Psalm for Sunday, August 8, 2021

Reflections

Psalm 34:  2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9   (Read)

“Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.” 

What does Jesus tell us to do in this week’s Gospel? “Whoever eats this bread [my flesh] will live forever.” (John 6:51)  However difficult Jesus’ words may have been for the Jews to accept (or for us), the psalmist is right when he says, “Blessed the man who takes refuge in Him.”  

Where else would we turn when we are in distress?

The Psalm says, “When the afflicted man called out, 
the Lord heard, and from all his distress he saved him.”
Just as the Lord answered Elijah and delivered him 
from his despair (1 Kings 19:4-8), so He delivers us from 
whatever has bogged us down spiritually.

The psalmist prays, “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 Elijah 
stood that day in the early stages of his long journey,
totally dependent on God for the strength to walk the 
walk that was planned for him.  (1 Kings 19:4-8).
And if the truth were to be known, that’s where we stand 
even today, when we are short of endurance
along our spiritual journey.

The psalmist recounts for us how he gained deliverance,
“I sought the Lord, who answered me, and 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.”

Where does our joy come from?  How do we obtain a 
joyful spirit?  It comes from repenting and returning to 
the Lord.  Only then can we be embraced by the Lord.
Having humbled ourselves before Him, confessed our
sins, He takes us back.

He watches for us each day, encouraging us.   
He reconciles us and restores us in a right relationship 
with the Father.  And He provides the inner strength and 
the nourishment we need to complete our own spiritual journey.
Amen


Discussion Questions for Reflection

1.  Our psalmist tells us how to obtain a joyful spirit, "Look to the Lord 
that you may be radiant with joy."  Describe how the Lord has given you 
inner joy in the course of relieving you from your afflictions.

2.  The Psalm says that the angel of the Lord 'encamps' around those 
who fear Him and delivers them.  Speak of how your faith has been 
a source of strength and deliverance in the face of difficulty or persecution.

Psalm for Sunday, August 1, 2021

Reflections
 

Psalm 78:  3-4, 23-24, 25, 54   (Read)

“The Lord gave them bread from heaven.” 

Our Psalm this Sunday is once again 
about our spiritual and physical food
that we receive from the Lord.
Just as the Israelites of old were fed
when the Lord, “Rained down manna
upon them for food,” so too we are fed
today with the body and blood of our Savior
in the sacrament of the Eucharist.

But are we worthy?  Are we deserving
of this heavenly food, that comes to us
through the passion of our Lord,
the sacrifice of God's only Son? 
Over and over again our spiritual ancestors
turned away from God and were deceitful
despite the “glorious deeds of the Lord
and the wonders that he wrought” on their behalf.
Must we too be chastised before
we repent and turn back to God?

Our own history isn't much different
from that of our ancestors –
a cycle of divine grace; followed by ingratitude;
then punishment; then renewed generosity. 
We are obliged to repeat the history
of our ancestors, and in the end we are
at the mercy of God.  In fact, without His grace
where would we obtain our 'daily bread'?

Do we grumble until our prayers are answered? 
Do we persist in putting God to the test? 
Are we grateful for the food we receive
from the Lord?   Or are we quick to forget
what the Lord has done for us?

St Paul tells us that we really do need 
to repent and that we should, “Put away 
the old self of our former way of life, 
corrupted through deceitful desires, and 
put on the new self.” (Ephesians 4:22-24)
And having repented, we are ready
to receive that precious bread from heaven. 
Like the crowd at Capernaum (John 6: 34-35),
we plead with Jesus to give of Himself
to us each day, so that we may eat of
the bread of life and never hunger again.

Amen

 
Discussion Questions for Reflection

1.   Our psalmist promises, "We will declare to the generation 
to come the glorious deeds of the Lord."  What part have you played 
in passing on your faith to the next generation?

2.   Our Psalm speaks of the Lord  bringing His people to "His holy land, 
to the mountains His right hand has won."  What does it take for you 
to be able to climb the mountain of the Lord?

Psalm for Sunday, July 25, 2021

Reflections

Psalm 145:  10-11, 15-16, 17-18   (Read)

“The eyes of all look hopefully to you;
you give them their food in due season.”

Just as Elisha fed one hundred men
from a few barley loaves, so Jesus feeds 
a multitude of us even today.  We too are 
among the hopeful ones who look to the 
Lord for our food in due season.  
“The hand of the Lord feeds us.”

His presence is shown in the help, 
nourishment, and salvation that He shows 
to us.  We are dependent on our Lord to 
feed us.

 Just as Jesus fed five thousand men 
from a few loaves and two fish, so Jesus
provides us with spiritual nourishment even 
today.  “The Lord satisfies the desire of every 
living thing,” as our psalmist says.  He opens 
wide his hand for us.  All we have to do is call 
upon Him.  

Our psalmist says it right – “You Lord are near 
to all who call upon you.”

We are his faithful ones, and we praise God 
and give Him thanks because of his divine 
attributes of compassion and love.
And we sing this psalm in praise of our Lord 
Jesus Christ, who shares fully in the perfection 
of God, and in the works of the Father.

Amen


Discussion Questions for Reflection
 
1.  The Psalm Response this Sunday is,  "The hand of the Lord feeds us; 
He answers all our needs."   Tell of the ways you are being fed by the Lord, 
spiritually, and physically.

2.  Our psalmist says, "The Lord is near to all who call upon Him."  Explain 
how you have reached out to the Lord and how He is present to you.

Psalm for Sunday, July 18, 2021

Reflections

Psalm 23:  1-3, 3-4, 5, 6   (Read)

“The Lord is my shepherd.”

We are like sheep, and we look 
to the Good Shepherd to lead us 
beside still waters, and guide us 
along the right paths.  We fear 
no harm, because the Good 
Shepherd is at our side.  
Where else should we turn?

Our Lord restores us when we are 
down, protects us with his rod and 
his staff when we are threatened.  
We lack nothing when we trust in 
the Lord.  We fear nothing, even 
when our lives are at a low point 
spiritually or physically.

Our eyes are opened by our trust in the Lord;
we are led out of the dark valley of sin where 
we did fruitless things in secret.  Like our psalmist 
King David, we are anointed with oil by the Lord,
and we make a covenant with Him.

Our trust in the Lord is rewarded.  He sends His Son 
to save us, and His Spirit to live within us.  Surely 
goodness and mercy will follow us all the days of our life.

“I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”
The promise that King David speaks of in his final days 
is what Jesus died for.  Jesus reconciles us with the 
Father, and when Jesus is raised up, we too are resurrected.

Having been rescued by our Savior, and now counted 
among His obedient sheep, we are ready to do His will.
We are groomed to enter the Kingdom and to sit at the 
table that God sets for us.  If we believe in Him, we too 
shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Amen


Discussion Questions for Reflection

1.   Our Psalm speaks of the Lord as our Shepherd. Do you believe 
you are one of His sheep?  What does it mean to be counted among His flock?

2.  Our psalmist says that the Lord anoints his head with oil.  Are you one of 
the Lord's anointed?   Describe how the Lord is using you as one of His anointed.

Psalm for Sunday, July 11, 2021

Reflections


Psalm 85:  9-10, 11-12,13-14   (Read)

"I will hear what God proclaims, glory dwelling in our land.”
 

 

Our psalmist knows the importance of
listening carefully for the voice of the Lord.  We too
must listen attentively for the voice of the Lord and
be careful not to miss his presence among us.  
“I will listen for what God, the Lord, has to say.” 

How do we seek Him out?  Where do we find the Lord?
We find Him when we read and study His Word,
His living Word, as fresh now as it was thousands
of years ago.   For His Word is as penetrating as
a two edged sword, able to separate bone from marrow;
convicting us; pointing the way to salvation; and providing
us with an instruction manual for life.  (Hebrews 4:12 )
All we have to do is follow it.

As our psalmist cries out, “Near indeed is his salvation 
to those who fear Him.”  For us Christians the Psalm is
more than a cry.  It is a promise of salvation --
the psalmist prepares the way of the Lord.

The psalmist promises that the Lord himself will give us
his benefits.  And what should we expect?
Nothing less than the coming of the Messiah himself.
That’s what happens when “Kindness and truth shall meet;” 
when “Justice and peace shall kiss;”  when “Truth shall
spring from the earth,” (when the Messiah is born).

The goodness and blessings that the psalmist speaks of 
are fulfilled in Christ.  Where else would we turn 
to receive real spiritual abundance?

For our Savior is truly “Glory dwelling in our land.”

Amen

Discussion Questions for Reflection

1.   Our psalmist speaks of, 'Glory dwelling in our land,' and says that
the Lord's salvation is 'near indeed' to those who fear him.   These verses
suggest that our Savior is close at hand and accessible to all of us who
fear Him.  Describe how our Savior is present to you.

2.  The Psalm says, 'The Lord himself will give His benefits.'  Tell of the
benefits you are receiving from the Lord.

Psalm for Sunday, July 4, 2021

Reflections

Psalm 123: 1-2, 2, 3-4   (Read)

“Our eyes are fixed on the Lord.” 

We are called to serve God and to do  
His will, as Jesus did.  And so our eyes  
must be on God, that we may know His 
will for us, and that we may serve Him 
and our neighbor as well. 

Where else would we turn?
To be measured by men?
To get direction from anyone else?
Like the prophet Ezekiel, our success is 
measured by doing God’s will and
following His direction in our 
lives. (Ezekiel 2: 2-5)
Our psalmist says, “We have our fill of contempt;
we have our fill of insult from the proud.”
For it is the arrogant ones who rely only on
themselves, giving little thought to God.

Today’s Gospel tells us that Jesus was not 
respected in his home town; he was rejected 
by his townspeople and neighbors. (Mark 6: 4-5)

Is that what we face from family or friends, 
when we do the Lord’s work or proclaim his 
Gospel?  If so, then we are united with Christ,
and like St Paul, we can be content with insults, 
hardships, persecutions and constraints.
The Lord's grace is sufficient for 
us.  (2 Corinthians 12: 9-10)

Amen


Discussion Questions for Reflection

1.  Our psalmist calls for us to fix our eyes on the Lord.  
Describe how you focus on the Lord in your faith journey.
Tell how you are able to discern God's will for your life.

2.   Our psalmist says he is fed up, having been the object 
of contempt and mockery from the arrogant ones around him.
Even Jesus was mocked in his native village.  Tell of how you 
deal with insult and persecution when you proclaim the Gospel.

Psalm for Sunday, June 27, 2021

Reflections

Psalm 30: 2, 4, 5-6, 11, 12, 13   (Read)

“I praise you Lord, for you 
raised me up; you let me live.” 

   
God did not make death, nor 
does He rejoice at the destruction 
of the living. His divine favor lasts 
a lifetime. 

In the words of our psalmist, we too, 

by the grace of God, are able to be 
saved from going down into the pit. 

We too are eligible for a spiritual 

resurrection if our faith is strong.

We may be rebuked by God for 
disobeying Him. We are, after all, 
his wayward children, and He loves 
us as a Father loves his own.   
God's compassion and mercy are 
with us not only in this life but in 
eternity.  “God's anger lasts but a 
moment; His favor lasts a lifetime.”

Our Lord Jesus himself was raised up 

from the pit by the Father, even though 

He bore the weight of our sins.  
God’s anger lasted but a moment.

The joy of resurrection comes to us at 
dawn, after a terrible night, as it came 
to those early followers of Jesus. 
“At nightfall, weeping enters in, but with 
the dawn there is rejoicing.”

And that alone is reason enough to 
change our 'mourning into dancing,'

to clothe us with gladness. We are 

prompted to sing endless praise to 
the Lord.  “O LORD, my God, forever
will I give you thanks.”

Amen

Discussion Questions for Reflection
 
1.  Our psalmist tells us that God's anger lasts but a moment, while His 
favor lasts a lifetime.  Tell of how you have been rebuked by the Lord, 
and following repentance, how you have received His grace.  

2.  The Psalm is about being rescued by the Lord and how God lifts us 
out of the pit.  Speak of how you have been saved by the Lord and brought 
up from a sinful existence.