The Shape of Time

A Reflection on the Psalm for Sunday, October 30th, 2022:
Thirty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time

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Psalm 145

R. I will bless your name for ever, my King and my God.

I will extol you, my God and King, and bless your name forever and ever. Every day I will bless you, and praise your name forever and ever. 

R. I will bless your name for ever, my King and my God.

The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. The Lord is good to all, and his compassion is over all that he has made.

R. I will bless your name for ever, my King and my God.

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. I will bless your name for ever, my King and my God.

The Lord is faithful in all his words, and gracious in all his deeds. The Lord upholds all who are falling, and raises up all who are bowed down.

R. I will bless your name for ever, my King and my God.

Lord, You are good. Love is good, always. Love is always present, even in the darkest of days – and to choose love when it would feel more satisfying to be spiteful or vindictive is truly the road less traveled. Eventually, ideally, it becomes less satisfying to act out of anger or pain, and as God’s road becomes more familiar, I can rest in the promises that this psalm repeats, and love God more fully and completely. 

I love to pray with the promises and the qualities of God, to remind myself that He who is Love is merciful, powerful and faithful. It is only after spending time with what these qualities mean and being convinced of their truth that I can love others with the same overarching sense of compassion and timelessness.

This is what forever means to me – with time assuming a sort of roundness, less linear and further-reaching, both less important and more important all at the same time. The present moment is the only one that matters, and it matters because it has a direct impact on both the past and the future. Holding onto Love in every present moment is my goal, and the opponents on that battlefield are many. 

The strategy for spiritual victory is as simple as the psalms – honesty with God and compassion for myself and for others, in His name – all the other, material and fleeting details of life fall away and I am upheld by Love Himself in a place where time stands still, steeped in a peace that passes all understanding.

Lord, hear our prayers of praise and thanksgiving, and bring the truth of Your Love deeply into the hearts of all who seek You – forever. Amen.




Lindsay Elford

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