Swan Psalm

A Reflection on the Psalm for Februaury 24th, 2019:
Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

​Psalm 103 

R. All that is within me, bless his holy name.

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and do not forget all his benefits. 

R. All that is within me, bless his holy name.

It is the Lord who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the Pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy. 

R. All that is within me, bless his holy name.

The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. 

R. All that is within me, bless his holy name.

As far as the east is from the west, so far he removes our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion for his children, so the Lord has compassion for those who fear him. 

R. All that is within me, bless his holy name.

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Although only eight verses of Psalm 103 are used in the Readings for this Sunday's Liturgy, the psalm is one of the most beautiful in the Old Testament, and its spirituality is quite profound. The entire psalm consists of twenty two verses, and it is a song of praise and of acknowledgement of the goodness of God. The psalmist is filled with awe and wonder at the mercy and compassion of the Creator for His people, in spite of their human frailties. He prays: "He does not deal with us according to our sins, but He is merciful and gracious… abounding in steadfast love".

"The psalmist is filled with awe and wonder at the mercy and compassion of the Creator for His people, in spite of their human frailties." 

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This psalm is also used for the Second Sunday in Lent, and its prayer spans the centuries. Jesus, by His death, truly  "redeems your life from the Pit (grave), and crowns you with His steadfast love”.

In the Gospel of Luke 6.27-38, used in this Sunday’s liturgy, Jesus teaches us of the incredible love of God for us and He asks us to live that example of love, described in the psalm. 

Jesus instructs: 

Love your enemies. Do not hold a grudge. 
"the Lord forgives all your iniquity”. 

Do not judge; give willingly; do not count the cost. 
"the Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger".  

Forgive and you will be forgiven.
"as far as east is from west, He removes our transgressions". 

Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
"the Lord has compassion for those who fear Him."  

The psalmist, centuries ago, was overwhelmed at the goodness of God and proclaimed: "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His Holy Name". The prayer of this psalm leaves me feeling much the same wonder and gratitude. God has 'hung onto us' over the centuries, always inviting us back to His care and compassion and love. In the book of Joel, God calls "return to Me with all your heart” (Joel 2:12). Jesus our Redeemer, calls to us "come to Me all you who labour" and He left us not only the lessons of the Gospels, but He sent us the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Love and Wisdom to guide us and to give us strength to spread the Word of God. The psalmist declares: "He crowns you with steadfast love and mercy”. 

Let us live the message of God's love, giving thanks and praise. May we bring others to know, "So great is His steadfast Love toward those who fear Him”, that they may join in the joyful song, "Let all that is within me, bless His Holy Name".

Lynda Tyler

Lynda Tyler leaves us with this, her "Swan Psalm", as she continues to serve her community in many capacities and often in very intimate circumstances. Our community feels so very blessed that she accompanied and taught us through the Ora Ministry journey. Thank you for your wisdom, time, effort, and love, and for breaking open the Psalms for us, Lynda. We love you!

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