Psalm for Sunday, February 2, 2025

Reflections


Psalm 24: 7, 8, 9, 10   (Read)

“Lift up, O gates, reach up,
that the king of glory may come in!”

Scripture tells us that even the heavens 
cannot contain Him, yet our Lord is
content to build a house within our
hearts.  Our own bodies become temples
of the Lord, and we must throw open
the gates of our hearts and let Him enter.
He is the king of glory!

The psalm celebrates Christ's ascension into
the holy city of Jerusalem, and reminds us
that He is 'mighty in battle,' able to defeat
whatever dark forces are present within us.
We herald His coming, our gates our lifted,
'that the king of glory may come in.'  He is
'strong and mighty' and will protect us from
all our enemies, external and internal.

The psalm reminds us we are to prepare
to receive our Lord.  We must be clean of
hand and pure of heart; we must 'reach up
our portals' to a higher level if we are truly
to become a temple of God.

The Psalm is guiding us to prepare ourselves
from within, so that we are made ready to
receive Him when He comes.  Our psalmist
tells us that those who love the Lord and those
who seek God's face will receive Him.  Just as
Jesus is consecrated to the Lord in this Sunday's
Gospel, just so must we be consecrated before
we can receive Jesus in our hearts.  When we are
ready, we can join with the psalmist and say
confidently, 'It is the Lord!'

Amen

 
Discussion Questions for Reflection

1.  The Psalm twice urges us to lift up our gates that the king of glory 
may come in.   What are you doing to prepare a place for the Lord 
in your heart?

2.  Our Lord will build a house within our hearts if we allow Him to do so.  
Once your body becomes a temple of the Lord, how will this change 
your behavior?

Psalm for Sunday, January 26, 2025

 

Reflections


Psalm 19: 8, 9, 10, 15

“Let the words of my mouth and
the thoughts of my heart meet with 
your favor, O Lord, my rock and
my redeemer.”

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?  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. 

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;
They bring much reward.
And as Christ says in the Gospel, 
the scripture is fulfilled in our hearing. 
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 plea of our psalmist, 'Let the words of my 
mouth and the thoughts of my heart find favor before you.'

Psalm for Sunday, January 19, 2025

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 12, 2025

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 5, 2025

 

Reflections 

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

“Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.”

 

The Psalm is a prayer for our newborn King,

a Messiah who will be like the “rain coming 

down upon the fields, like showers watering 

the earth.”  Our psalmist prays that our 

newborn King will be anointed by God with 

divine judgment and empowered to rule the earth.

The prophet Isaiah in Sunday's first reading 

predicts that the light of the Lord will cause 

our hearts to overflow, and the riches of the sea 

to be emptied out before us. (Isaiah 60:5) 

Our psalmist also speaks of abundance 

that will flourish in the King's days. 

But the Messiah is among us, to do more than 

bless us materially; the Savior has come to make

our burdens easy, to share our afflictions. 

“The lives of the poor He shall save.”

We see the light, just as the prophet Isaiah said 

we would.  (Isaiah 60:1) 

In the Psalm, the mystery is revealed 

to us, poor in spirit though we are:

“He rescues the poor when they cry out [as we do],

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 mentions 'afflicted ones' and 'the afflicted' in two 

of the Psalm's verses.  Are there times when you can identify yourself 

as an 'afflicted' one?   Tell what remedies are available to you that are 

mentioned in the Psalm.

2.  The Psalm says, 'Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.'   

Using the verses of the Psalm, explain why 'all kings' would want 

to pay homage to our Lord.

Psalm for Sunday, December 29, 2024

Reflections

Psalm 128: 1-2, 3, 4-5   (Read)

“Just so will they be blessed 

who fear the Lord.”

The Psalm affirms that 
blessings for we who
fear the Lord are to be
found in the recesses
of our homes, in the
ordinary joys of family.

The worthy wife is valued 
in the Psalm as a fruitful
vine because she blesses 

her home and family with 
the gift of her handiwork. 
She uses wisely what is 

given her as her way of 

obeying the Lord and 

holding Him in awe.  

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.

As the Psalm says, if we fear the Lord 
and walk in His ways, we will receive
the blessings of our labor, prosper,
and grow old gracefully in the company
of our wife and children.

Amen

Discussion Questions for Reflection

1.  The Psalm assures us that we will be favored by the Lord, if we walk in 
His ways.  Speak of how you have been blessed by obeying the Lord and
holding Him in awe.

2.  Our psalmist tells of a worthy wife who uses wisely what she has been given.  Give an example of how you have used your God-given talent to serve your family or your community.

Psalm for Sunday, December 22, 2024

 

Reflections

Psalm 80: 2-3, 15-16, 18-19   (Read)

"O Shepherd of Israel, hearken, and come to save us."

This 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; revive us, and 
we will call on your name.”
 
Where does our hope for revival 
come from?  It comes from our Savior, 
sent by the Lord, our cornerstone.
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 in our separation from God. 
In what way are you inspired by the Psalm's verses to repent 
and seek renewal, especially during this season of Advent?