Psalm for Sunday, March 13, 2016

Reflections

Psalm 126: 1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 6  (Read)

“When the Lord brought back the captives

of Zion, we were like men dreaming.” 

 

 

What God did for the Israelites, he does

also for us. The Jews were liberated from

being captives of the wicked Babylonians,

and we are liberated from the captivity of sin

by that same God who sent his Son to save us.

Just as the woman in the Gospel this Sunday

is saved from being stoned to death, Jesus

redeems all of us from our wicked ways.

God takes pleasure in restoring us, as the

psalmist says, and his pleasure is reflected

by the joy in our hearts when we are reconciled

with Him. “Our mouths [are] filled with laughter;

our tongues [sing] with joy.”

It may seem like we are dreaming when we 

make our own Exodus from our past lives of 

disobedience.  The future may be filled with 

a few dry stream beds, but if we are diligent 

and sow the seeds of repentance, we will be 

rewarded with a bountiful harvest and as the 

psalmist says, “We will reap with cries of joy.”

We join with our psalmist who affirms,

“The Lord has done great things for us.”

There is good news for us too --

we have the Messiah to lead us in our own

spiritual Exodus, away from slavery to sin,

and put us under the gentle yoke of Christ

our Savior.

This is a message of hope; it is a calling that

is future oriented. Isaiah, in Sunday's first 

reading, says the Lord is doing something 

new. (Isaiah 43:19)  St Paul, in the second 

reading, says that faith will lead us to an

“upward calling” in Christ. (Philippians 3:14)

For a better future we must do our part --

we must sow the seeds in order to gain 

repentance.  “Those who sow in tears shall 

reap rejoicing.”  Jesus did not condemn the 

woman caught in adultery – she is given a 

chance to repent and to pass from death 

to life. (John 8:10-11)  In the same way

a seed dies and produces a harvest – 

“Those who go forth weeping, carrying 

sacks of seed, will return with cries of joy, 

carrying their bundled sheaves.”

Amen

Discussion Questions for Reflection

1.  Our psalmist speaks of the the Jewish captives being set free and

brought back from Babylon.  Tell of your own liberation this Lenten season 

from being captive to sin.

2.  The psalm contains a message of hope for us all -- that we shall reap 

joyfully in the days ahead.  Share how you expect to be raised up with the 

Lord as we approach our Easter celebration.

Psalm for Sunday, March 6, 2016

Reflections

Psalm 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7  (Read)

“Look to God that you may

be radiant with joy, and your

faces may not blush for shame.”

Where does our joy come from?

How do we obtain a joyful spirit?

It comes from repenting and

returning to the Lord, as the

Prodigal son returns to his father

in this Sunday's Gospel

reading. (Luke 15:11-32)

For our part, we too will be

embraced by the Father if we

humble ourselves before Him,

and confess our sins. Then He will

take us back. 

 

Like the Prodigal's father, our Lord

watches for us each day, encouraging

us to lift our bodies out of our shame

and return to Him, to be reconciled,

to be restored, in a right relationship

with the Father. 

 

“My soul will glory in the Lord,

that the poor may hear and be glad.”

The word poor is said to apply to one

who depends completely on God

for his deliverance and his very life.

That’s where we stand even today,

when we are short of endurance

along our own spiritual journey.

The psalmist recounts for us how

he gained deliverance, “I sought

the Lord, who answered me,

delivered me from all my fears.”

Despite the anguish in the psalmist’s

voice, there is also a powerful, joyful

spirit – “Look to God that you may

be radiant with joy, and your faces

may not blush with shame.”

Our Father watches for us each day,

encouraging us. He reconciles us

and restores us, and He provides

the inner strength we need to

complete our own spiritual journey.

Amen

 
Discussion Questions for Reflection

1.  Our psalmist looks to God so that his face may not blush for shame.  

Explain how you are overcoming your own shame this Lenten season, 

by looking to the Lord, repenting, and becoming radiant with joy.
  
2.  The Psalm's verses talk about those who are poor in spirit, totally 

dependent on God.   Speak about how you rely on the Lord for deliverance 

and are saved by the Lord.

Psalm for Sunday, February 28, 2016

Reflections

Psalm 103: 1-2, 3-4, 6-7, 8, 11  (Read)

“As the heavens tower over the earth, 
so God's mercy towers over those 
who fear Him.”

Our psalmist sings the praises of a 
divine and loving God, who surrounds 
us with compassion, pardons our sins, 
heals our ills.

God will deliver us as He delivered the 
Israelites from their affliction at the hands 
of the Egyptians. (Exodus 3:7-8)
“God delivers your life from the pit,
surrounds you with love and compassion.”

God nurses no lasting anger,  He has not 
dealt with us as our sins deserve.  
But God demands something of us
in return – that we cleanse ourselves
from evil desires and avoid sin.
St Paul warns us, “Whoever thinks
he is standing secure should take care
not to fall.” (1 Corinthians 10:12)
Jesus says it more powerfully in today's 
Gospel, “If you do not repent, you will 
all perish.” (Luke 13:5)

The Lord’s patience with us is a gift –
“Merciful and gracious is the Lord,
slow to anger, abounding in kindness.”
Our duty is to remain faithful to the Lord,
as His children, and to treat His anointed ones
with love and compassion, as He would do.

We are to be merciful to our enemies by
imitating Jesus.  Who can love their enemies,
and do good to them?  It will be difficult if
we allow our earthly nature to rule us.
Just as God has not dealt with us as our
sins merit, so must we have compassion
on those we may be inclined to condemn.

We cannot imitate God without a share
in Christ’s divinity, by allowing the Holy
Spirit within us to guide us.  Only then
will we have the kind of compassion the
Psalm speaks about.

And as our psalmist says, God’s love will
tower over us if we are his faithful.
If we love the Lord, it will show in our hearts,
and the old things will then pass away. 
What could be a better lesson for our
Lenten journey.

Amen

Discussion Questions for Reflection

1.  Our psalmist assures us that God in His compassion will redeem our life 
from the 'pit.'  But we must do our part and show repentance.  Describe how 
during Lent you are becoming kinder and more merciful to your family and 
your neighbors.

2.  The Psalm inspires us to bless the Lord and 'forget not all His benefits.'  
Speak of your gratitude for the gifts you have received from God.

Psalm for Sunday, February 21, 2016

Reflections
 
Psalm 27: 1, 7-8, 8-9, 13-14  (Read)

“Come, says my heart, seek God’s face;
Your face, Lord, do I seek!”

Our psalmist, David, puts into words
what we feel in our hearts, which is
to seek a right relationship with
the Lord.  We are drawn to the Lord;
we wish to speak to Him face to face,
to be in His presence, to listen to
His Word, and to serve Him faithfully.

We may not have the faith of Abraham
(Genesis 15:6),  but we know that 
a right relationship with the Lord is 
key for us, because without that close 
relationship, we have little chance 
of salvation.  Our psalmist knows the 
critical importance of salvation,
“Do not forsake me, God, my savior.”

Few of us will be able to speak directly
with God, but God makes himself
accessible to us through His Son, Jesus.
And in this Sunday's 2nd reading,
St Paul promises that our own bodies 
will be changed, to conform with Christ’s 
glorified body. (Philippians 3:21)
This is how our own personal transfiguration
takes place.

What can we do to be sure we share in 
Christ’s glory?  St Paul tells the brothers 
in Philippi, “Stand firm in the Lord.”  
And our psalmist agrees, “Wait for the Lord, 
take courage, be stouthearted, wait for 
the Lord.”

What better way for us to stand firm in 
the Lord than to commune with Him in 
prayer, to worship Him, to be transformed 
by Him, as were those disciples that day 
when Jesus was transfigured on the 
mountain. (Luke 9:29)  Having been 
transformed, we, like the disciples, 
will be emboldened in our faith -- 
“Of whom should I be afraid?”   
In our day to day battles against evil forces,
we need not fear anyone, for He is our refuge.

Amen


Discussion Questions for Reflection

1.  Our psalmist seeks God's face.  Does your heart seek a right 
relationship with the Lord?  Speak of how you are drawn to the Lord, 
and how He makes himself accessible to you.

2.  The season of Lent can be a time of transformation for us.  But we 
cannot change our hearts by ourselves; we all need the Lord's help, 
as does our psalmist, 'You are my helper; cast me not off.'   Tell of how 
you are becoming a better person with the help of the Lord. 

Psalm for Sunday, February 14, 2016

 
Reflections

Psalm 91: 1-2, 10-11, 12-13, 14-15  (Read)
 
“Whoever clings to me I will deliver; 
whoever knows my name, I will set on high.”

This Sunday's Psalm is about God’s
protection of the faithful.  It applies to us 
who place ourselves under His protection 
along the path of life.  The psalmist
addresses us, “You who dwell in the shelter
of the Most High, say to the Lord, 'My refuge 
and fortress.'”

As mentioned in Sunday’s first reading, the 
Israelites were in great distress under the 
oppression of the Egyptians.  What the Lord 
did for them, He is prepared to do for us, 
“The Lord heard our cry and saw our 
affliction.”  (Deuteronomy 26:7)

In today's Gospel even the devil respects 
the power of God and His commitment to our 
security, when he quotes this verse of the Psalm, 
“For God commands the angels to guard you in
all your ways.”  (Luke 4:10)

And how do we obtain this level of protection 
amidst the snares along the way and the terror 
of the night?  We call upon the Lord, and we trust
in Him to deliver us, “Whoever clings to me I will 
deliver; whoever knows my name I will set on high.”

St Paul proclaims a similar message in Sunday's 
second reading, “Everyone who calls on the name 
of the Lord will be saved.”  (Romans 10:13)
The psalmist agrees and quotes the Lord,
“All who call upon me I will answer; I will be with 
him in distress; I will deliver and give him honor.”
What could be more reassuring than that?

Amen 


Discussion Questions for Reflection

1.  Our psalmist speaks about God's angels guarding us in all our ways.   
Give an example of how you have been borne up upon the wings of angels 
and given power physically or spiritually to trample down the devil and his minions.

2.  In the Psalm God says that if we cling to Him, He will deliver us and set us on high.   
Tell of what it means to you to 'cling' to the Lord, and having done so, how have you 
been made free from evil that threatens you.

Psalm for Sunday, February 7, 2016

Reflections

Psalm 138:  1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 7-8  (Read)

“Forsake not the work of your hands.”

Our psalmist David composed this
prayer with a grateful heart.  “I will 
give thanks to you, O Lord, with all 
my heart.”

David is grateful because his 
petitions are answered by the Lord.
“For you have heard the words of 
my mouth.”   The Lord's answers to 
David's prayers have come at a
critical time, a time when our
psalmist is seeking to build up
his strength.

David speaks of a divine rescue --
“When I cried out, you answered;
you strengthened my spirit.”
Perhaps we’re all in need of a
spiritual rescue of the type David
describes.  And it isn’t because of 
any of the psalmist’s virtues that he 
obtains salvation.  It is a result of 
God’s loving fidelity, “Lord, your 
love is eternal.”

Our God does not forsake the work 
of his hands, though who has given 
the Lord anything that he may be repaid?  
Unworthy as we are, and although the Lord 
is exalted,  He watches over us in our
lowly state.  And thanks be to God, his 
kindness endures forever.  St Paul says 
the same thing in today's 2nd reading, 
“But by the grace of God I am what I am.”
(1 Corinthians 15:10)

Our psalmist reminds us; all God has 
to do is stretch out his right hand, and 
we will be saved.  “You stretch out your 
hand, your right hand saves me.”  
In today's Gospel reading, our Lord Jesus
reaches out to Simon Peter, who is
empowered to become a true apostle and
a catcher of men by following the Lord.
(Luke 5:10)

Our psalm concludes in a grateful and
affirming theme, showing how Peter
probably felt,  as he fell on his face 
at the feet of the Lord that day by the lake.
“The Lord is with me to the end.
Lord your love endures forever,
never forsake the work of your hands.”

Amen
 
Discussion Questions for Reflection

1.  Our psalmist affirms, 'When I called, you answered me;
you built up strength within me.'   Speak of your own experience
when you were in need of the Lord's help to build up your spiritual vigor.

2.  David pleads with God, 'Forsake not the work of your hands.'  As a child 
of God, tell of how you can expect the Lord to love you forever unconditionally.

Psalm for Sunday, January 31, 2016

Reflections

Psalm 71: 1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 15-17  (Read) 

“O my God, rescue me from 
the hand of the wicked.”

This Psalm is known as a
prayer in the evening of life.
The psalmist looks back,
recalls how he has tried
to remain faithful to God,
his life’s companion.
“You are my hope, Lord;
my trust, O God, from my youth.
On you I depend since birth;
from my mother’s womb
you are my strength.”

In the difficult moments of
old age, the psalmist begs God
to come to his aid, and resolves
to praise God with all his might.
“My mouth shall proclaim your
just deeds, day after day your acts
of deliverance.”

The Psalm recalls for us the words
of the prophet Jeremiah, who says,
“Before I formed you in the womb
I dedicated you, a prophet
I appointed you.”   Jeremiah draws
strength from the Lord; God makes him
a “fortified city, a pillar of iron.”
(Jeremiah 1:5, 18)

And in the Psalm the writer pleads
with God, “Be my rock and refuge;
my stronghold to give me safety;
for you are my rock and fortress.”
In Jeremiah’s struggle against kings
and priests, he obtains assurances that
the Lord is with him to deliver him.
The Psalmist seeks the same guarantee
from God – “In your justice rescue and
deliver me.”

In today's Gospel, our Lord Jesus
was able to pass through the midst of 
the angry crowd that threatened him 
that day in Nazareth. (Luke 4:30)
Our psalmist too is threatened
by an adversary and petitions God,
“My God, rescue me from the power
of the wicked, from the clutches of the
evil and violent.”

And for us too, the source of our
ability to weather those spiritual trials
that we face in our own lives comes
from God our Father.  His works are mighty,
and His justice is available for the asking,
“I will speak of the mighty works of the Lord;
O God, I will tell of your singular justice.”

Amen

Discussion Questions for Reflection

1.  Our psalmist says that from his mother's womb God was his strength. 
Describe how you as a child of God derive strength and hope from the Lord.

2.  The psalmist cries out to God to rescue him 'from the hand of the wicked, 
from the clutches of the evil and violent.'  Speak of how you have been
delivered by the Lord from the clutches of the evil one.