My Heart Is Glad

A Reflection on the Psalm for June 30th, 2019:
​Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Psalm 16

R: You are my chosen portion, O Lord. 

Protect me, O God, for in you I take refuge. I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you.” The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot. 

R: You are my chosen portion, O Lord. 

I bless the Lord who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me. I keep the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. 

R: You are my chosen portion, O Lord. 

Therefore my heart is glad, and my soul rejoices; my body also rests secure. For you do not give me up to Sheol, or let your faithful one see the Pit. 

R: You are my chosen portion, O Lord. 

You show me the path of life. In your presence there is fullness of joy; in your right hand are pleasures forevermore. 

R: You are my chosen portion, O Lord. 

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When I first read this psalm, the line “Therefore my heart is glad, and my soul rejoices; my body also rests secure” really struck me. And I didn’t quite know why at first. I have heard in my many years of attending mass and participating in church activities that God provides us with joy and makes our hearts glad, and I’ve experienced this joy through the Lord. I knew this. However, it wasn’t really a feeling that I had experienced in a while. When I first read this psalm, I found myself at a point in my life where I was busy, tired, and just wasn’t making time for God in the ways that I should. I wasn’t allowing Him the time to provide me with that joy that is found in Him. 

But last weekend, the first public Ora event, Gathering at the Well, took place. At this event, it became quite clear to me why that line in Psalm 16 stood out to me. Taking the time to be there and be impacted by the message being delivered truly made my heart glad. 

As I sat in that room full of amazing women, I was so thankful for the community that God has blessed me with. It was so inspiring to see all of those women praising God together and sharing their witness with each other during small group time. The message that God is greater than our faults and shame, that none of us are perfect nor do we have to be, and that we are in this together was a message that I really needed to be reminded of. It was evident to me after participating in that event that I have so many beautifully faithful women in my life as role models. I am especially thankful for my mother and grandmother, who have given me an example of how to live out my faith as a daughter of God. And although I definitely could do a better job at following their example at times, I truly believe that the reason I have the faith that I do and the reason I am even writing this reflection right now is because of them and the great community of faith around me. 
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We are not alone. We not only have God by our side, but we have community and relationship with each other. It never fails to amaze me how much love and joy I have experienced through community. I pray that we may all turn to each other for strength and to build each other up as children of God, the way that He desires us to. ​

​Megan Noye

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