Faithfully Yours

A Reflection on the Psalm for July 9, 2023:
​14th Sunday in Ordinary Time

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Psalm 145

R. I will bless your name for ever, my King and my God.

I will extol you, my God and King, and bless your name forever and ever. Every day I will bless you, and praise your name forever and ever. 

R. I will bless your name for ever, my King and my God.

The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. The Lord is good to all, and his compassion is over all that he has made. 

R. I will bless your name for ever, my King and my God.

All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord, and all your faithful shall bless you. They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom, and tell of your power. 

R. I will bless your name for ever, my King and my God.

The Lord is faithful in all his words, and gracious in all his deeds. The Lord upholds all who are falling, and raises up all who are bowed down. 

R. I will bless your name for ever, my King and my God.

Are we born to be faithful? Is faithfulness our default setting as human beings? In my opinion, we humans have the tendency to choose the wrong path way too often. Be it Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, or the Jews who cried out, "Crucify Him," our Holy Bible is full of examples of humans who distrusted and chose violence.

The movies we love or the books we enjoy are riddled with examples of deception and betrayal. Macbeth, The Lord of the Rings, and The Great Gatsby are just a few of the stories featuring power-hungry characters who seek only their own good, and these stories have captured minds for many years.

On the other hand, Psalm 145 reminds us that, “The Lord is faithful in all his words.” He let his only Son die on the cross for us faithless human beings. Every time we reject him, He forgives us and calls us back to Him. He puts his trust in our goodness even when we distrust Him.

Through the breaking of a long term relationship back in January 2022, I was reminded that God had faithfully been by my side even when I was going down a path that was not meant for me. God was steadfastly by my side even when I did not think I needed him. The Global Pandemic actually ended up being a blessing in disguise for me, when I initially perceived it as a roadblock. 

God always knows what is best for us, even when we stubbornly stick to our own viewpoints. For those who have seen the movie P.S. I Love You, one of the most endearing things about that movie is that a husband took the time and effort to write to his wife to help her deal with the grief of losing him. He writes these letters to her before he dies, hoping that she will read them after his death and that the letters will be her tools for coming to terms with her grief. He signs off each of his letters with the post script, “I love you.” Like a faithful lover, God, our ultimate bridegroom is always signing off on various things with a “Faithfully Yours.” Every time we are blessed with a beautiful day, or a nourishing meal, or a nurturing relationship, you can be assured that Our Loving God is right there, signing off on our “blessing” with the words “Faithfully Yours”. 

So, coming back to the question: Are we born to be faithful? Even if we may not be born to be faithful, we are definitely birthed by a faithful God who will forever remain faithfully by our side.

Heavenly Father, thank you for your constant faithfulness to me. Every morning you remind me that I am yours and you have me in the palm of your hand. When I am clueless about where my life is going, you assure me that you have a plan for me. Jesus, I trust in you. Amen.




Rebecca Dmello

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