Make the Call

A Reflection on the Psalm for Sunday, October 23rd, 2022:
Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time

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Psalm 34
2-3, 17-19, 23


​R. The poor one called and the Lord heard.

I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul makes its boast in the Lord; let the humble hear and be glad.

R. The poor one called and the Lord heard.

The face of the Lord is against evildoers, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears, and rescues them from all their troubles.

R. The poor one called and the Lord heard.

The Lord is near to the brokenhearted, and saves the crushed in spirit. The Lord redeems the life of his servants; none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.

R. The poor one called and the Lord heard.

When was the last time you called someone? In the world of texts and instant messaging, actual phone calls are becoming rare. As a pre-cell phone era teen, I spent hours on the phone with my friends. I remember the first time I got a phone in my room. Finally I didn’t have to have my conversations in the kitchen for my whole family to hear! Having my own phone gave me a little bit of independence and a means of building my friendships. 

No one really calls anyone anymore – except telemarketers, survey takers and people telling me I won a cruise. You might even assume that phone calls really don’t matter any more. Yet in the aftermath of the most recent hurricane I, like many others, lost the ability to make a phone call. Cell service became sketchy and I lost my landline. I was surprised that the loss made me a little anxious. How would I contact anyone if there was an emergency? How would loved ones contact me if they had an emergency? Ultimately, it wasn’t so much the loss of the phone line that unnerved me. It was the loss of the ability to do something I have come to take for granted – pick up a phone and call someone to check in. 

We often talk of prayer as a means to check in with God. And, just like making a phone call, I can take my prayer time for granted. I know that I can “call” God at any time, even without electricity or wifi, and I will never get His voicemail nor will He ever hang up on me. Still, too often, I make up reasons that take away my ability to call. 

I’m too busy.  
He doesn’t want to hear from me. 
I have nothing to say to him. 
I’ll talk to him later … when I have time. 

The psalmist reminds us that God’s nearness is just a “call” away. This is a gift! The words of the psalm are clear: the Lord will answer and ease troubles, but I need to call. God wants to hear from me. Just as I called my friends to talk over my day – the good, the bad, the ugly – I can do the same with God because He wants a relationship with me. Our God wants a relationship with each of us so much that He sent His only Son to be with us, to reveal God the Father to us and, ultimately, to die for us. Failing to check in with Him in a way seems ungrateful. God wants to hear from us simply to hear from us and to let us know He loves us. He gives us the space and opportunity to respond to and hopefully return that love. God offers us so much – we have only to ask, be willing to receive, and readily to respond. So, this is a reminder for you (and me!), to make the call!



​Aurea Sadi

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