Psalm for Sunday, February 3, 2019

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.

Psalm for Sunday, January 27, 2019

Reflections

Psalm 19:  8, 9, 10, 15   (Read)

“Let the words of my mouth meet with your favor,  O Lord.”  

  

Where does the power come from to keep us on track, 
to speak the right words, think the right thoughts?
It comes from the Lord, our rock and redeemer.  
And how does it come to us?  It comes through 
the Word, the inspired Word of God.

It is through the Word that we know His commandments, 
and through this Psalm that we know His law is a source
of refreshment, a source of joy.  When we follow the 
Lord’s commands, there is a joy that is stirred up in 
our hearts.  “The precepts of the Lord are right,
rejoicing the heart.”

His statutes do not bind us, they set us free.  As in 
the days of Ezra, the reading of the law should not 
make us sad, but be a source of rejoicing. 
(Nehemiah 8: 9-10)

If we are to imitate the divine life, everything we need 
to know is found in God’s law.  The Word is the source 
of wisdom; it is where power is found.  And it is where 
the statutes of God are spelled out.

The Lord's statutes serve as our instruction manual 
for life.  But they are not just a dry set of rules that 
we cannot hope to follow; God's commandments 
refresh our souls.

The Word and the statutes endure forever.  
They are refreshing to the soul.
They enlighten the eye.
And they bring much reward.
As Christ says in today's Gospel,
scripture is fulfilled in our hearing.  (Luke 4: 21)
Give us ears to hear!

Amen

Discussion Questions for Reflection

1.  Our Psalm response this Sunday is 'Your words, Lord,
are Spirit and life.'  In what way are you impacted along
your faith journey by the words of our Lord?

2.  Speak of how the Lord's commandments are useful in
carrying out the prayer of our psalmist, 'Let the words of my
mouth and the thoughts of my heart find favor before you.'

Psalm for Sunday, January 20, 2019

 
Reflections 

Psalm 96:  1-2, 2-3, 7-8, 9-10   (Read)

“Proclaim his marvelous deeds to all
the nations!”

Today's psalm is a song of Israel, the
chosen people, brought back from exile. 
Their joy and praise is understandable.  
The prophet Isaiah says that God calls
them, “His Delight, His Espoused.”
(Isaiah 62:4) 
No wonder they want to “Sing to the
Lord a new song,” and tell of God’s
glory and His marvelous deeds.

We are all summoned to adoration of
our sovereign God.  We are called to
give Him 'glory and praise,' as our
psalmist says.   And we are called
to bring gifts as we enter His courts.

But no matter how precious our own
offerings may be, they are no match
for the gifts of the Spirit that each of us
receives, and which St Paul speaks
about in this Sunday's second reading. 
Each of us receives these spiritual gifts
individually, and they are given through
the Spirit to us for 'some benefit.'  
(1 Corinthians 12:4-11)

In this Sunday's Gospel our Lord Jesus
uses His marvelous gifts to turn water
into wine at the wedding in Cana and so
reveals His glory. (John 2:1-11)
Even today the Lord provides real food
and real drink for us, in the Eucharist. 
What better nourishment could there be
in our lives?  As the psalm says, we are
called to be grateful and, “Give to the Lord
the glory due His name,” to bow down
to the Lord, and to tremble before Him.

Amen


Discussion Questions for Reflection

1.  Our psalmist encourages us to, 'Sing to the Lord a new song."
What is it about your faith that makes you want to sing praise to the Lord?

2.  The Psalm urges us to, 'Proclaim His marvelous deeds to all the nations.' 
How will you go about proclaiming the Gospel to those around you in your family and your community?

  

Psalm for Sunday, January 13, 2019

Reflections

Psalm 29:  1-2, 3-4, 3, 9-10   (Read)

“The God of glory thunders.”

The Psalm is about the splendor and the 
power of God.  “Give to the Lord the glory 
due God’s name.  Bow down before the 
Lord’s holy splendor.”  The Psalm speaks 
of the voice of the Lord “thundering” over 
the waters.   “The voice of the Lord is 
power; the voice of the Lord is splendor.”

God's awesome voice was heard over the 
Jordan River that day when the heavens 
were torn open and the Holy Spirit descended 
upon Jesus just as He was being baptized.  
What could be more powerful than the voice 
of God declaring, “This is my beloved Son, 
with whom I am well pleased.” (Gospel, Luke 3:22)

What happened at the Jordan River that day 
was to fulfill what God said to the prophet Isaiah – 
“Here is my servant whom I uphold, my chosen 
one with whom I am pleased, upon whom I have 
put my spirit.”  (Isaiah 42:1)

The baptism of our Lord may have happened 
over 2000 years ago, but on that day God 
anointed Jesus with the Holy Spirit and power, 
the power to serve the faithful (people like us), 
and to do battle on our behalf with the 
devil. (Acts 10:38)

From that time forward we too became eligible 
to serve the Lord as His chosen ones.   Isaiah 
tells us what our spiritual mission is to be:  
like Jesus, we are to be a light to the nations, 
and open the eyes of the blind (those who do 
not know the Lord).  (Isaiah 42:6-7)
And imitating Jesus, we are to bring out 
prisoners from confinement (those who may 
be imprisoned by sin).  What better way 
would there be for us to serve the Lord?

Amen


 Discussion Questions for Reflection

1.  The Psalm's verses speak of the power and splendor of the voice 
of the Lord, thundering over the waters.   Have you heard God's powerful 
voice speaking to you, anointing you as one of His chosen ones?  Explain.

2.  Our psalmist encourages us to give God the glory due His holy name.  
Tell of how you give God the glory in your activities and your everyday life.

Psalm for Sunday, January 6, 2019

Reflections

Psalm 72:  1-2, 7-8, 10-11, 12-13   (Read)

“All kings shall pay him homage, all nations shall serve him.” 

Our psalmist  speaks about a perfect king –
a king who judges like God, governs his people 
with justice, and his afflicted ones with right
judgment.  But where is such a king  to be found?  
Not likely among the kings of Israel.

The psalm speaks of a king that is to live as long 
as the sun endures, like the moon through all 
generations.  So there is a mystery about him –
“He rules from sea to sea, from the River to the 
ends of the earth.”

The verses of the psalm recall for us the Epiphany – 
“The Kings of Tarshish and the Isles shall offer gifts; 
the kings of Arabia and Seba shall bring tribute.”
(See also this Sunday's Gospel, The Visit of the Magi,
Matthew 2:1-12)

The more we read the Psalm, the more it tells us 
about the Messiah to come – “May all kings bow 
before him, all nations serve him.” We see the light, 
just as the prophet Isaiah said we would.  (Isaiah 60: 1-3)

The mystery is revealed to us, poor in spirit though 
we are:  “He rescues the poor when they cry out, 
the afflicted who have no one to help.”  This is what 
our Good Shepherd, Jesus, is sent to do, to shepherd 
God’s people.   This is why we join the magi in paying
homage to our newborn King and join with our psalmist
in singing, "Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.”

Amen


Discussion Questions for Reflection

1.  Our psalmist describes a powerful king who will rule from sea to sea.  
Yet this king stoops to rescue the afflicted and has pity on the lowly and 
the poor.   In what way do these verses speak to you about our Lord and Savior?

2.  The psalm mentions that all the kings of the civilized world shall offer gifts 
to this newly endowed king.   Are you also inspired to bring tribute to our
newborn Savior, and what sort of gift will you offer? 

Psalm for Sunday, December 30, 2018

Reflections

Psalm 128:  1-2, 3, 4-5   (Read)

“Blessed are those who fear 
the Lord and walk in His ways.”

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.  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 the man be 
blessed who fears the Lord.”

And if a man walks with the Lord, this 
will be reflected in the way he loves his 
wife.  Because if a man cherishes his 
wife, as ‘flesh of his flesh’ and ‘bone of 
his bones,’ he nourishes his relationship 
with her, as Christ nourishes the Church.  
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.

Having been so favored by God,  we understand
why, 'A man shall leave his father and mother and 
cleave to his wife.'   God made them one flesh, and, 
'What God has joined, no human being may separate.'

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 family.

Amen


Discussion Questions for Reflection

1.  The Psalm tells us how to gain God's favor so that our family life 
will be blessed.  What does it mean to you to fear the Lord and walk 
in His ways?

2.  We learn from our psalmist how to behave toward our wife and our 
children.  A right relationship with our family is obtained by having a right 
relationship with our Lord.  Explain how you are putting this teaching 
into practice.

Psalm for Sunday, December 23, 2018

Reflections
 
Psalm 80:   2-3, 15-16, 18-19   (Read)

“Lord, make us turn to you, and we shall be saved.”

 

The Psalm is a prayer to restore
Israel, and by extension to restore us,
as a scattered people of God.
The Psalm is well adapted to our
prayer during Advent.  We are a people
scattered and separated from God, and
we await His coming.  He alone can
'make us turn to Him' and convert us.
“Shepherd of Israel, lend an ear;
come to save us.”

Our psalmist makes a direct appeal
to God to shepherd us.   “Turn again
Lord, attend to this vine.”  Just as
the Lord tends to His vineyard, He
protects a shoot planted by His right
hand.  The coming of Christ is intended
to revive us, restore our strength.  
As the Psalm says, “Then we will not
withdraw from you; give us new life, and
we will call upon your name.”

Where does our hope for revival
come from?  It comes from our Savior,
our cornerstone, sent by the Lord.
In Him we are restored.   “Lord of
hosts restore us; let your face shine
upon us, that we may be saved.”

We all need to be renewed from
time to time when our faith grows
lukewarm, when our hearts harden
due to the sins that separate us from
God.   We, like the Israelites,  need
to beg for God’s mercy, to petition
the Lord and seek his peace, the peace
that will  guard our hearts and minds,
and restore us as his people.

Amen

 
Discussion Questions for Reflection

1.  The Psalm says, 'Lord, make us turn to you.'  Have you noticed 
at times when we stray off His path how the Lord tugs at each of us 
so that we return to His ways.  Give an example from your own experience.

2.  Our psalmist is writing about the scattered people of Israel, 
but his words may apply to each of us when we feel separated from God. 
In what way are you inspired by the Psalm's verses to repent and seek renewal?