"Sing With Joy": A Reflection on the Psalm for October 21st, 2018: Twenty-Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time

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Psalms 33:4-5, 18-20, 22
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R. Let your love be upon us as we place all our trust in You.
 
4 For the word of the LORD is upright; and all his work is done in faithfulness. 5 He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the steadfast love of the LORD. 

R. Let your love be upon us as we place all our trust in You.

18 Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love, 19 that he may deliver their soul from death, and keep them alive in famine. 

R. Let your love be upon us as we place all our trust in You.

20 Our soul waits for the LORD; he is our help and shield. 22 Let thy steadfast love, O LORD, be upon us, even as we hope in thee.

​R. Let your love be upon us as we place all our trust in You.

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To sing with joy (or any emotion for that matter), is to recognize that we often can't put into words what our heart feels. It always amazes me how folks can attend a hockey game or any such sporting event and sing aloud with such passion, without care or self-consciousness. But when it comes to praising our Creator, we are reluctant to sing His praises aloud and with conviction. I am told that it is probably more of a North American 'hang up' than perhaps a world-wide phenomenon (maybe we need more 'flash-mob' performances to loosen us up). Regardless, the Psalmist invites us to “ring out our joy” (Psalm 33:1) with voice, or anything that will make an enthusiastic noise to the Lord; to give thanks to the Lord with our whole being. 

Though only a small section of Psalm 33 is used in this Sunday's Liturgy, I imagine Mary would have loved this psalm, and she would have sung it with joy, love, and thanksgiving. The Psalm assures us that God is faithful and to be trusted—that He loves justice and right, and fills the world with His love. Last Friday at Alpha, Patty Viscount gave a wonderful talk, and she touched on the fruits of the Holy Spirit (love, joy, peace, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control). She also spoke of the mercy and forgiveness which Jesus offers us freely—no matter what the transgression. Though her words echoed a letter of Paul to the Galatians (5:22), the prayer of this ancient Psalm reaffirms Paul's message to us, with the assurance that the Spirit of God is welcoming "for those who hope in His steadfast love". And God, through the sacrifice of His only Son (as mentioned in this Sunday’s Gospel), does "rescue our souls" from the death of sinfulness and He "keeps us alive in famine". He is with us even in those times when we may feel abandoned, and may have no strength of our own to seek Him.

On a personal level, when my dear husband died, I remember feeling such numbness, and I couldn't pray. It was like I had died with him. Yet, Jesus kept me alive "in famine". His compassion was evident through the prayers and kindness of many people—a powerful lesson on the spiritual generosity of those who keep faith with Him.

Did Mary journey from her home in Nazareth to visit Elizabeth, probably astride a donkey, singing with joy and confidence: "Lord, let Your love be upon us as we place all our trust in You"? Shortly before this journey, she had given her Fiat to God, thus assuring our salvation. She still reminds us, through the prayer of the same psalm sung by us today, that her Son's "word is faithful”. He "fills the earth with His love”. Pax!

​Lynda Tyler

"To sing with joy, is to recognize that we often can't put into words what our heart feels." - Lynda Tyler (Ora Reflections)

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