lord is near to all who call upon Him.” It doesn't say that I will always feel His nearness. It tells me that He is near. So I keep calling. Even when my prayer is imperfect. Even when I don't have the right words. Even when I am frustrated or afraid. Even when I don't understand. I keep turning back to Him because somewhere deep inside I know that there is nowhere else I would rather turn. And perhaps that, in itself, is an answer to prayer. God doesn't always remove the struggle, but He slowly teaches me that I don't have to carry it alone.

    2. How do I praise the Lord in my daily life?

    When I think about praising God, I used to think mostly about prayer, going to Mass, or saying prayers of thanksgiving. But I have come to realize that praise can also be a way of living. I praise God by trying to notice the blessings I might otherwise take for granted—a beautiful morning, a kind word, a phone call from a friend, a moment of laughter, or simply waking up and knowing that God has given me another day.

    I also think that praising God means trusting Him even when life doesn't go the way I want it to. It is easy to praise Him when everything is going well. The harder kind of praise, for me, is saying, “Lord, I don't understand this, but I still trust You.”

    I'm still learning to do that. I don't always succeed. Sometimes I complain, become impatient, or wonder why God is allowing something to happen. But I try to come back to Him. I praise Him when I forgive instead of holding onto resentment, when I choose kindness, and when I surrender something I cannot control and say, “Lord, this is Yours. I can't carry it anymore.”

    And maybe that is one of the most important ways I can praise Him—not just by thanking Him for the good things, but by continuing to trust Him when life is difficult. The words that stay with me are, “The Lord is near to all who call upon Him.” I don't have to have the perfect prayer or have everything figured out. I just have to turn toward Him. And when I do, I am reminded that He is always there.

    The Lord is near. And that alone is something worth praising Him for every day.

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