Psalm for Sunday, May 21, 2023

Reflections 

Psalm 47: 2-3, 6-7, 8-9   (Read)

“God mounts His throne amid shouts of joy.” 

This Sunday we celebrate the Ascension of our Lord, who was 

taken up to heaven to be seated 

at the right hand of the Father, 

far above every principality, 

with authority over every nation, 

as our second reading tells us.  

(Ephesians 1: 20-21)

With such an awesome God on His throne, 

what hope do we have as mere human beings 

that He will have anything more to do with us? 

How far removed can we be if this Jesus is taken

up to heaven and has all things put beneath His 

feet (including us)?

Fortunately, for us men, Jesus leaves us with a way 

to share in His divinity, through the Holy Spirit which 

He gives to us.  His power and presence remain within 

us, so long as we repent from our sins and believe 

in Him.

Power is often associated with arrogance and brutal 

treatment, but our God uses His power to work 

miracles, and bring about healing. He is risen, and

is seated at the right hand of the Father in heaven. 

Knowing this, we shout with joy, and we praise Him.

After Jesus' Ascension, the disciples began their 

active ministry, empowered by the Holy Spirit.

That same power is given to us so long as we believe; 

we too are called to ministry.  And for that we are 

inspired to praise the Lord, as the psalmist says, 

“Clap your hands, shout to God with joyful cries; 

sing praise to God!”

Amen

Discussion Questions for Reflection

1.  The Psalm speaks of God mounting His throne and reigning over the nations.   

If God is raised up so far above us, how do you go about having a relationship 

with our Lord so that He is present to you?

2.  The Psalm's verses tell of God as the great king over all the earth, and we are 

urged to sing praise to our king.  Describe how our Lord's Ascension inspires you 

to celebrate with shouts of joy.

Psalm for Sunday, May 14, 2023

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.
 

Psalm for Sunday, May 7, 2023

Reflections

Psalm 33: 1-2, 4-5, 18-19  (Read)

“The eyes of the Lord are upon those who fear Him, to deliver them from death, and preserve them in spite of famine.”


The Psalm says that the Lord's eyes are upon us because we hold Him in awe, we praise Him.  Like a Good Shepherd He protects us from harm; He puts up a hedge around us and provides us with armor in our battle against death and the evil one.  He feeds us when we go through periods of spiritual hunger.  He nourishes us and gives us our daily spiritual bread. 

Where else would we turn for deliverance from death, the kind of death which is a consequence of sin?  Remember,  “The wages of sin is death,” and we are all afflicted.  Fortunately for us, Christ destroyed death and brought life to us 

We would be dead in our sins without the Lord's 
protection, defeated by the evil one without the 
Lord's armor.  And when our hearts are starved 
for God's presence, when our bones are dry, He 
nourishes us and breathes life into our dry bones.

It is through Him that we are saved.  Our 
own feeble efforts count for nothing. We must be 
submissive and abandon ourselves to His Plan. 
Our Savior himself tells us in today's Gospel,
"I am the way and the truth and the life," and He
teaches us, "Whoever believes in me will do the 
works that I do." (John 14: 6,12)

Because Christ humbles himself for our sake, 
becomes a slave to our sin, there is hope for us, 
even in our time of spiritual famine.  That is the 
meaning of the response, “Lord, let your mercy 
be on us, as we place our trust in you.”

Amen 

 
Discussion Questions for Reflection 

1.  Our psalmist speaks of holding the Lord in awe and knows that the eyes 
of the Lord are upon us.  Describe how you react when the eyes of the Lord
are upon you and you are in His presence.

2.  The Psalm Response today inspires us to place our trust in the Lord and 
await His mercy.  Tell of how your trust in the Lord has strengthened you and 
inspired you to do His will.

Psalm for Sunday, April 30, 2023

Reflections

Psalm 23:  1-2, 3-4, 5, 6  (Read)

“The Lord is my shepherd; 

there is nothing I shall want.”

We are like sheep and we look to 
the Good Shepherd to lead us beside 
still waters, and guide us along right 

paths. We fear no harm, because the 

Good Shepherd is at our side. 

The Psalm's words are a source of 

peace for us, a source of strength, 

a source of healing.  The Lord 

provides for us, as he does the little

sparrows and the lilies of the field – 

“There is nothing I shall want.”

The Lord restores us, for we had gone astray

like sheep, but have returned to the shepherd 

and guardian of our souls.  

(Sunday’s 2^nd reading,1 Peter 2:25)  

Jesus himself assures us that we who enter 

the sheepfold through Him will be saved and 

will find pasture (Gospel, John 10:9).

We lack nothing when we trust in the Lord.

We fear nothing, even when our lives are at 

a low point spiritually or physically.  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 dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Amen

Discussion Questions for Reflection

1.  The Psalm assures us that we will be given repose by the Lord and led to restful waters.  Describe how these verses are a source of peace and a source of healing for you.

2.  Our psalmist assures us that only goodness and mercy will follow us all the days of our 

life and that we shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.   Tell of how you are comforted 

by these words that speak of our eternal joy in the Lord's mansion.

 

Psalm for Sunday, April 23, 2023

Reflections 

Psalm 16: 1-2, 5, 7-8, 9-10, 11  (Read)

“With the Lord at my right hand, I shall never be shaken.”

 

In this psalm David expresses his joy and enthusiasm 

for a life lived in the presence of God.  For us too, 

God is the source of our joy.  So long as we choose 

God and follow his Word, we too will be offered 

that allotted cup of blessings that David refers to, 

“Lord, my allotted portion and my cup, 

you have made my destiny secure.”

St Peter cites the Psalm's verses in today’s 1^st reading,

and Peter affirms that David's verses speak of the 

resurrection of Christ.  (Acts 2: 25-28, 31)

A key reference for Peter is Verse 10 of the Psalm, 

“You will not suffer your faithful one to undergo corruption,”

Death is destroyed; our faith in everlasting life with our 

resurrected Lord is confirmed.  As David says, “I set the 

Lord ever before me; abounding joy in your presence,

the delights at your right hand forever.”

For us too these are encouraging words.  The Lord promises,

if we are his faithful servants, that we will not have to see the pit;

He will not abandon us.  As David says, this is enough to make 

our hearts glad and our souls rejoice.

When the Lord is with us, do not our hearts burn within us, 

as the two disciples declare on the road to Emmaus in today's 

Gospel? (Luke 24:32)

Our burdens are made light; His yoke is easy, and that gladdens

the heart and strengthens the body.   We raise a song of praise 

to our risen Savior!

Amen

Discussion Questions for Reflection

1.  The Psalm 's verses  affirm that we who are His faithful ones will remain 

in the presence of our Lord forever.  Speak of how you are encouraged by 

the Psalm's promises.

2.  Our psalmist inspires us to set the Lord ever before us and if we do so, 

"My soul rejoices, my body too abides in confidence."   How do you go about 

putting the Lord first in your life despite all the worldly distractions that surround us?

Psalm for Sunday, April 16, 2023

Reflections 

Psalm 118: 2-4, 13-15, 22-24  (Read)

“I was hard pressed and was falling,

but the Lord came to my help.”

 

Once again we visit this powerful psalm of praise

and thanksgiving. This time the verses stress 

the enduring love that God has for us – so much so 

that despite the part we played in crucifying His son, 

God went ahead and carried out His plan to save us.

“God’s mercy endures forever.”

“I was hard pressed and falling, but the Lord came 

to my help.” This verse could be about us.   Are we 

any different from our psalmist, any less desperate 

or in need of the Lord's healing power and presence 

in our lives? 

“My strength and my courage is the Lord.” He is 

present to us, just as He was in those early days of the 

church described in today's 1^st reading (Acts 2: 42-47),

and in the Gospel (John 20: 19-31). We may not have 

the awesome experience of physically putting our hand 

in the Lord’s side and our fingers into the nail marks 

on His hand, but He is with us.

We are victorious over death. The Lord’s deliverance 

is cause for joy.  Just when we were down, the Lord raises 

us up. “I was hard pressed and falling, but the Lord has 

been my Savior.” The joyful shout of victory is heard.

We are on firm ground after all – Christ has become our

cornerstone, as our psalmist reminds us. Christ has become 

a source of strength for us, despite His apparent weakness 

that day on the cross, when He died a shameful death. 

The Lord is present to us when we are frightened as He 

was present to those frightened disciples in the upper room. 

Who would have been more hard pressed and falling

than they were before Jesus appeared to them and blessed 

them and extended His peace to them? That same source of 

strength and might the psalmist speaks of is available to us; 

all we have to do is open our hearts and receive His saving grace.

 

As Peter tells us in today's 2^nd reading (1 Peter 1: 3-9), Christ’s 

resurrection gives us a living hope and a powerful faith. This is 

cause for rejoicing: “By the Lord has this been done; it is 

wonderful in our eyes. This is the day the Lord has made.”

Along with the disciples and the early church, “Let us be glad 

and rejoice in it.”

Amen

 
Discussion Questions for Reflection

1.   Our psalmist was 'hard pressed and falling,' but affirms that the Lord has been 

his savior.   Describe how you have been saved by the Lord and given strength and 

courage by Him.

2.  The Psalm declares, "The joyful shout of victory is heard."   Speak of what makes 

you joyful during this Easter season, and tell of how you have shouted and rejoiced 

in the Lord's resurrection.

Psalm for Easter Sunday, April 9, 2023

Reflections

Psalm 118:  1-2, 16-17, 22-23  (Read)

“The right hand of the Lord 

has struck with power.”

Our Easter Psalm celebrates 

a great victory over death. 

The victory is won by the 

Lord’s 'right hand,' a clear 

advance notice of the power 

of the Son of God.

“I shall not die, but live, and 

declare the works of the Lord.”
These could have been Jesus'
own words, speaking about His
resurrection and His food, which
is to do the work of the Father.

Our risen Savior has defeated 

death and the power that sin has
over us.  And we live on in His
kingdom.  Having become yoked
to Jesus, we willingly praise God
and follow His direction in our lives.

We may ask, “Having been saved, what are we
obliged to do? What is our commission?”
In today's first reading, St Luke tells us what we 
are commissioned to do – we are to preach to 

the people and testify that Jesus is the one
anointed by God. (Acts 10:42)

We are an Easter people; Christ has become our
cornerstone.  As the psalmist says, “The stone the
builders rejected has become the corner stone.”
The mystery is that Christ has become a source of
strength for us, despite His apparent weakness that
day on the cross, when He died a shameful death.
Only the Lord could have done this remarkable
thing – “This is the day the Lord has made;
let us rejoice and be glad.”

Amen


Discussion Questions for Reflection

1.  Our psalmist affirms, "I shall declare the works of the Lord."  Tell what 

this verse means to you.  How are you going about doing the work 

of the Lord?

2.  The Psalm declares, "The stone which the builders rejected has become 

the cornerstone."  Speak about how our Savior is like a rock in your life and 

how you build your life around Jesus.