PRAYER

INTRODUCTION

 The Church has historically noted the month of April for increased devotion to Jesus in the Holy Eucharist. At the Last Supper, Jesus gave us His greatest gift, His Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity to share at every Mass, every day, everywhere in the world!

O Sacrament Most Holy,

O Sacrament Divine,

All praise and all thanksgiving be every moment Thine Amen

CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

1323 At the Last Supper, on the night he was betrayed, our Savior instituted the Eucharistic sacrifice of his Body and Blood. This he did in order to perpetuate the sacrifice of the cross throughout the ages until he should come again, and so to entrust to his beloved Spouse, the Church, a memorial of his death and resurrection: a sacrament of love, a sign of unity, a bond of charity, a Paschal banquet ‘in which Christ is consumed,

SCRIPTURE

The word of God is so powerful that whatever he commands is carried out. When he says, “Let there be light” Genesis 1:3, at creation, light suddenly appears. At his word, the sun, moon, and stars are brought into existence. The power of that divine word is also in Jesus.

 When Jesus took bread and said, “This is my body”, and took wine and said, “This is my blood” Matthew 26:26-28. These sacred words bring about what he says. Jesus is truly present body and blood, soul and divinity in the Eucharist.

 When receiving Jesus in the Eucharist is not possible, the next best thing is to visit him in Church where he resides calling to us to come stay with me.

HOLY HOUR
of Eucharistic Adoration

Christ is present in the Most Blessed Sacrament to manifest his great love for us.  Christ, the God-Man, is truly present in his divinity as well as his humanity, body and soul before me. This Holy Hour may be broken down into 15 minute segments with different types of prayers, Adoration, Thanksgiving, Petition, and Contrition.

ADORATION

Think of the marvel of this great reality: Christ, the God-Man, is truly present in his divinity as well as his humanity, body and soul. Consider who he is as God…the Creator; God-Man: our Redeemer, our Savior, our Lord and King.  Push your thoughts to search out the meaning of these truths and let your soul rest in the wonder of his loving presence here— Be quiet and listen, as God speaks to your heart.

PRAYER OF ADORATION

Lord, thank you for this hour of Eucharistic devotion. I adore you as the infinite and Holy One of God. You and the Father are one and you promised that one day we will be one in You. May Your Holy Spirit be with me. Send Him constantly… I thank you for this precious gift of faith. Amen.

THANKSGIVING

The next 15 minutes may be devoted to THANKSGIVING.   Let words of thanksgiving rise up in your soul, or just simply give thanks to God for his presence here in such a remarkable way. Read or recall one of your favorite Scripture passages.  Imagine you are present and hear it direct from Jesus, what do you say to Jesus?   Take time to recall and thank God for other special blessings. Thank him for his love for you, for his unfailing help in trials and difficulties. Do you really believe God loves you? Think about it till you can really say that in sincerity and heartfelt conviction: that God does love you!

PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING

 Thank you, Father, for having created me. Thank you for my family. Thank you for being with us in all our joys and sorrows, for your comfort in our sadness, your companionship in our loneliness. Thank you for friends, for health and for grace. May I live this and every day conscious of all that has been given to me. Everything I receive is pure gift. Help me to be a grateful giver to others.

PETITION

Dedicate the next 15 minutes to PETITION. First of all, ask Jesus here present in the Holy Eucharist for the grace he wants most for you: the great blessing of redemption and eternal salvation….for you, for each member of your family, your friends, people of you neighborhood and parish, for all mankind.

Pray for conversions. Pray for particular people, those who are away from the Church and the Sacraments. Pray for the sick and lonely, the discouraged, our youth, the unborn, our country, its leaders.

Pray for vocations to complete the work of Christ.  Pray for the grace to know the will of God always in my own life. Pray for peace, God’s peace God’s wholeness in the hearts of all that we all be one!

PRAYER OF PETITION

O my God, give yourself to me. Behold I love you…if my love is too weak a thing, grant me to love you more strongly. I cannot measure my love, but let my soul hasten to your embrace… This I know that it is not good for me when you are not with me.  Everything in this world that is not you is mere rubbish. Amen.

CONTRITION

Dedicate the last 15 minutes of the Holy Hour to CONTRITION. A look into one’s own conscience first, for where we sin and where we need to ask for pardon and mercy…A look into the conscience of the world at large…the demeaning of others, insults and injuries inflicted around the globe, sins against life and the world we live in…are we good stewards of our planet…do we welcome the stranger…feed the hungry…care for the sick….. treat others as we wish to be treated…

PRAYER OF CONTRITION

 O Lord, forgive me my sins; the sins of my youth, the sins of my age, the sins of my soul, the sins of my body… the sins that I know, the sins I have concealed so long and which are now hidden from my memory. I am truly sorry for every sin, mortal and venial. I know my sins have wounded Thy tender Heart; O my Savior, let me be freed from the bonds of evil… O my Jesus, forget and forgive what I have been.. Amen.

I am reminded how much need I am of God’s mercy. So often I have walked away from God but He never gave up, sought me, and called me back into His embrace.  

DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY

APRIL 16, 2023

PRAISE THE LORD FOR HE IS GOOD;

HIS MERCY ENDURES FOREVER

PSALM 136:1

 

I WILL BLESS THE LORD AT ALL TIMES!

 KING DAVID, SONG WRITER, MUSICIAN,  SINGER,

AUTHOR OF PSALMS

 INTRODUCTION

The book of the Psalms is not a single book but a collection of many poems and other similar works composed mostly by King David but include many other authors such as Moses and Solomon.  In the Psalms, joy, suffering, the desire and fear of death are all interwoven and expressed.

Psalms were the most common prayer of Jesus in the New Testament who loved singing them with his disciples.  As they left the Last Supper they sang psalms on their way to Gethsemane. “Then, after singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.” Matthew 26:30

On the cross Jesus prayed from Psalm 22, “My God, my God why have you forsaken me” (Matthew 27:46) “Into thine hands I commend my spirit.” Psalm 31:5   (Luke 23:46)

God is the true author of the Bible including the Psalms.  Since Psalms are the Word of God, the pray-er who prays the Psalms speaks to God with the very words that God has given to us. Psalms are a school of prayer. When I pray the words of the Psalms, I don’t just think about how this is my prayer, I think about how it is the prayer of Jesus Christ.  It is his prayer for his church and for the world. Excerpts of Psalms are copied below.

PSALM 19

The heavens declare the glory of God; the firmament proclaims the works of his hands. Day unto day pours forth speech; night unto night whispers knowledge…. A report goes forth through all the earth, their messages, to the ends of the world….

From one end of the heavens it comes forth; its course runs through to the other; nothing escapes its heat. The law of the LORD is perfect, refreshing the soul. The decree of the LORD is trustworthy, giving wisdom to the simple.  The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart. The command of the LORD is clear, enlightening the eye….

The statutes of the LORD are true, all of them just More desirable than gold, than a hoard of purest gold, Sweeter also than honey or drippings from the comb. By them your servant is warned; obeying them brings much reward….Cleanse me from my inadvertent sins. Also from arrogant ones restrain your servant; let them never control me. Then shall I be blameless, innocent of grave sin. Let the words of my mouth be acceptable, the thoughts of my heart before you, LORD, my rock and my redeemer.

REFLECTION

 This hymn of praise directs us to the utter goodness of God.  God is good.  Follow Him and His statutes and our life will be full of sweetness and serenity.  Sin is the only disrupter.  Cleanse me from my sins that I may be blameless in your sight.  Send your light into my darkness, that illuminated, I may grasp the light and be saved.

PSALM 140

Deliver me, LORD, from the wicked; preserve me from the violent, From those who plan evil in their hearts, who stir up conflicts every day, Who sharpen their tongue like a serpent, venom of asps upon their lips.

Keep me, LORD, from the clutches of the wicked; preserve me from the violent, who plot to trip me up. The arrogant have set a trap for me; they have spread out ropes for a net, laid snares for me by the wayside.

I say to the LORD: You are my God; listen, LORD, to the words of my pleas. LORD, my master, my strong deliverer, you cover my head on the day of armed conflict…..

I know the LORD will take up the cause of the needy, justice for the poor. Then the righteous will give thanks to your name; the upright will dwell in your presence.

REFLECTION

A prayer of deliverance from all evil, all occasions of sins.  If we walk with the Lord, He will lead us along the path of righteousness and hold us up less we fall into a pit.  He will help in our discernment.  Lord grant me wisdom to know right from wrong and the fortitude to deny my will full choices.  Thy will be done!

PSALM 145

I will extol you, my God and king; I will bless your name forever and ever. Every day I will bless you; I will praise your name forever and ever. Great is the LORD and worthy of much praise, whose grandeur is beyond understanding…

The LORD is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in mercy. The LORD is good to all, compassionate toward all your works. All your works give you thanks, LORD and your faithful bless you. They speak of the glory of your reign and tell of your mighty works. The LORD is just in all his ways, merciful in all his works. The LORD is near to all who call upon him…

REFLECTION

 The Lord is near to those who call upon Him.  So why not call upon Him.  His mercy endures forever to all of us no matter what state we  find ourselves.  We are not alone.  Why pretend we are?  God awaits our call.  “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.

JESUS PRAYING THE PSALMS

 

 

I WILL BLESS THE LORD AT ALL TIMES!

KING DAVID, SONG WRITER, MUSICIAN,

SINGER, AUTHOR OF PSALMS

 INTRODUCTION

 The book of the Psalms is not a single book but a collection of many poems and other similar works composed mostly by King David but include many other authors such as Moses and Solomon.  In the Psalms, joy, suffering, the desire and fear of death are all interwoven and expressed.

Psalms were the most common prayer of Jesus in the New Testament who loved singing them with his disciples.  As they left the Last Supper they sang psalms on their way to Gethsemane. “Then, after singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.” Matthew 26:30

 On the cross Jesus prayed from Psalm 22, “My God, my God why have you forsaken me” (Matthew 27:46) “Into thine hands I commend my spirit.” Psalm 31:5   (Luke 23:46)

God is the true author of the Bible including the Psalms.  Since Psalms are the Word of God, the pray-er who prays the Psalms speaks to God with the very words that God has given to us. Psalms are a school of prayer. When I pray the words of the Psalms, I don’t just think about how this is my prayer, I think about how it is the prayer of Jesus Christ.  It is his prayer for his church and for the world. Excerpts of Psalms are copied below.

 PSALM 118

 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, his mercy endures forever… In danger I called on the LORD; the LORD answered me and set me free. The LORD is with me; I am not afraid; what can mortals do against me?

 The LORD is with me as my helper…Better to take refuge in the LORD than to put one’s trust in mortals. Better to take refuge in the LORD than to put one’s trust in princes. Let Israel say: his mercy endures forever… Let those who fear the LORD say, his mercy endures forever.

 The LORD, my strength and might has become my savior…This is the day the LORD has made; Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD…. You are my God, I give you thanks; my God, I offer you praise. Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,

 REFLECTION

We are filled with gratefulness for the mercy of God which provides us refuge from the storms of life, and slavery to sin here on earth. Embrace an attitude of gratitude! Give thanks always for God’s providential care. Give thanks to the Lord for He is good.

PSALM 124

Let Israel say, Had not the LORD been with us, when people rose against us, Then they would have swallowed us alive, for their fury blazed against us. Then the waters would have engulfed us, the torrent overwhelmed us then seething water would have drowned us.

Blessed is the LORD, who did not leave us to be torn by their teeth. We escaped with our lives like a bird from the fowler’s snare; the snare was broken, and we escaped. Our help is in the name of the LORD, the maker of heaven and earth

 REFLECTION

 God is our refuge, more powerful than any other god we may be serving. We are truly blessed that our God is all powerful, Almighty. Our help is in the name of the LORD, the maker of heaven and earth.

God loves us and will rescue us from any threat to our bodies or souls. With God all things are possible!

 PSALM 130

Out of the depth I call to you, LORD; Lord, hear my cry! May your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy. .If you, LORD, keep account of sins, Lord, who can stand? But with you is forgiveness…I wait for the LORD, my soul waits and I hope for his word. My soul looks for the Lord more than sentinels for daybreak… let Israel hope in the LORD, For with the LORD is mercy, with him is plenteous redemption. And he will redeem Israel from all its sins.

REFLECTION

The Lord not only freed Israel from physical slavery but more importantly freedom from slavery of sin.

People, captivated by habitual sin cry out of the depths of their hearts for relief.  The Lord hears those cries.  with him is plenteous redemption God wills the salvation of all.  Stay the course!

 PSALM 139

 LORD, you have probed me, you know me: you know when I sit and stand; you understand my thoughts from afar. You sift through my travels and my rest; with all my ways you are familiar. Even before a word is on my tongue, LORD, you know it all. Behind and before you encircle me and rest your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, far too lofty for me to reach.

 Where can I go from your spirit? From your presence, where can I flee? If I ascend to the heavens, you are there; I lie down in Sheol, there you are. If I take the wings of dawn^* and dwell beyond the sea. ,Even there your hand guides me, your right hand holds me fast. If I say, “Surely darkness shall hide me, and night shall be my light”^*Darkness is not dark for you, and night shines as the day. Darkness and light are but one.

 You formed my inmost being; you knit me in my mother’s womb I praise you, because I am wonderfully made; wonderful are your works! My very self you know. My bones are not hidden from you, When I was being made in secret, fashioned in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw me unformed; in your book all are written down my days were shaped, before one came to be. How precious to me are your designs, O God….

REFLECTION

Oh my God, continue to probe me, prod me, turn me around in the right direction.  Let me realize in the deepest part of my heart that I was made by you with a specific design in mind, a share in your divine life. 

 Let me begin to share in this divine life here on earth through the Sacraments, corporal and spiritual works of mercy, and adherence to the Gospel. Lead me home to the fullness of my being with you forever and ever!

JESUS PRAYING THE PSALMS

I WILL BLESS THE LORD AT ALL TIMES!

KING DAVID, SONG WRITER, MUSICIAN,  SINGER,

AUTHOR OF PSALMS

 INTRODUCTION

 The book of the Psalms is not a single book but a collection of many poems and other similar works composed mostly by King David but include many other authors such as Moses and Solomon.  In the Psalms, joy, suffering, the desire and fear of death are all interwoven and expressed.

Psalms were the most common prayer of Jesus in the New Testament who loved singing them with his disciples.  As they left the Last Supper they sang psalms on their way to Gethsemane. “Then, after singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.” Matthew 26:30

 On the cross Jesus prayed from Psalm 22, “My God, my God why have you forsaken me” (Matthew 27:46) “Into thine hands I commend my spirit.” Psalm 31:5  (Luke 23:46)

God is the true author of the Bible including the Psalms.  Since Psalms are the Word of God, the pray-er who prays the Psalms speaks to God with the very words that God has given to us. Psalms are a school of prayer. When I pray the words of the Psalms, I don’t just think about how this is my prayer, I think about how it is the prayer of Jesus Christ.  It is his prayer for his church and for the world. Excerpts of Psalms are copied below.

 PSALM 101

I sing of mercy and justice; to you, LORD, I sing praise. I study the way of integrity; when will you come to me? I act with integrity of heart within my household. I do not allow into my presence anything base. I hate wrongdoing; I will have no part of it. May the devious heart keep far from me; the wicked I will not acknowledge….

Haughty eyes and arrogant hearts I cannot endure. Whoever follows the way of integrity, is the one to enter my house…  No one who speaks falsely can last in my presence. Morning after morning, I clear the wicked from the land, to rid the city of the LORD of all doers of evil.

REFLECTION

In this Psalm, the Psalmist prays that he will remain holy and not be subject to the enticements of the world. We live in this world but we are not to be part of this world. John 17:15-17 Our standards are much higher.  There is a heavenly world, a holy world, alongside this earthly world, seek it, grasp it.  By example build the reign of God in this world that we may persevere into the heavenly kingdom.

PSALM 103

Bless the LORD, my soul; all my being, bless his holy name! Bless the LORD, my soul; and do not forget all his gifts, Who pardons all your sins, and heals all your ills, Who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with mercy and compassion, Who fills your days with good things.

Merciful and gracious is the LORD, slow to anger, abounding in mercy. He will not always accuse, and nurses no lasting anger; He has not dealt with us as our sins merit, nor requited us as our wrongs deserve….

As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him. For he knows how we are formed, remembers that we are dust. As for man, his days are like the grass; he blossoms like a flower in the field. A wind sweeps over it and it is gone; its place knows it no more. But the LORD’s mercy is from age to age toward those who fear him….

 REFLECTION

 We acknowledge God’s infinite mercy and beg that His mercy continues as we are fallible, a fallen people. We are mere dust formed Creator God who loves us even to death on the cross and intends us to live in His holy image with Him for all eternity.

We may wander away for a bit but His mercy and forgiveness calls us back. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. Ezekiel 36:26 We know God in our very being now, some call it a conscience but God calls it our hearts.

 PSALM 111

Hallelujah! I will praise the LORD with all my heart in the assembled congregation of the upright. Great are the works of the LORD, studied by all who delight in them. Majestic and glorious is his work, his righteousness endures forever…He gives food to those who fear him, he remembers his covenant forever…The works of his hands are true and just, reliable all his decrees, Established forever and ever…holy and fearsome is his name. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; prudent are all who practice it. His praise endures forever.

REFLECTION

Here we acknowledge the great works of the Lord that may be found by those who study and read Scripture

God gives us food for the soul. The fear of the Lord is beginning of wisdom. Here fear is not so much about God’s final judgment on us as a profound awe of who God is and who we are.  Our good lies in humble acceptance and trust in self-abandonment into His hands. Trust in God who wills the salvation of all.

PSALM 115

Not to us, LORD, not to us but to your name give glory because of your mercy and faithfulness. Why should the nations say, “Where is their God?” Our God is in heaven and does whatever he wills. Their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands. They have mouths but do not speak, eyes but do not see. They have ears but do not hear, noses but do not smell. They have hands but do not feel, feet but do not walk; they produce no sound from their throats.

Their makers will be like them, and anyone who trusts in them. ^*The house of Israel trusts in the LORD, who is their help and shield…. Those who fear the LORD trust in the LORD, who is their help and shield. The LORD remembers us and will bless us…

REFLECTION

Here we are instructed about false idols. Our ancestors, the Hebrews, fell in and out of God’s blessings throughout the Old Testament.  Even when Moses was receiving God’s Law on Sinai, the Jews below were making a golden calf.

Even today, we build golden calves.  Where is your treasure?  What do you follow?  Idols today, you know will result in the same thing as it did in the Hebrew Scriptures.  Separation from the one true God will result in disaster in our lives and risk our eternal life.  Are our idols worth it?  And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever. 1 John 2:17

JESUS PRAYING THE PSALMS

I WILL BLESS THE LORD AT ALL TIMES!

KING DAVID, SONG WRITER, MUSICIAN,

SINGER, AUTHOR OF PSALMS

 PRAYING THE PSALMS

 INTRODUCTION

The book of the Psalms is not a single book but a collection of many poems and other similar works composed mostly by King David but include many other authors such as Moses and Solomon.  In the Psalms, joy, suffering, the desire and fear of death are all interwoven and expressed.

Psalms were the most common prayer of Jesus in the New Testament who loved singing them with his disciples.  As they left the Last Supper they sang psalms on their way to Gethsemane. “Then, after singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.” Matthew 26:30

 On the cross Jesus prayed from Psalm 22, “My God, my God why have you forsaken me” (Matthew 27:46) “Into thine hands I commend my spirit.” Psalm 31:5 (Luke 23:46)

The Psalms are given to us as the inspired word of God.  Though God used human instruments, God is the true author of the Bible and Psalms of course.  Since Psalms are the Word of God, the pray-er who prays the Psalms speaks to God with the very words that God has given to us. They are a school of prayer. When I pray the words of the Psalms, I don’t just think about how this is my prayer, I think about how it is the prayer of Jesus Christ before the throne of God. It is his prayer for his church and for the world.

PSALM 16

Keep me safe, O God; in you I take refuge. I say to the LORD, you are my Lord, you are my only good…..

 LORD, my allotted portion and my cup, you have made my destiny secure. Pleasant places were measured out for me; fair to me indeed is my inheritance.

I bless the LORD who counsels me; even at night my heart exhorts me. I keep the LORD always before me; with him at my right hand, I shall never be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad, my soul rejoices; my body also dwells secure…You will show me the path to life, abounding joy in your presence, the delights at your right hand forever.

REFLECTION

In you I take refuge… Seek our refuge, our safe space always in God.  He will not disappoint.  We will never be alone in our affliction.  God was present to His Son on the cross in His promise of Jesus’ glorious resurrection. He will be present in our crosses.  Some He will remove, others He helps us carry.  I keep the Lord always before me!

PSALM 25

To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul. My God, in you I trust; do not let me be disgraced do not let my enemies gloat over me. No one is disgraced who waits for you. Make known to me your ways, LORD; teach me your paths. Guide me by your fidelity and teach me, for you are God my savior, for you I wait all the day long.

Remember your compassion and your mercy, O LORD… Remember no more the sins of my youth remember me according to your mercy, because of your goodness, LORD. Good and upright is the LORD, therefore he shows sinners the way, He guides the humble in righteousness, and teaches the humble his way.

LORD, pardon my guilt, though it is great. Who is the one who fears the LORD? God shows him the way he should choose…Look upon me, have pity on me, for I am alone and afflicted.  Relieve the troubles of my heart; bring me out of my distress…Preserve my soul and rescue me; do not let me be disgraced, for in you I seek refuge… I wait for you, O LORD.

REFLECTION

Make known to me your ways, LORD; teach me your paths…Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  God has given His only begotten Son to show us the path.  Jesus remains with us in the Eucharist, not only providing presence, a share in divine life of the Trinity, but also the graces to support us on our journey home.

 PSALM 51

Have mercy on me, God, in accord with your merciful love. In your abundant compassion blot out my transgressions. Thoroughly wash away my guilt; and from my sin cleanse me. For I know my transgressions; my sin is always before me.  Against you, you alone have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your eyes

So that you are just in your word, and without reproach in your judgment.  Behold, I was born in guilt, in sin my mother conceived me…^.

Turn away your face from my sins; blot out all my iniquities. A clean heart create for me, God; renew within me a steadfast spirit.  Do not drive me from before your face, nor take from me your holy spirit.  Restore to me the gladness of your salvation; uphold me with a willing spirit. I will teach the wicked your ways so that sinners may return to you…. For you do not desire sacrifice or I would give it; a burnt offering you would not accept. My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit; a contrite, humbled heart, O God, you will not scorn.

REFLECTION

For I know my transgressions; my sin is always before me….A clean heart create for me, God….Help me God to have true sorrow and repentance for my sins.  Help me to confess my sins with true candor for they have offended you who is all good and unworthy of my disobedience.  My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit; a contrite, humbled heart.

PSALM 103

Bless the LORD, my soul; all my being, bless his holy name! Bless the LORD, my soul; and do not forget all his gifts, who pardons all your sins, and heals all your ills, who redeems your life from the pit, and crowns you with mercy and compassion, Who fills your days with good things,

Merciful and gracious is the LORD, slow to anger, abounding in mercy. He will not always accuse, and nurses no lasting anger; He has not dealt with us as our sins merit, nor requited us as our wrongs deserve. so his mercy towers over those who fear him…..

As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him. For he knows how we are formed, remembers that we are dust.  As for man, his days are like the grass; he blossoms like a flower in the field.  A wind sweeps over it and it is gone. Bless the LORD, my soul!

REFLECTION

Bless the LORD, my soul; all my being, bless his holy name! I bless your Holy Name.  You alone do I serve.  Where else would I go? You are God over all.  My very breath is given to me by you, Lord of heaven and earth. From dust I came, to dust I will return. Bless the LORD, my soul!  I ask you, plead with you, beg you that I too, like your Son will be resurrected on the last day and united forever with the Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Merciful and gracious is the LORD, slow to anger, abounding in mercy.

 JESUS PRAYING THE PSALMS TO HIS FATHER

 

KING DAVID, SONG WRITER, SINGER,

AUTHOR OF PSALMS

 INTRODUCTION

 The book of the Psalms is not a single book, in and of itself, but a collection of many poems and other similar works composed mostly by King David but include many other authors such as Moses and Solomon.  In the Psalms, joy, suffering, the desire and fear of death are all interwoven and expressed.

You can easily find them on the internet, in your Bible, or at a Catholic bookstore. Psalms were the most common prayer of Jesus in the New Testament and loved singing them with his disciples.  As they left the Last Supper they sang psalms on their way to Gethsemane.  (Matthew 26:30)

 The Psalms are given to us as the inspired word of God.  Though God used human instruments, God is the true author of the Bible. Since they are the Word of God, the pray-er who prays the Psalms speaks to God with the very words that God has given to us. They are a school of prayer.

The Psalms teach us that, even in the midst of desolation, God’s presence remains and is the source of wonder and of consolation; we can cry, beg, intercede, lament, but we do so in the knowledge that we are walking toward the light.   

I WILL BLESS THE LORD AT ALL TIMES!

PSALM 8

 O LORD, our Lord, how awesome is your name through all the earth! You have set your majesty above the heavens!   Out of the mouths of babes and infants you have drawn a defense against your foes, to silence enemy and avenger.  When I see your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and stars that you set in place–

What are humans that you are mindful of them, mere mortals that you care for them?   Yet you have made them little less than a god, crowned them with glory and honor.  You have given them rule over the works of your hands, put all things at their feet:  All sheep and oxen, even the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, the fish of the sea, and whatever swims the paths of the seas.   O LORD, our Lord, how awesome is your name through all the earth!

REFLECTION

God is good all the time!  All the time God is good! When I sit out in my meditation garden I give thanks to God for the sky, the birds that fly, the flowers that grow, the sun that lights my way and the moon and stars that accompany my night.  Nothing as eloquent as St. Francis Assisi Canticle of Creation.  Enjoy!

O Most High, all-powerful, good Lord God, to you belong praise, glory, honour and all blessing. Be praised, my Lord, for all your creation and especially for our Brother Sun, who brings us the day and the light; he is strong and shines magnificently. O Lord, we think of you when we look at him.

 Be praised, my Lord, for Sister Moon, and for the stars which you have set shining and lovely in the heavens. Be praised, my Lord, for our Brothers Wind and Air and every kind of weather by which you, Lord, uphold life in all your creatures. Be praised, my Lord, for Sister Water, who is very useful to us, and humble and precious and pure.

Be praised, my Lord, for Brother Fire, through whom you give us light in the darkness: he is bright and lively and strong. Be praised, my Lord, for Sister Earth, our Mother, who nourishes us and sustains us, bringing forth fruits and vegetables of many kinds and flowers of many colours……I praise and bless you, Lord, and I give thanks to you, and I will serve you in all humility.

PSALM 13

How long, LORD? Will you utterly forget me? How long will you hide your face from me?  How long must I carry sorrow in my soul, grief in my heart day after day? How long will my enemy triumph over me? Look upon me, answer me, LORD, my God! Give light to my eyes lest I sleep in death,  lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed,” lest my foes rejoice at my downfall.  I trust in your faithfulness. Grant my heart joy in your help, that I may sing of the LORD, “How good our God has been to me!”

REFLECTION

Troubles will come.  After-all this is not Paradise yet.  But we do better by trusting in God, staying connected to God.  All we have to do is read Scriptures in the Old Testament to see how the Hebrews did when they went on their own and worshiped pagan gods who couldn’t see, couldn’t hear, couldn’t speak.  Our God is a living God!

Besides all that God is present in our sufferings, frustrations, disappointments.  Why because God became the Word Incarnate, Jesus Christ!  Totally Human and Totally Divine!  Jesus lived the human experience.  Jesus has taken in on himself to turn human suffering into something salvific.  Praise God!  We are never alone with God!

PSALM 17

Hear, LORD, my plea for justice; pay heed to my cry; Listen to my prayer spoken without guile. From you let my vindication come; your eyes see what is right.  You have tested my heart, searched it in the night. You have tried me by fire, but find no malice in me.

My mouth has not transgressed as humans often do. As your lips have instructed me, I have kept the way of the law.  My steps have kept to your paths; my feet have not faltered.  I call upon you; answer me, O God.

Turn your ear to me; hear my prayer.  Show your wonderful love, you who deliver with your right arm those who seek refuge from their foes.  Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings… My ravenous enemies press upon me…Rise, O LORD, confront and cast them down; rescue me so from the wicked.  I am just–let me see your face; when I awake, let me be filled with your presence.

REFLECTION

 “Keep me as the apple of your eye, hide me in the shadow of your wings.” We all want to be the apple of God’s eye.  We want that special attention.  Well we have it.  God loved us into existence.  God is love. God wills that everyone be saved.  Sometimes we feel afraid of the wickedness of this world and that’s when we really want God’s wings to cover us.  But sometimes we want to call down God’s wrath on the wicked (excuse our sinning for the moment).

I am reminded of the parable of the weeds. Matthew 13:24 The master tells his servants not to pull up the weeds till harvest time less you pull up the wheat by mistake.  God is the best judge.  Judge not lest you be judged accordingly.  After-all Jesus came to save sinners.  There are no saints but Mary without sin.  Be patient and trust in Jesus and be sure you are keeping the faith, witnessing that faith to others that they might be saved!

PSALM 22

 My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? Why so far from my call for help, from my cries of anguish?  My God, I call by day, but you do not answer; by night, but I have no relief… In you our ancestors trusted; they trusted and you rescued them. To you they cried out and they escaped; in you they trusted and were not disappointed.

 But I am a worm, hardly human, scorned by everyone, despised by the people.  All who see me mock me; they curl their lips and jeer; they shake their heads at me:  “You relied on the LORD–let him deliver you; if he loves you, let him rescue you.”

 Do not stay far from me, for trouble is near, and there is no one to help…So wasted are my hands and feet that I can count all my bones. They stare at me and gloat; they divide my garments among them; for my clothing they cast lots. But you, LORD, do not stay far off; you my strength, come quickly to help me….

 All the ends of the earth will worship and turn to the LORD; For kingship belongs to the LORD, the ruler over the nations.  I will live for the LORD; my descendants will serve you.  The generation to come will be told of the Lord, that they may proclaim to a people yet unborn the deliverance you have brought.

‘MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?’

 REFLECTION

When Jesus hangs on the cross, despised, suffering, and dying, he has taken upon himself the entirety of all sin. God cannot look upon sin, so he turns his back. The burden is now fully upon his Son.  In this moment there is the human despair of death, but in the words of the Psalm 22 there is also hope for deliverance.

Jesus still has trust in the God of the Universe. He has submitted to God’s will to that very last moment. God so loved the world as to giving His only begotten Son in atonement for our sins. God loves us by taking our place on  the cross and dying in our stead. Thanks be to God!  His mercy endures forever!