Psalm Reflection: The Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Cycle C

“Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.” - Psalm 66

It was a terrifying sight for me. Nothing struck more terror in the heart of me in elementary school than that thing…

The rainbow-colored tube slide.

When I was in elementary school, some of the older kids had a cruel habit of suddenly sitting at the bottom of the tube slide to block kids in when they slid down. On one occasion, I was caught in a pile of kids in the enclosed slide, and I quickly realized that I did not like enclosed spaces.

Nonetheless, my salvation that day, as an elementary school student stuck in a the middle of a pile of 8-10 kids, was the lunch duty, Cindy. She heard the commotion and put a stop to it so we could all get out safely. She was my deliverer the day, and boy was I happy to see her. I very likely cried out with joy.

This weeks Psalm is a Psalm of praise written to God under the title of “Israel’s deliverer.” It was written as a reminder of all the ways God had kept His people alive and had walked with them in moments of trial. It boasted of the ways that God brought His people out of captivity and into freedom.

The source of our joy, according to the Psalmist, is our recognition of all that God has done to bring us through difficult moments and to show how He has sustained us. When we encounter future suffering and difficulty, this Psalm can help us recount God’s faithfulness to us so we are able to confidently continue to trust in Him, no matter the circumstance.

This week’s Psalm not only invites us into the Biblical story of God’s faithfulness, but it also encourages us to remember how God has been faithful in our own lives.

How has God delivered you?

How has God brought you out of difficult moments and led you to where you are today?

Can you look back on the most difficult or harrowing moments of your life and see how they have shaped you into the person you are today? 

Although He allows suffering and sin to exist in order to respect our free will, can you begin to see how God has used your suffering to bring about good? (Romans 8:28)

This week, make a timeline of your life and plot on it the most life-altering and significant moments, both good and bad. Spend time in prayerful reflection on each one and consider how each event has shaped you into the person you are now. Identity one positive experience, quality or attribute of your life that is associated with each event on your timeline, and thank God each of them.

Remember, God did not want you to have any moments of suffering on your timeline, but when they happened He immediately sought out to bring whatever good He could from them. Some of that good may not yet be realized in your life. In that case, thank God in advance for all the ways He is continuing to bless you, sustain you, and mold you into the person He has created and called you to be. Trust that He is always working in your life to bless you abundantly.

Lastly, know that you do not have to deny or run away from the person you once were, the things you have done, and the struggles you have experienced. God loves all of you, including your past and your present struggles. He wants to redeem it all not by taking it away, but by using it to transform your life into something even more beautiful. He can use your experiences as a way to relate to and help others who might be struggling and think they are unworthy or God’s love. Remember, every Saint has a past and every sinner has a future. So, thank God for it all, for where sin abounds, grace abounds all the more (Romans 5:20).

I am praying for you, please pray for me, and I will see you in the Eucharist.

Matt