Psalm Reflection: Thirty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time (Cycle C)

“Lord, when your glory appears, my joy will be full.” Psalm 17

I first read this Psalm and thought, “I don’t like this.” It seemed to me that this prayer was written by someone who was waiting for God to prove Himself first before they would respond in joy.  I think a lot of us do that. A lot of people use a lack of 100% concrete, in-your-face evidence for God as an excuse to be lazy in their faith or to “get around to it later in life.“ It seems to me that we believe in God enough to blame Him for things that He didn’t cause, but not enough to faithfully follow Him even when it’s inconvenient. That is not the life of a disciple.

A disciple should read this psalm and recognize that the glory of God appears before them every single day,  so there is no excuse to live without joy. God’s glory is manifested in creation, in every single person He has ever created, in community, in relationships, in beauty, in truth, in goodness, in the Sacraments, in love and in the countless gifts He gives us on a daily basis. Our lives, our families, our very breath: What more are we waiting for until we give thanks to God for what He has given us. What more do we need in order to be joyful? Perfection? That will never happen on this side of Heaven, but relationship with the one who is perfect is available to us every single day. 

How will you respond to that glorious gift?

This week, try to recognize God’s glory in small, seemingly insignificant things. Also, SMILE! There is no such thing as a sour Saint! We are praying for you this week! 

See you in the Eucharist!