Psalm Series Exploring Psalm 1: Part 2 Practical and Prayerful Spirituality.

 PSALM SERIES

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Psalm 1 offers rich contrasts, and exploring deeper into the qualities of "scorners" and "sinners," as well as the imagery of "chaff," brings profound insights. Let’s take a closer look at each:

 In exploring further Psalm 1 we may be inclined to ask the following questions

• What are the qualities of the scoffers?  This is important so that we can be attuned to notice these qualities.
•    What are the qualities of sinners? 
• What is Chaff and Why Does it Get Blown Away by the Wind?

 

1. Qualities of Scorners

The term "scorners" (or "mockers" in some translations) refers to individuals who not only reject righteousness but actively mock or ridicule those who pursue it. Here are a few qualities typically associated with scorners:

 Pride and Arrogance: Scorners often have an inflated sense of self, believing that they are above correction or moral guidance. Proverbs 21:24 calls them “proud and haughty.”

   Disdain for Wisdom: They mock or scoff at God’s teachings and the wisdom found in Scripture, showing no reverence for what is sacred (Proverbs 1:22). They reject counsel and mock faithfulness or virtue.

  Cynicism and Negativity Scorners spread negativity and cynicism. Their mocking attitude creates division and discouragement in others. They are often destructive with their words and demean the good in others.

 Resistance to Repentance They are typically unteachable and resistant to correction (Proverbs 9:7). Scorners are entrenched in their ways, unwilling to change, unlike the humble who are open to growth.

 

 2. **Qualities of Sinners    In the context of Psalm 1, "sinners" refers not just to people who make mistakes but to those who persistently choose to live in disobedience to God’s law. Here are some qualities of the “sinner” described in the psalm:

 Separation from God Sinners, as portrayed in the psalm, walk in opposition to God's ways, choosing paths that lead away from Him.

  Moral Compromise: Sinners are often depicted as walking in the “counsel of the wicked,” implying they make decisions based on worldly or immoral values rather than God’s guidance. This involves a lifestyle of habitual wrongdoing rather than occasional failure.

   Rebellion: Sinners tend to live in rebellion against God’s law, not just in their actions but in their hearts. They reject God’s authority in their lives and pursue self-centered desires.

  Temporary Prosperity: Often, sinners may appear successful or prosperous in the short term, but their success is fleeting and shallow, much like the “chaff” that is blown away.

 

3. What is Chaff and Why Does it Get Blown Away by the Wind?

   The image of **chaff** is a powerful metaphor in Psalm 1. In ancient agricultural practices, chaff referred to the lightweight husks separated from the grain during the threshing process. Here’s why it gets blown away:

  Insignificance: Chaff is the part of the grain that has no value or substance. It represents the emptiness of the life of the wicked, which lacks the weight of righteousness or spiritual fruitfulness. Just as chaff is useless and discarded, so are the ways of the wicked in the eyes of God.

  Instability” Chaff is easily blown away by the wind because it has no roots or grounding. This reflects the instability of those who live without God’s word—when difficulties or judgment come, they cannot stand firm, unlike the righteous who are like trees planted by water.

 Judgment: In the biblical context, wind is sometimes symbolic of God’s judgment or truth, which separates the valuable from the worthless. The wicked are compared to chaff because their lives will not endure in the face of God’s justice.

How Do You Meditate on God’s Word Day and Night?

   Meditating on God’s word "day and night" speaks of an ongoing, consistent practice of immersing oneself in God’s teachings. It’s not simply reading but engaging deeply with Scripture. Here are some ways to cultivate this meditation:

  1. Read with Purpose:: Approach Scripture intentionally, reading slowly and reflectively, rather than rushing through passages. Ask God to reveal insights as you read, and be open to learning something new each time.

   2. Memorize Verses: Committing Scripture to memory allows you to meditate on it throughout the day, even in the midst of your activities. Repeating a verse in your heart or mind can help keep God’s word close to you.

 3. Reflect on Personal Application: Ask how each passage speaks to your life right now. What is God asking you to change or do? Meditation means applying God’s word to your decisions, relationships, and thoughts.

 Pray the Scriptures: One effective way to meditate is by turning Scripture into a personal prayer. For example, after reading Psalm 1, you might pray for the grace to be like a tree planted by water, asking God for strength to avoid the paths of sinners and scorners.

  Journal or Write Reflections: Writing down thoughts, questions, or applications from your meditation can deepen the process. This helps you process Scripture on a more personal level.

 Create Quiet Moments:: Meditating day and night doesn’t mean thinking about God’s word every minute but incorporating moments of stillness where you consciously return to God’s word. It might be during your morning prayers, at lunchtime, or before bed.

 

By consistently returning to Scripture, allowing it to guide your thoughts and actions, you embody the essence of meditating on God’s word “day and night.” This ongoing meditation forms the foundation of a life rooted in God, much like the tree described in Psalm 1.

 

HOW TO USE THE PSALMS AS AN EXAMINATION OF MY LIFE IN PREPARATION FOR SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION.

Have you ever used the psalms as a means for preparation for Reconciliation?  It is something I am currently exploring as a means to have a richer experience of the sacrament

Using Psalm 1 as a framework for an ‘Examination of Conscience’ is a wonderful way to prepare for the Sacrament of Reconciliation. The psalm contrasts two paths—one of righteousness and one of wickedness—which can guide personal reflection on one’s spiritual life. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you use Psalm 1 for self-examination:

 

 1. Reflect on Your Delight in God's Law/

_"But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night." (Psalm 1:2) _

-Questions for Reflection:

·         Do I truly delight in God’s word and teachings, or have I grown indifferent or negligent in prayer and Scripture reading?

·         How often do I meditate on God’s word? Do I seek time to engage with it in my daily life, or have I allowed distractions to take priority over spiritual growth?

·         Have I been obedient to God’s commandments, or have I chosen to ignore them, preferring my own will?

  

 Prayer:  Ask the Holy Spirit to deepen your love for God’s word, and help you desire to live according to His teachings with greater devotion.

 

2. Examine the Company You Keep:

_"Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the way of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers." (Psalm 1:1)_

Questions for Reflection:

·         Have I sought the company of those who lead me away from God, whether through unhealthy relationships, negative influences, or harmful activities?

·         Do I compromise my values and morals in order to fit in with others? Have I allowed peer pressure or societal norms to lead me into sin?

·         Have I taken part in mocking, gossiping, or ridiculing others, thereby aligning myself with scornful or hurtful behavior?

 

   Prayer: Ask for the grace to seek healthy relationships that support your spiritual journey, and the strength to avoid environments or people that lead you into temptation or sin.

 

 3. Consider Your Spiritual Roots and Fruitfulness

_"He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season and whose leaf does not wither." (Psalm 1:3)_

 

- Questions for Reflection:

·         Am I rooted in Christ through regular prayer, participation in the sacraments, and a deep relationship with God? Or have I become spiritually dry due to neglecting these practices?

·         Is my life bearing good spiritual fruit? Am I growing in love, patience, kindness, humility, and other virtues? Or have I allowed selfishness, anger, or laziness to dominate my actions?

·         Do I persevere in my faith, even during challenging times, or do I lose hope easily when things don't go my way?

 

   Prayer: Pray for the grace to grow in spiritual strength, remain steadfast in trials, and bear fruit that reflects the love and character of Christ.

 

4. Examine Your Attitude Toward Sin

_"The wicked are like chaff that the wind blows away." (Psalm 1:4)_

 

- Questions for Reflection:

·         Have I allowed sin to accumulate in my life, becoming spiritually empty like chaff? Do I recognize how sin separates me from God and leads to spiritual instability?

·         Have I taken sin lightly, assuming it has little consequence, rather than acknowledging its destructive power in my relationship with God and others?

·         Do I procrastinate on seeking forgiveness, or do I sincerely seek to rid my life of sin and return to God with a contrite heart?

 

   Prayer: Ask God for forgiveness for the times you have allowed sin to take root in your life, and pray for the courage to confess your sins sincerely and seek His mercy.

 

5. Assess Your Relationship with God’s Judgment.

_"Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous." (Psalm 1:5)_

 

-Questions for Reflection:

·         Am I living in awareness that I will one day stand before God in judgment? Do I take responsibility for my actions and choices, knowing that I will be accountable to God?

·         Do I turn to God for help in overcoming sin, or do I rationalize my behaviors and avoid thinking about their eternal impact?

·         Have I made peace with the areas in my life where I have struggled, or am I still resisting God’s call to holiness and repentance?

 Prayer: Ask for the grace to live in the light of God's judgment with humility, trusting in His mercy to transform your heart.

 

6. Ask for Guidance to Follow the Path of Righteousness

_"For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish." (Psalm 1:6)

 

- Questions for Reflection:

·         Am I consciously choosing the path of righteousness in my daily decisions, or have I strayed from it?

·         Do I trust that God sees my efforts and desires to live according to His will? Do I believe that He will guide me toward spiritual growth and fulfillment?

·         Am I willing to seek His grace to help me follow the path He has set for me, especially in areas where I struggle or feel weak?

 

   Prayer: Ask God for the wisdom and strength to walk in His ways, trusting in His guidance, and seek the courage to turn away from the paths that lead to destruction.

 

Conclude with a Prayer of Contrition:

After reflecting on these aspects, you might end with a prayer of contrition like the **Act of Contrition** or a personal prayer, asking for God’s forgiveness, mercy, and the grace to follow the path of righteousness. 

 

 

 

 

Psalm Series Exploring Psalm 1. Part 1 key themes and insights.

 PSALM SERIES

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Welcome to My Psalm Series. 

As Catholics we hear the Psalms each day at Mass and if we say Morning and Evening Prayer- the Divine Office then we will also be using the Psalms.

Do we understand the Psalms when we read them or respond to it at Mass?
In this series, my aim is to explore the meaning of the 150 Psalms and to consider the moods contained therein.  I also hope that this series may be a valuable source for lectors so that they have a greater understanding of the Psalms and proclaim them well. I hope to write bi weekly for this series with the first post being about the key themes and insights of the psalm and the second post being about possible spiritual applications.  Let us begin.

PSALM ONE

Psalm 1 it sets a profound tone for the rest of the Psalms. It contrasts the path of the righteous with the path of the wicked, offering a clear and impactful message.

 

KEY THEMES AND INSIGHTS:

 

1.    Contrast Between Righteous and Wicked

Psalm 1 begins with a vivid contrast between the righteous and the wicked. The righteous are described as those who delight in the law of the Lord and meditate on it day and night. They are compared to a tree planted by streams of water, flourishing and bearing fruit. The wicked, on the other hand, are like chaff that the wind blows away—insubstantial and doomed to perish.

 

2. Blessing of the Righteous. The opening verse of Psalm 1 is a beatitude, declaring the blessings upon those who avoid the company of the wicked and instead focus on God's law. It emphasizes the importance of living according to divine guidance and how it leads to true fulfilment and stability.

 

3. Meditation on the Law: The psalm highlights the significance of meditating on God's law. This meditation is not a mere intellectual exercise but a deep, contemplative practice that shapes one’s character and actions. The righteous person’s life is grounded in a continuous relationship with God's word.

 

4. Stability and Growth: The imagery of a tree planted by water symbolizes the stability, nourishment, and growth that come from living in accordance with God's law. Just as a tree by water prospers, so does a life anchored in divine wisdom.

 

5. Fate of the Wicked The psalm warns about the fate of the wicked, who will not stand in the judgment. They lack the rootedness and stability of the righteous and are ultimately dismissed.

 

6. Application in Prayer and Worship:: When used in the context of Mass or personal prayer, Psalm 1 can serve as a reminder of the values of righteousness and the importance of immersing oneself in God's teachings. It invites worshipers to reflect on their own lives and their alignment with God's will.

 

SOME REFLECTION QUESTIONS

1.    How is Psalm 1 relevant to my spiritual life today?
2.    How can I apply to everyday living the themes of Psalm 1?
3.    Name the good qualities which God has given me.  Name the qualities which are not of God which need God’s loving healing touch.
4.    Who are the wicked  in my life that I need to avoid to embrace righteousness of God ( eg people who gossip can lead us into listening to the gossip and partaking of it).
5.    How will I come into right relationship with God this week- by asking God’s mercy in Sacrament of Reconciliation.
6.    How is my spiritual tree? What do I need to do to water my spiritual tree of my soul?
7.    How will I intercede for conversion of the wicked in myself and for the world?

Collect for 24th Sunday of Year B

COLLECT SERIES

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COLLECT

 

The Collect for the 24^th Sunday of the Year reads as follows:

 

''Look upon us, O God,

Creator and ruler of all things,

and that we may feel the working of Your mercy,

grant that we may serve You with all our heart.''

 

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

In making this Collect tangible for my life during the week, the following reflection questions emerged:

 

1. How does God being Creator and ruler of all things sit with my view of God?

2. What image/s arise in my heart when I hear this Collect read at Mass? 

3. How will those images impact my spirituality this coming week?

4. How do I feel the working of Your mercy in my life?

5. How will I help my family, friends, parishioners, work colleagues, strangers to feel the work of His mercy through me this coming week? (Name a person/ area/ task to accomplish it through God's grace).

6. How will I serve God- Creator and ruler of all things in my life this coming week?

 

GOSPEL REFLECTION

Before I share my Gospel reflection for today's Gospel from Mark, the last line from the Collect spoke to me.  In our fast pace world and even with the best of intentions, we can get distracted from a core value/belief and we may even ask or someone may even ask us in frustration, sadness or hopelessness " What is the point of living- God does not even care''.  In these times when we feel dispirited, it is good to be reminded of what God's purpose is for us on earth.  The Compendium of the Catholic Church ( no 1) answers this succinctly as follows:

 

''God, infinitely perfect and blessed in himself, in a plan of sheer goodness

freely created man to make him share in His own blessed life.''

 

In other words, God's purpose for us is to know, love and serve Him in this world and be happy with Him for ever in eternity. So, with these reflective thoughts, how will you serve God with all your heart this coming week.

 

Today's Gospel from Mark 8:27-33 asks an important question that each of us needs to answer: "Who do you say I am?" You can read a reflection on this Gospel from my Gospel Series of Mark 8.27-30 and Mark 8.31-33 by clicking on these links.

Before we answer this question, let us think about this for a moment.

 

Think of a person you would say that know (such as a family member, friend, parishioner, work colleague). Do you know them or do you know about them? In every relationship, we learn about a person- their likes, dislikes, what colours they like, what music they listen to, what art they prefer etc, but as the relationship develops, we can say that we know them, although we never really know a person fully. There is always more.

 

Now as we ask the Who do you say I am question now in relation to God and our relationship with Him- would we say that we know about God or do we know God- are we in relationship with Him?

If we answer in our hearts that I know about God- this is a great start. We need to know about God to help us come to know Him better. It also helps us to share our relationship with Him with others since we will not be giving them any false teaching. However, God asks us to come closer and know Him and be in relationship with Him. Why not take it to the next level.

 

So, let this week be an opportunity to reflect and consider our relationship with God. How will I come to know more about God and how will I come to know God this coming week?

 

Perhaps you might like to consider the way you will serve during the week

as you sing/listen to this.song. 

Collect 22nd Sunday of Year B

 COLLECT SERIES

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COLLECT

The Collect for the Twenty Second Sunday Year B reads as follows:

God of might, Giver of every good gift,

Put into our hearts the love of Your name,

So that, by deepening our sense of reverence,

You may nurture in us what is good and, by Your watchful care,

Keep safe what You have nurtured.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,

who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

one God, for ever and ever.

 

 

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

 

In making this prayer tangible, the following reflection questions emerged:

1. Name the gifts God has given you in this last week and say thank you to God for these gifts.

2. How do I speak about God?

3. Do I take the Lord’s name in vain or do I use it to honour and praise Him?

4. What do I do when other people misuse God’s name. What strategy can I use this week to bring to awareness the rightful use of God’s name and stopping its misuse?

5.What do I see good in Me?  How does God see me?

6. Spend time this week giving thanks for all God is doing in my life.

 

GOSPEL REFLECTION

 The Gospel is from St Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23. In today's encounter with the Pharisees, Jesus tells them that they are hypocrites: "they honour God with their lips but their heart is far from God"; they obey the Law and the traditions, not to please God, but to be seen and admired by men; their motive, self-glorification, vitiates every otherwise good act they perform. Christ then addresses the people — the crowds who most likely had overheard his dialog with the Pharisees — and he tells them that it is not legal or cultic uncleanliness that matters, but cleanliness of the heart before God. Eating with unwashed hands, or using unwashed vessels for drinking, does not defile a man, this does not make him less worthy before God. It is not from things outside him that a man incurs defilement but from his own innermost self. Every serious sin against God and neighbor has its beginning within a man, in his intellect and will; the evil design is the forerunner and instigator of the evil deed.

The Pharisees should have known all this. They did know it. They knew very well that before a man breaks any of the commandments of God he must first plan and decide to break it; it was not their theology that was defective but their practice. They despised their neighbours and called fellowmen "sinners," because through ignorance they violated many of the man-made precepts the Pharisees had added to the Law of Moses. There were also fellow-Jews of theirs who violated the law itself, but it was not their right to judge or condemn much less excommunicate them, as they so often did in practice.

Christ condemned the Pharisees by word and deed. He was merciful, kind and understanding to all sinners. He forgave sin and promised forgiveness to all who would repent of their past misdeeds. Not only that: for he left to his followers for all time his sacrament of mercy and forgiveness, by means of which they could have their sins forgiven by his minister, acting in his name.

Should we ever forget all he has done for us and disobey in a serious way any of his commandments, let us remember that we are not excluded from his company as the sinners were excluded by the Pharisees: we have banged the door on ourselves but he has given us the key with which to reopen it. Let us never be so foolish as to fail to use that key.

Let us recommit to receiving God’s mercy through the Sacrament of Reconciliation regularly.

We can turn to Christ  and ask His forgiveness and prepare to make a good confession at the first opportunity.  Each day we have the opportunity to review our lives and to prepare the way of the Lord to receive His mercy.