"Reflect. Respond. Repeat." A Reflection on The Psalm for July 1st, 2018: Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Psalm 30

I will extol you, Lord, for you have raised me up. 

I will extol you, O Lord, for you have drawn me up, and did not let my foes rejoice over me. O Lord, you brought up my soul from Sheol, restored me to life from among those gone down to the Pit. 

I will extol you, Lord, for you have raised me up. 

Sing praises to the Lord, O you his faithful ones, and give thanks to his holy name. For his anger is but for a moment; his favour is for a lifetime. Weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes with the morning. 

I will extol you, Lord, for you have raised me up. 

Hear, O Lord, and be gracious to me! O Lord, be my helper! You have turned my mourning into dancing. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever. 

I will extol you, Lord, for you have raised me up. ​

Reflect. Respond. Repeat.

This describes for me what I need to do with the psalms because I often dismiss them as the “musical interlude” between readings. Psalms feel like the infamous middle child—the one who gets lost in the shuffle of the attention given to the sibling(s) that came before and after them. Yet the psalms hold so much richness. In reading them, we get a poetic glimpse into the trials and tribulations of the early life of the Chosen People.  We learn of their relationship with our God. And don’t we all need to learn a thing or two about how to make a connection with the One who created us for relationship with Him?  ​

I will extol you, Lord, for you have raised me up. 

When was the last time I extolled (enthusiastically praised) God? Everyday I “talk” to Him.  I do so at various points in my day—first thing in the morning, in traffic, after a tough meeting at work, waiting in line for my coffee, etc. But many times my talk is a laundry list of things that I would like God to do for me.  And sadly, intentionally thanking God for all the many blessings He presents right in front of me is not always the first thing on the top of that list. What would happen if my talking was more of a conversation where I actually listened as well? If I want God to raise me up, I actually have to give Him the space to do that. 

I will extol you, Lord, for you have raised me up. 

How many times has God raised me up? More times than I even realize!  I notice it most during those moments when “weeping may linger for the night”. Somehow, some way, I can reach into the deep well that is my faith—even when I think it’s dry—and still find God there assuring me that “joy comes with the morning”. This deep faith does not come simply, or overnight, but it is a faith that is fed by continually responding to Love by sharing love with others. In letting God raise me up, I am compelled to raise others up. 

I will extol you, Lord, for you have raised me up. 

Slowly and surely, along this journey of becoming who and what God calls me to be, I build a relationship with Him who made me. I learn how to develop this bond from those who did so before me—be they prophets, teachers, saints, sinners, or psalmists.  And in turn, I hope to leave a bit of wisdom to help those after me who will seek the same transformative, life-giving, ever-evolving relationship. A relationship that continues to be so, as long as I remember to…  

Reflect. Respond. Repeat.

Aurea Sadi

"In letting God raise me up, I am compelled to raise others up."
​- Aurea Sadi (Ora Reflections)