Cry Out

A Reflection on the Psalm for April 14th, 2019:
Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion

​Psalm 22

All who see me mock at me; they make mouths at me, they shake their heads; “Commit your cause to the Lord; let him deliver; let him rescue the one in whom he delights!” R.

For dogs are all around me; a company of evildoers encircles me. My hands and feet have shrivelled; I can count all my bones. R.

They divide my clothes among themselves, and for my clothing they cast lots. But you, O Lord, do not be far away! O my help, come quickly to my aid! R.

I will tell of your name to my brothers and sisters; in the midst of the congregation I will praise you: You who fear the Lord, praise him! All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him; stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel! R.

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“My God my God, why have you forsaken me?”

Although most of us are familiar with this phrase from when Jesus called it out on the cross, it also appears here in Psalm 22 spoken by David.

Have you ever felt abandoned by God?

I remember after my first-born came along, my faith was tested. He was a very colicky baby and I desperately tried to analyze what was making him so unhappy. Days blended into nights without an opportunity for proper rest from an upset baby. In desperation I would call out to God in prayer to save me from having to experience such a hard trial. I did not feel equipped to deal with such a challenge in my life. I think for the first time, I felt like I had no control in my life as there was nothing I could do that would make the colic go away.

When I didn’t see an immediate improvement, I became angry with God. I felt that He had abandoned me. Although not my exact words, my cry to God was, “My God my God, why have you forsaken me?”

This is likely a feeling most of us are going to experience in our faith journeys. We will go through trials and our faith will be tested. What’s beautiful about the psalms, is that they teach us that it is okay to cry out to God in fear, anger and desperation. God wants us to be honest with Him about how we feel. That is the sign of a true relationship. The challenge becomes, how do we respond to those feelings? David and Jesus didn’t turn their backs on God in the midst of their suffering. Instead, they remained faithful to God and endured the trial they were called to face.

"God wants us to be honest with Him about how we feel. That is the sign of a true relationship."

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When David’s trial ended, and when Jesus rose from the dead, both went on to praise God, and they instructed us to do the same. They knew God didn’t abandon them, but that He was with them even when they couldn’t feel His presence.

During my days of anger towards God, having felt abandoned by Him, I struggled with whether or not to continue attending mass. Because of my anger, I was unable to get anything out of the mass, but I pushed forward and continued to attend anyway. I don’t know why that was a trial God called me to endure, but I am glad I decided not to abandon my faith, because I did come through and God has guided me into a deeper faith since then. I now know, that if I had abandoned my faith, I would have missed out on so much joy in my life that came to me as a result of my faith. Like David, I want others to know that you too will be tested, but we must continue to praise Him. He has not abandoned you, and you will once again come to experience His peace and joy.
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​Tammy LeBlanc

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