Share in The Suffering

A Reflection on the Psalm for July 25th, 2021:
Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

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Psalm 145

R. You open your hand to feed us, Lord; you satisfy all our needs.

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. You open your hand to feed us, Lord; you satisfy all our needs.

The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food in due season. You open your hand, satisfying the desire of every living thing. 

R. You open your hand to feed us, Lord; you satisfy all our needs.

The Lord is just in all his ways, and kind in all his doings. The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. 

R. You open your hand to feed us, Lord; you satisfy all our needs.

Pause. Pray.

And then read more...

The psalmist reminds us that the Lord is good, gracious, and generous in all His ways to those who call on Him in truth. As someone who professes to be a believer, I believe this to be true, and have seen evidence of it in my own life more times than I can share. Yet I don’t share these instances very often — unless it feels safe to do so.


With so much pain and suffering swirling around our Catholic church right now, it can feel a bit scary to profess God’s wonder and healing. Sharing the Good News does not mean I get to negate the pain and suffering of another. As a believer, I am called to acknowledge the very real experiences of pain and suffering and to open my arms, just as Christ did, to share in that suffering. I am called to do better — to be better. I am called to be His witness here on Earth and to show my gratitude for all He has given to me by doing what I can to help with reconciliation and healing.


The Lord is kind in all His doings, and so must I be kind in all mine. Now is not the time for me to argue or defend. It is the time to love. It is the time to bless Him as one of His faithful, for He has shown me what is good. It is the time to “... do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with God.” (Micah 6.8)


Let us pray:

Father God, I thank You for the blessings in this world. I unite myself to the sufferings of those who have been victimized and persecuted by my brothers and sisters who have gone before me, and I ask forgiveness for any part I may have played, unknowingly or otherwise. Help me to see and act in ways that show Your love and mercy in the world. Make me a channel of Your healing peace, and let me always strive to bring light to the darkness in Your name. Let me never look away or be afraid to address injustice. Help me to walk humbly with You, dressed in the armour of Your truth and love. In Jesus’ name, I pray.




Sandy Graves

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