6th Week of Eastertide

This psalm is a song of victory. Alleluia! Christ is risen. He has won the battle against all evil. For the Lord loves his people. He is ready to fight for us, to become one of us and win for us. In our day to day life we can find so many difficulties that it may seem too much for us; temptations against our honesty, good manners, faith, values...sometimes temptations come and seem too strong. It is then when Christ’s resurrection becomes our hope. Because He is with us he can fight for and with us against all evils.

It is not small thing to know we are not alone. God, in Christ, has given us a “two edged sword”, his word. As Saint Paul said the word of God is something alive and active it cuts more incisively than any two-edged sword (Hebrews 4 , 12). With the word of God by our side we can pass judgement on all temptations. We can celebrate Christ’s victory over sin and evil as our own. Moreover, we can celebrate the gift of his word. The sword He himself used in the dessert against the tester.

Lord, help us today to go to work aware of being able to win all battles against sin. Thank you so much for so many reasons to celebrate.

Tuesday: Psalm 138

I thank you Lord, with all my heart. As I was reflecting on this psalm I realized how many times I can say thank you without being really thankful. Saying thanks is not the same than thanking from the heart.

To be grateful means to acknowledge that we have received something we did not have the right to receive. It means to recognize the gratuity of the gift. If we feel that the giver is waiting something in response we can ask “how much?” but it is not a matter of gratefulness.

In this psalm the psalmist gives thanks for having been listened to. What a beautiful prayer. You listened to the people of Israel in Egypt, to the prophets, to widows, orphans... Finally, the Incarnation was the final answer to all cries for help. This time you listened to me.

“The Lord will do all things for me”

Only a very profound experience of prayer can give us the security of this last sentence. When we can say with all our heart: “I give you thank Lord, because you listened to me”; then, in that moment, we have found in us the presence of the Risen Christ.

Wednesday: Psalm 148

We continue the days of Easter celebration and today is the day to praise. Psalm 148 is an invitation to all creation to praise its creator; to acknowledge his power and how well he does everything.

God created the angels who are with him; He created sun and moon (the most powerful deities for many peoples surrounding the Israelites). In today’s terms we could look at internet, air travel, and all those powerful “deities” that govern our days and nights and praise God for creating them.

This psalm looks at all creation, from angels to wild animals; from sea monsters to young men and girls. Everything, everyone, yes, even you, reading these lines: praise the Lord for he heightens the strength of his faithful...the people close to him.

Thursday: Psalm 98

So far, this week we have celebrated, thanked and praised the Lord for his victory over death. What is left? Today is the day to sing a new song to the Lord.

A new song means a new song, it is not about thanking him for past things, or about to celebrate something that happened two thousand years ago. It is a new song. And this makes the prayer of this day a little bit more complicated. We like so much old songs... old stories... old memories...

Today’s challenge is to find the new wonders he has performed in your life. To acknowledge his saving power means to realize of the last time he has saved you with his love and presence.

The Lord is constantly (many times each day, in fact) approaching us, coming to meet us, coming with his judgement of love to finish with all our self-judgements. Which attitude do you have at his approach? He brings saving justice for all. His justice is fair for all... sing a new song today, his approach is new, his merciful judgement on you is new. Why not giving thanks to him with a song?

Friday: Psalm 113

This psalm is a song of praise; there is no “call” to do anything. It is the psalm of praise that someone, centuries ago, sung to God. Who is like the Lord our God? Coming back to the theme of this week, the resurrection and the psalms, I would like to invite you to look at the Resurrection of Christ letting the words of this psalm sound at the back of your mind. Who is like our God? I am seriously asking. We give our lives in our job places; between the books; in parishes, religious communities... but, among so many good things and good people we find, who is like our God? Who is as powerful and gentle as he is?

Who looks on the poor as he does? Who has the patience he has? Who else has ever given his own life for you?

Only God; only Christ.

This is why today I would like to invite you to write your own psalm of praise. Maybe with this chorus: Who is like our God?

God Bless

May 2010

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Verbum Dei UK