Divine Beneficiaries

A Reflection on the Psalm for Sunday, February 23, 2025:
Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

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Psalm 103

R. The Lord is merciful and gracious.

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and do not forget all his benefits.

R. The Lord is merciful and gracious.

It is the Lord who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the Pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy.

R. The Lord is merciful and gracious.

The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities.

R. The Lord is merciful and gracious.

As far as the east is from the west, so far he removes our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion for his children, so the Lord has compassion for those who fear him.

R. The Lord is merciful and gracious.

Pause. Pray. Reflect.

“... do not forget all his benefits.”

I don’t always pick a word of the year but a few weeks ago, without my searching, one popped into my head unannounced but with command and authority. That word is “gratitude” – and, boy, do I feel called to practice it!

Psalm 103, a heartfelt song of complete indebtedness to our gracious God, feels perfectly timed. There is only one week of Ordinary Time left before Lent and, as it approaches, I appreciate this gentle nudge to remember the Lord’s good works, like a sweet tune to carry with me during drier, desert days. 

Some seasons feel penitential, even if they don’t fall during Lent. Whenever those times hit, it’s especially important to hold onto the gratitude of sacred texts, like Psalm 103. I am personally emerging from a difficult period, and I want to hold gratitude closely, not only during Lent but throughout the remainder of the church year.

My life has recently been very “Lent-ish.” Three years ago, my youngest was diagnosed with autism. There was much grieving to be done and a whole lot of early intervention to engage. For a while, not much made sense, and I was sad, mad, terribly busy and afraid. It was very hard on our marriage, family life and my faith.

Now that we are emerging on the other side of hard, things still don't always make sense, but God’s generosity and compassion are a lot easier to see. I cannot begin to explain what grace has surrounded our son as he toddles about his 6-year-old business. Grief has been tenderly replaced by deep love and joy, and a more mature gratitude developed with a new perspective brought into our lives. God is still revealing and healing my wounds and their resulting sin, and many rough spots in our marriage and family life continue to be exposed and put through redemptive fire. We have benefitted through the challenging and unexpected only by way of grace and God’s good works. 

Legally, a beneficiary receives goods such as money, properties or other items of worth. The benefits of the Lord are not only more valuable than these, but they also are not limited to events we might consider good or by how deserving we are. The word “benefit” originates from both the old French bienfait and from the Latin roots bene facere, both referring to a helpful or friendly action being “well done.”

We are always beneficiaries of the Father’s wise, generous and filial love – at all times, in every one of Life’s gardens and deserts. His work is always well done, and we always do well to remember this. Even at our lowest moments – in our sin, frailties, fears, weaknesses and imperfections – God is never, ever limited or constrained in His mercy, care and compassion for us.

Perhaps sit with Psalm 103 today and ask the Lord for a word or phrase that He would like to share with you. Tuck it into your heart as a small melody of gratitude for His good works, not only as you begin to discern your Lenten journey but as a song of joy to be sung throughout the year, wherever you find yourself.

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Michelynne Gomez

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