Reflections
Psalm 24: 1-2, 3-4, 5-6 (Read)
“Who may go up the mountain of the Lord?
Who can stand in His holy place?"
This Sunday's Psalm is about a journey to
a holy place. It is a place where we will meet
the Lord. But we are asked, “Who can ascend
the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in
His holy place?”
Our psalmist answers, “The clean of hand and
pure of heart, who has not given his soul
to what is vain, such is the people that seeks
the face of God.”
We are all unworthy to be in the Lord's
presence, but at least we can cleanse
ourselves through confession, and bathe
in the Word. That is how we show our love
for the Lord.
Though we may not have to climb a mountain
to meet the Lord, we must prepare to receive
Him in our hearts. The Psalm is guiding us to
prepare ourselves from within, so that we are
made ready to receive Him when He comes.
Amen
Discussion Questions for Reflection
1. The Psalm asks, "Who can go up to the mountain of the
Lord?
How do you prepare yourself to ascend the mountain of
the Lord and
stand in His holy place?
2. The Response this Sunday is, "Lord, this is the people that longs
to see your face." Describe the longing in your heart for our Lord.
Reflections
Psalm 126: 1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 6 (Read)
“Restore our fortunes, O Lord.”
This Sunday's Psalm celebrates the
reversal of Israel’s fortune, and return
from exile, which could not have
occurred without God’s intervention.
The psalm's verses reflect praise for
what the Lord has done. “The Lord
has done great things for them.”
The psalm is also a petition asking
the Lord to look after the future of the
remaining Israelites. And there is an
expectation that God will guide them
in achieving prosperity.
“Restore again our fortunes, Lord,
like the dry stream beds of the Negeb.”
This calls to mind our lst reading from
Jeremiah, where God promises to lead
the remnant of Israel to brooks of water,
on a level road, so that none shall
stumble. (Jeremiah 31:9) We too are
looking for that water which restores
and renews, cleanses us and purifies us,
that living water which satisfies our
spiritual thirst.
The Psalm also reminds us the truly great thing
the Lord has done for us is to send his only
begotten Son to be by our side. Jesus’ presence
in our lives is a guarantee of a spiritual harvest
that will lead to our own salvation. Just as
Bartimaeus, the blind man in the Gospel, is saved
by his own faith, the Lord promises us a transition
from a sinful existence to a world of joy. (Mark 10:52)
The Psalm says it well, “Those who go forth weeping,
carrying the seed to be sown, shall come back rejoicing,
carrying their sheaves.” And therein lies a lesson for us –
to let go of our own baggage, and pick up the Lord’s
burden, because we know his yoke is easy.
Whatever type of spiritual exile may imprison us, Jesus
shows us a way out. God is in the business of deliverance.
As the prophet Jeremiah confirms, we go among the blind
and the lame to the promised land. (Jeremiah 31:8)
We carry our sacks with us and within those seeds that
we sow is contained the promise of new life, the reversal
of whatever misfortune may trouble us. When the
harvest comes in, we can join with the psalmist and sing,
"Our mouths are filled with laughter, our tongues sing for joy.”
Amen
Discussion Questions for Reflection
1. The Psalm alludes to a reversal of spiritual exile that may apply to people like us.
Tell of how the Lord has brought you back from a time of being distant from Him.
2. Our psalmist suggests that we carry the seeds of our own salvation even while
we go forth weeping. Speak of how your faith has saved you, when you looked
to the Lord for healing.
Reflections
Psalm 33: 4-5, 18-19, 20, 22 (Read)
"Lord, let your mercy be on us,
as we place our trust in you.”
Our Sunday Psalm is written in praise
of God’s power and providence.
It is the Lord’s design for his
people that stands through all
the generations. It is through
his plan that we are saved.
Our own feeble efforts count for
nothing. We must be submissive
and abandon ourselves to his providence.
And how do we know his plan?
This Sunday's lst reading (Isaiah)
graphically outlines what God has
in mind for his Son, that He be
'crushed for our offenses.' (Isaiah 53:10)
As unpleasant as this sounds,
that is how we are delivered from
death. 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 The psalmist has it right,
“The Lord’s eyes are upon those who fear Him,
to deliver them from death.”
In Sunday's 2nd reading, the Letter to the Hebrews
answers the question, “How can we approach the throne
of God?” The answer is with confidence, and then
we will find mercy and grace. (Hebrews 4:16)
The theme of the Psalm is the same, “The Lord’s eyes
are upon those who hope for his grace.”
It is said that even people who have no faith
have a longing in their hearts for God. There is something
missing in their lives. For us who are believers,
we are dependent on the Lord – we openly ask for
his help and his protection. He is our shield in the
spiritual battle that we all have to fight.
If we trust in the Lord, his eyes will be upon us,
and we can expect to receive his grace. And as
the psalmist says, through the Lord's grace we
are delivered from death, kept alive in times of famine.
And for this we praise the Lord. As the psalmist says,
we know He will fill the earth with goodness and his
kindness will be upon us. The Psalm ends on a positive
note, “Lord we have put our hope in you.”
Amen
Discussion Questions for Reflection
1. The psalmist says, 'Our soul waits for the Lord.' Tell of how you have
a spiritual hunger for the Lord in your life, and explain how the Lord satisfies
your longing.
2. The psalm's verses state that, 'The eyes of the Lord are upon those who
fear Him.' Do you feel the eyes of the Lord upon you because you hold
Him in awe? Explain.
Reflections
Psalm 90: 12-13, 14-15, 16-17 (Read)
“Teach us to number our days aright, that we
may gain wisdom of heart."
The Psalm reminds us that man’s days are
numbered, and that we should use our time
wisely, making our days and our life count
for something. And how do we do that?
We do it by being open to the wisdom of God.
Just as Solomon preferred the gift of wisdom
over material wealth (Wisdom 7:7-9), so too
do we see the advantage of using our time
wisely by doing the Lord's will.
Although we may never receive the wisdom
of Solomon that this Sunday's first reading
talks about, we can hope for some ability to be
detached from worldly things, which can separate
us from God.
How do we do this? Where does the ability come from,
to cut through all our present day concerns?
It comes from the Word – “The Word of God is sharper
than any two-edged sword, penetrating even between
soul and spirit, joints and marrow." (Hebrews 4:12)
Scripture teaches us that the Word will give us a
correct view of life, and this will allow us to have
a right relationship with the Lord. Having got that right,
we may receive the favor of the Lord and be counted
among his sheep. As the Psalm says, “May the favor
of the Lord our God be ours.”
How much better will our lives be if we may sing for joy,
as the psalmist says, and be filled at daybreak
with the love of the Lord. And having received God’s
favor, we will want to be His servants and do His work.
We will become laborers in the field where the
harvest is plentiful. And as the Psalm says,
“The work of our hands will prosper.”
Amen
Discussion Questions for Reflection
1. The Psalm speaks about using our time wisely. Tell of how you set
your priorities so that you are serving God and doing His will.
2. Our psalmist talks of how we may gain 'wisdom of heart.' Give an example
of how you are receiving wisdom to discern a correct view of life so that you
will not offend
the Lord.
Reflections
Psalm 128: 1-2, 3, 4-5, 6 (Read)
“Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine
in the recesses of your home.”
Our psalmist tells us that a man who has
a right relationship with the Lord will also
obtain a right relationship with his wife and
his family.
And walking in the ways of the Lord will be
reflected in the way a man treats his wife.
A man’s wife is after all, “bone of my bones,
flesh of my flesh.” (Genesis 2:23)
As Christ nourishes the Church, so a man
cherishes his wife, and nourishes his relationship
with her. And the man’s reward is that his wife
will be like a ‘fruitful vine’ within his house.
This is how a man is blessed who fears the Lord.
If we have a right relationship with the Lord,
we will know how to treat our wives and our
children, and in turn, we will discover how blessed
we are in our home and by the presence of our
family. “Just so will they be blessed
who fear the Lord.”
Having been so favored by God, we understand
why, “A man shall leave his father and mother and
be joined to his wife.” God made them one flesh,
and, “What God has joined, no human being may
separate.” (Gospel, Mark 10:7-9)
If we fear the Lord and walk in His ways, we will
receive the blessings of our labor, prosper in a
material way, and grow old gracefully in the company
of our wife and children.
Amen
Discussion Questions for Reflection
1. Our psalmist speaks of the benefits of a right relationship
with the Lord.
Tell of how fearing the Lord has led you to have a better
relationship with your
spouse and your family members.
2. The Psalm asks, "May the Lord bless us all the days of our
lives." Recall how
you have been blessed by God, both
physically and spiritually, and how you have
been inspired to walk in His ways.
Reflections
Psalm 19: 8, 10, 12-13, 14 (Read)
“The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.”
This Sunday's Psalm celebrates the Law of
the Lord, first given to Moses on Mt Sinai.
But it also tells us what God’s Law reveals
about our Creator, and about the joy that is
stirred up in our hearts when we follow the
Lord’s commands.
If I am to imitate the divine life, everything
I need to know is found in God’s Law. Our
psalmist David shows me that the Law of
Moses is an instruction manual for life.
I learn that obeying the Law does not prevent
me from being happy or limit me in a negative way.
Instead, obeying the Law brings much reward.
I am kept from willful sins by the Law. Obey the Law
and I will not be controlled by sin and instead will be
able to walk as a God fearing person. I may think
of statutes as something intended to control me or
restrict me. But as our psalmist explains, the Law
of the Lord does the opposite – it is in fact a source
of joy, something to be desired. This is so because
the Law gives me wisdom and provides me with
something I can trust.
“His ordinances are true, all of them just.”
Far more than a set of rules that I cannot hope to follow,
God’s commandments refresh my soul. They give
‘wisdom to the simple,’ they are more 'desirable than
gold, sweeter also than honey.'
It is through the inspired Word of God that I know His
commandments and through this Psalm that I know
His Law is a source of refreshment, a source of joy.
His statutes do not bind me, they set me free.
The reading of the Law should not make me sad, but
be a source of rejoicing. Give me ears to hear!
Amen
Discussion Questions for Reflection
1. Our Psalm Response this Sunday is, "The precepts of the Lord
give joy to the heart." Do you believe that the Lord's
commandments
can be a source of joy, instead of a set of rules and
restrictions? Explain.
2. Our psalmist says that the 'decree of the Lord gives wisdom
to the simple.'
Describe how God's Law inspires you to celebrate God's
perfection and helps
you to imitate the divine life.
Reflections
Psalm 54: 3-4, 5, 6, 8 (Read)
"O God, by your name save me."
The psalm is a prayer sung by David at a time when
he was being hunted by King Saul. David was in
great peril, threatened by the “ruthless.” He says,
“The ruthless seek my life; they set not God before
their eyes.”
I may not be threatened by King Saul and his troops,
but I am surely under threat by satan and his band
of fallen angels. And where does the threat come from?
Is it from outside? Or is it from within?
For all my proclamations of trust in God, I can sense
the wavering inside of me which besets us all.
Just as David turns to the Lord for protection, so too
should I pray to the Lord to save me. David prays,
”O God, by your name save me.” For me that name
is the name of Jesus. Where else would I turn for a
shield in time of battle? Or a sword in time of peril?
With Christ present as my helper, I can turn back the
evil which lurks within my heart.
David writes about the 'haughty men' who have risen
against him. Am I one of them? Am I one of those
described in this Sunday's first reading who resent
the just one? (Wisdom 2:12) Am I part of
the crowd
who condemn Jesus to a shameful death to test if He
is truly the son of God?
Are jealousy and selfish ambition lurking within me,
causing disorder and every foul practice, as St James
warns us in Sunday's second reading? (James 3:16)
Am I like the disciples on that journey with Jesus through
Galilee who were arguing about who is the greatest?
If so, then I too had better call upon the name above all
names to save me, as David does. I had better pray that
I will approach God in proper humility and pray that I shall
'undertake to become the last of all and the servant
of all.' (Gospel,
Mark 9:35)
“God is my helper; the Lord sustains my life.”
I had better receive Him;
I had better gain His peace to quiet the battle within.
I had better keep my eyes fixed on the cross;
I had better be open to rescue and redemption.
Amen
Discussion Questions for Reflection
1. Our psalmist is fighting against forces that threaten him; he says,
"The ruthless seek my life." Are you aware of powerful forces, external
or internal, that put your faith in jeopardy? Explain.
2. The Psalm says, "The Lord upholds my life." Speak of how your life
is sustained by the Lord when you are under
threat physically or spiritually.
