Psalm for Sunday, October 2, 2022

Reflections


Psalm 95:  1-2, 6-7, 8-9   (Read)

"Oh that today you would hear His voice."

    












Knowing God's will is hard enough;
discernment is a gift from God.
But even if we are gifted enough to
be able to discern God 's will,
can we have the courage and conviction
to actually do His will?   Today more than
ever we need to hear His voice.  As God the
Father said, “This is my beloved Son
with whom I am well pleased; listen to Him.”

In the Gospel, Jesus instructs the disciples
how to do all they have been commanded.  
As followers of Jesus, we too are to do all 
that we are obliged to do.

Doing the will of God must have been
difficult even for the disciples, hand picked
by our Lord himself.  How much more so is
the will of God a challenge for ordinary
persons like us?  Even the disciples must
have been in awe of what Jesus was
commanding them to do.

“Harden not your hearts.”
Our spiritual history is full of occasions
where the faithful were known to have
hardened their hearts and refused to listen
to God's voice, though they had seen
His works, as our psalmist mentions.
But after all, He is our God, as the psalm says,
and we are the people he shepherds.

Our job is to kneel before the Lord who
made us and to carry out His will the best
we can.   And if we are careful to listen
to His voice, He will empower us to do
His will, just as Jesus empowered the
disciples to rise up to the challenge of
the Great Commission and to become 
ordinary men performing extraordinary 
deeds.

Amen


Discussion Questions for Reflection
 
1.  Our psalmist encourages us not to harden our hearts
when we hear God's voice.   Do you find it difficult sometimes
to carry out God's will in your life even if you believe
He is speaking to you?   Give an example.

2.  The psalm reminds us that we are like sheep and the Lord is
our shepherd.   Are you willing to be just an ordinary sheep among
His flock?  If so, what does it mean to you to be shepherded
by the Lord?
  

Psalm for Sunday, September 25, 2022

Reflections 

Psalm 146: 7, 8-9, 9-10   (Read)

“The Lord gives food to the hungry, 
sets captives free.”

Christ Jesus carries out the promises 

of the Psalm – He sets us captives free 

and gives sight to us so we can truly see.

The Lord raises us up when we are down. 

He sustains us -- with real food and drink. 

Who among us is not hungry for a closer 

relationship with The Lord?

You may ask, “When were we oppressed, 

or hungry, or in prison?” Have we not 

been under pressure from the evil one 

to commit sin? Have we not been held 

captive at one time or another by our sins? 

And do we not experience a hunger for 

the Lord and for a deeper faith?

That same power that gives sight to the 

blind and raises up those who are bowed 

down is available to free us from whatever

imprisons us. All it takes is to receive Him 

and open our hearts to our Savior.

The Psalm is telling us we really need 

to humble ourselves if we want to be 

raised up with Jesus. That may be hard 

to do if it means we have to swallow our 

pride and put aside worldly concerns. 

But if we truly want to be set free from 

the sins that bind us, then we need to 

repent and bow down before the Lord, 

accept our brokenness, and seek His 

healing ministry. Only then will we begin 

to have a right relationship with the Lord.

Having done so, we can pray this Psalm, 

not only in honor of the heavenly Father, 

but also in honor of Jesus Christ, whom 

God exalted. We then join with the psalmist 

and sing, “The Lord shall reign forever; 

our God, through all generations.”

Amen

  

 Discussion Questions for Reflection
   

1.  Our psalmist assures us that the Lord gives food to the hungry.   Describe how 

your spiritual hunger is satisfied by the nourishment you receive from God.
 

2.  The Psalm says that the Lord thwarts the way of  the wicked.   Reflect on your 

experience and give an  example of how the Lord has overcome evil that was

a threat to you.

Psalm for Sunday, September 18, 2022

Reflections

Psalm 113:  1-2, 4-6, 7-8   (Read)

 “He raises up the lowly from the dust.”

This Psalm teaches us once again 

that our God, who is at once exalted above all men, is willing to stoop low 

and to raise us up to His own level.   

God reverses common wisdom, 

and we who are called His servants 

are lifted up out of the dung heap 

of life and treated as royalty in His kingdom. 

“Who is like the Lord, our God, who is enthroned
on high and looks upon the heavens and the earth
below.”   It is God's nature to seek out the lowly
and the afflicted ones of this world, and who is to say
that we are not all afflicted?

Christ Jesus shows an amazing ability to bring up
to His level the outcast of society – the poor, the
lowly, the barren.  Often criticized for eating and
drinking with sinners, our Savior shows us how
to behave toward our neighbors, to understand
that it is the sick who need a physician.

Jesus' behavior is in sharp contrast to the conduct
of the merchants described in Sunday's first reading

(Amos 8: 4-7).   They have undisguised contempt for 

the poor whom they are exploiting.   But Jesus 

reminds us that the poor have a divine and powerful 

advocate.   The compassion of our Lord reaches 

down to those whom the powerful of the earth regard 

as nothing.  Jesus devotes his spiritual wealth and 

loving attention not to those who can give something 

in return, but to those whom the world disregards.   

With such a loving God in our midst, we are inspired
to become like Him, and to join with our psalmist and
sing praise to our God, and praise his name.

Amen

Discussion Questions for Reflection 

1.  Our Psalm reminds us that the Lord on high reaches down to our human level to lift us up.   How can it be that our God, who is exalted above all nations, is willing to stoop to our lowly level and show concern for us?

2.  What does it mean when our psalmist says that God raises up the lowly from the dust and seats them with princes?

Psalm for Sunday, June 5, 2022

Reflections 

Psalm 104:  1, 24, 29-30, 31, 34   (Read)

“When you send forth your spirit, 

they are created.” 

Animated by the Spirit, the divine 

breath, we who are His creatures 

sing of the glory of our Creator.  

Our psalmist affirms, “When you 

send forth your Spirit, you renew 

the face of the earth.”  

God our Creator is the source of 

all natural life. So also the Holy Spirit 

is the source of all supernatural life. 

We are nothing without the divine 

breath -- “If you take away their breath,

they perish and return to their dust.”

It is this same creative breath that came 

down on the disciples in that locked room 

St Luke speaks of in today's first reading.

(Acts 2:1-4)

The Holy Spirit empowered the disciples 

to go forth and proclaim the Gospel boldly 

to men of all nations, speaking different tongues.

We too are called to be baptized in the Spirit, 

and to receive the divine breath of the Lord. 

Having been baptized in the Spirit, we are a 

new creation, and are called to glorify the Lord

in what we do. In this way, as the Psalm says, 

“May the Lord be glad in his works.”

Fortunately for us too, the Spirit is manifested

in each of us for some benefit, as St Paul 

reminds us in today's second reading. 

(1 Corinthians 12:7)

All we have to do is accept Christ and 

believe in Him.

Without the breath of the Holy Spirit, we have 

no spiritual life. But thanks to God's gift, 

we are a new creation; we are baptized into  

Christ, and we share in the divinity of our Lord.

And that alone gives us reason to praise God.

As our psalmist says, “Pleasing to Him be my 

theme; I will be glad in the Lord.”

Amen

Discussion Questions for Reflection 
   

1.  As in our Psalm, do you also feel the presence of the 'divine breath' 

in your spiritual life?  Speak of how the Holy Spirit is at work in your life.

2.  Our psalmist says that the Spirit of the Lord 'renews the face of the earth.'   

Tell of how you are a new creation, after having been baptized in the Holy Spirit.

Psalm for Sunday, May 29, 2022

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 22, 2022

Reflections

Psalm 67:  2-3, 5-6, 8   (Read) 

“May God be gracious to us and bless us;
may God's face shine upon us.” 
 
So much that God does for us is contained
in this opening verse of the Psalm.  God gives
us His grace through His son Jesus, who is
our Savior.  And we all want God’s blessings as
the Psalm says.  Since the time of Moses,
God’s chosen people have reached out for
God’s blessings.
 
God gives us material blessings –
all our treasure and gifts are from Him.
And thankfully, He gives us spiritual blessings
as well –  to each individual the manifestation 

of the spirit is given for some benefit.  
 
No wonder that we Gentiles were attracted
to the faith, when St Paul and Barnabas
were traveling through the towns and visiting
the early churches.  And what could be better
than to have God's face shine upon us, as the
psalmist says.  We have a hint of what the
radiance of God's face may be like in this

Sunday's 2nd reading, where St John speaks of
the light of God's glory that shines in the
city of heaven.  (Revelation 21: 10-11)
 
By ministering to the Gentiles the 'way' of
the Lord became known upon earth among
all the nations, as the Psalm says.  Indeed the
Psalm  predicts that God’s saving power shall
be known among all the peoples.  Thankfully,
that includes us.
 
Today we join with our psalmist and the members
of the early church in praising God –
“May the peoples praise you, O God;
may all the peoples praise you.”
 
Amen

Discussion Questions for Reflection
   
1.  Our psalmist asks that God will let His face shine upon us.   

Tell of how you have felt the radiance of God when He is present to you.

2.  The Psalm prays that the Lord's 'way' be known among all nations.   

What have you done personally to encourage others to follow 

the 'way' of the Lord? 

Psalm for Sunday, May 15, 2022

Reflections
 

Psalm 145:  8-9, 10-11, 12-13   (Read)

“The Lord is good to all and
compassionate toward all his works.”
 
When we reflect on what God has
done for us, we remember that God
has always done good things for us. 
That is God's nature – as the Psalm
says, “The Lord is gracious and
merciful and of great kindness.”
And so we pray this psalm to bless,
praise, and exalt the heavenly Father
in His perfection and in His works.
 
Our psalmist dwells on the everlasting
nature of God, on his love and presence
throughout all time, and we are called
to praise the Lord forever.  Our psalmist
reminds us, “The Lord is good to all
and compassionate toward all his works.”
We know this inherently because we live
our lives with an unending stream of divine love.
 
There are times when we may question
why God allows us to suffer, why He allows
“bad things to happen to good people.”
We may ask, as the early believers probably did,
“Why is it necessary to undergo such hardships
to enter the kingdom of God?” 
 
Afflictions go hand in hand in our walk
with the Lord.   We may not understand
what God is up to, but we can be sure that
our faith will be strengthened if we stand
fast in the face of suffering.  We will become
better witnesses for Christ as we are humbled.
We become better servants if we bear up
with our difficulties and trust in the Lord,
as our psalmist tells us.  
 
Endurance is a Godly quality and will help
us to get 'yoked' to Jesus.   Having done that,
we, like our psalmist David, join with the
faithful and speak of the glory of God's reign
and bless His name.
 
Amen


Discussion Questions for Reflection

1.   The Psalm says, 'Let all your works give you thanks, O Lord.'    
Are you one of His works?   Tell of how you give thanks to the Lord 
and bless Him as one of His faithful ones.

2.   Our psalmist speaks of the everlasting nature of God's divine love.   
Describe how God's love has helped you to overcome hardship 
and get 'yoked' to Jesus.