Psalm for Sunday, August 31, 2025

 

Reflections         

                                     
Psalm 68: 4-5, 6-7, 10-11    (Read)

 
 “God, in your goodness, you
have made a home for the poor.”

Our psalmist sings a tribute to our
sovereign God, who makes a home
for the poor in spirit.   Though we may
be forsaken, or neglected, or alone with
no one to care for us, our God prepares
a home for us.   It is as Jesus tells us,
“In my Father’s house there are many
dwelling places.  If there were not,
would I have told you that I am going
to prepare a place for you?” (John 14:2)

Being poor in spirit implies that one is humble,
and does not exalt himself.    In our Gospel this
Sunday, our Savior reminds the Pharisee within us
that the one who humbles himself will be exalted.

And in this Sunday's first reading from Sirach, 
we are told to conduct our affairs with humility, 
“Humble yourself the more, the greater you are, 
and you will find favor with God.”  (Sirach 3:18)

Our psalmist assures us sinners too that God
will lead us out of whatever sinful habit is holding
us captive.  “He leads forth the prisoners to prosperity.”
Like the 'bountiful rain' showered down upon us,
God restores us and provides for our needs.

For all that God does for us, as the Psalm says, 
we are to “Sing to God, chant praise to His name!”

Amen


Discussion Questions for Reflection

1.  Our psalmist speaks of a 'bountiful rain' from the Lord, showering 
down upon us.  Tell of how you have been restored by God's living 
water when you were parched and thirsty for His presence.

2.  The Psalm says that God 'leads forth prisoners to prosperity.'   
Have you been set free from sinful habits or worldly attachments 
by the Lord's healing hand?   Explain.

Psalm for Sunday, August 24, 2025

Reflections

Psalm 117: 1, 2    (Read)

“Praise the Lord all you nations;
glorify Him all you peoples!”
 
This Sunday we sing this brief Psalm
that inspires us to rise up and praise
the God of Israel, and having done so,
to go out to all the world and tell the 
Good News.
 
Just as the prophet Isaiah proclaims 
in this Sunday's first reading, we are 
comforted that God reaches out to us 
no matter what our language, no matter 
we live in the distant coastlands, no matter 
we have never heard of God or seen His glory.  
Isaiah says it this way, “They shall proclaim 
my glory among the nations.” (Isaiah 66:19)

St Paul cites this psalm in Romans 15:11 when
he exhorts the faithful to minister to the Gentiles.
We too are called to reach out to those who are
distant from us spiritually, even though they may not
be distant physically, some of whom may even be
within our midst.
 
And what inspires us to proclaim the good news?
It is as our psalmist says, “God's love for us is strong;
His faithfulness is forever.”
 
Amen
  

Discussion Questions for Reflection

1.  Our Psalmist is inspired by the power of God's love toward us.  
Speak of how God's love and mercy have done a work in your life.

2.  The Psalm prompts us to witness to those who may be distant 
from us spiritually.  Give an example of how you proclaim the Good News to those who may not know God.

Psalm for Sunday, August 17, 2025

Reflections 

Psalm 40: 2, 3, 4, 18   (Read)

"Lord, come to my aid!"

Our psalmist waits for the Lord

to reach out to him. He begs 

the Lord, “Lord, come to my aid!”

In Sunday's first reading 

the prophet Jeremiah was lifted 

out of the cistern. (Jeremiah 38:10)

So too our psalmist David says,

“The Lord drew me out of the

pit of destruction.” We are like that.

We are weak on our own;

we need the Lord’s strength to be

delivered from our sinful ways.

We put our trust in God.

Our God is an awesome God.

“Many shall look on in awe

and trust in the Lord.”

Our psalmist says, “He put a 

new song into my mouth.” 

For us, too, it is no longer the 

same old tune.  We are in fact 

a new creation, joyfully

singing out the good news.

Where does our joyful spirit 

come from? It comes from the 

Lord, and we are called to share 

what He has given us and to do

his will, which is our delight.

Amen

Discussion Questions for Reflection
 

1.   Our Psalm recalls for us that we place our trust in the Lord.  Speak of how 

you have been lifted up and delivered by God.

2.  Our psalmist says that the Lord has put a new song into his mouth.
This reminds us that we are a new creation in the Lord.  Tell of how you have been reborn in the Spirit.

  

Psalm for Sunday, August 10, 2025

 

Reflections

Psalm 33: 1, 12, 18-19, 20-22   (Read)

“The eyes of the Lord are upon those
who fear Him, to deliver them from death." 

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 heart
is starved for God's presence, when our bones
are dry, He nourishes us and breathes life into
our dry bones.

It is through His divine plan that we are saved.
Our own feeble efforts count for nothing.
We must be submissive and abandon ourselves
to His will and His grace.  Because Christ humbles
Himself for our sake, there is hope for us,
even in our time of spiritual famine.  That is the
meaning of the verse, “Lord, let your mercy
be on us, as we place our trust in you.”

Amen 

Discussion Questions for Reflection

1.  Our Psalm Response this Sunday is, "Blessed the people
the Lord has chosen to be His own."  Speak of how you apply
this verse to your daily life.

2.  Verse 12 of the Psalm says, "Blessed is the nation whose God
is the Lord."  Tell of how important it is that our nation receive
God's blessing and His protection

Psalm for Sunday, August 3, 2025

Reflections

Psalm 90: 3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 14, 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, and concluded
that so much of what we do in the
world is vanity, we too see the
advantage of using our time wisely
by doing the Lord's will.  

Although we may never receive
the wisdom of Solomon, 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 is obtained by listening to St Paul 

in this Sunday's second reading,
who tells us to put to death the parts
of us that are earthly, take off the old
self and put on the new self.  

(Colossians 3: 5-10) 

And Jesus tells us in the Gospel that
we need to store up treasure in heaven
and be rich in what matters to God.
If we can get 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.  Our Psalm Response this Sunday is, "If today you hear His voice, harden not your hearts."  How would you apply these words to the Psalm's message about using our time wisely?

2.  The Psalm ends with a petition that the Lord will "prosper the work of our hands!"  How do we be sure that our work will gain the favor of the Lord? 

Psalm for Sunday, July 27, 2025

 

Reflections 

Psalm 138: 1-2, 2-3, 6-7, 7-8   (Read) 

Our psalmist David composed 

this prayer of a grateful heart.
“I will give thanks to you,
O Lord, with all my heart.”

David is grateful because his
petitions are answered by the Lord.
“For you have heard the words
of my mouth.”   The Lord's answers
to our psalmist's prayers have come
at a critical time,  a time when David
is seeking to build up his strength.

David speaks of a divine rescue --
“When I cried out, you answered;
you strengthened my spirit.”
Perhaps we’re all in need of a spiritual
rescue of the type David describes.

And it isn’t because of any of the
psalmist’s virtues that he obtains salvation.
It is a result of God’s loving fidelity.
“Lord, your love is eternal.”

Our Savior Jesus conveys a similar
teaching in this Sunday's Gospel,
“Ask and you will receive; seek and
you will find; knock and the door
will be opened to you.  For everyone
who asks, receives; and the one
who seeks, finds.”

Our God does not forsake the work
of His hands, though who has given
the Lord anything that he may be repaid?

Our psalmist reminds us—all God
has to do is stretch out his right hand,
and we will be saved.  “You stretch out
your hand, your right hand saves me.”

Unworthy as we are, and though the
Lord is exalted, He watches over us in
our lowly state.   And thanks be to God,
His kindness endures forever.

Amen

Discussion Questions for Reflection

1.  Our psalmist affirms that God answers our needs, "Lord, on the day 

I called for help, you answered me."   Give an example of how your prayers have been answered at a critical time in your life.

2.  The Psalm reminds us that although the Lord is exalted, He sees the lowly.   What is it that gives you confidence that the Lord will not forsake you, even though He is exalted and you are among the lowly ones.

Psalm for Sunday, July 20, 2025

 

Reflections

Psalm 15: 2-3, 3-4, 5    (Read)

This Psalm of David begins with 
a familiar question,
“Who may dwell on your holy mountain?”

Fortunately for us, David gives us answers 
that serve as a lesson in how today's Christians are to behave if we are to dwell in God's Kingdom.

David says, “He who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord.”  For us this can mean whoever has a right relationship with the Lord will inherit God's Kingdom.  Whoever loves God with all his heart and loves his neighbor as himself is not far from the Kingdom of Heaven, as Jesus affirms in scripture.

Jesus was born to bring us the Kingdom and to personify
the Kingdom of God to us humans.  If we follow what
our psalmist prescribes, we will find that we are able
to live now in the Kingdom of God, here on earth.

David describes what separates us from God and
His Kingdom.  Our separation is caused by the
sinful things that we do and the harmful habits
that we acquire willfully.  This separation can only
be healed through our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Jesus shows us that the Kingdom of God is 
at hand and can for us become a present reality,
inside of us and within our community.  Just as 
David did, we hunger for God's presence; we long
for His Kingdom. 

Fortunately for us, through the Eucharist we are able to
receive Jesus physically and spiritually and to live in
His Body as He lives in ours.   And having Jesus remain
in us as we remain in Him, we are able to make the 
Kingdom present to our family and our community.  

Our God intended for us to have a share in His own
divinity.  All we have to do is accept God's Son into 
our hearts and follow His teachings.  Then you 
and I will be not far from the Kingdom. We will have   
Jesus in our midst, and we will be able
to dwell on God's holy mountain.

Amen


Discussion Questions for Reflection

1.  Our psalmist David asks us once again, "Who may dwell on God's holy mountain?"  Drawing from the verses of the Psalm, speak of what you are doing to draw closer to God.

2.  The Psalm says that one who thinks the truth in his heart will live in the presence of the Lord.  Describe how you are making sure you have a pure heart so as to gain favor with God.