Things I Know

A Reflection on the First Reading for Sunday, June 30th, 2024:
Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

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Psalm 30

R. ​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. 

R. ​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. 

R. ​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. 

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

Pause. Pray. Reflect.

By the world’s standards, I’m not a very smart person. You would not want me on your team for trivia night. When I was young, I asked why they couldn’t just print more money to give to the poor people. I struggled to understand economics and the dynamics of supply and demand. I’m not very good at understanding literature, metaphors, or underlying themes. I don’t understand politics or the nuances between types of government. I don’t know very much about history, prominent wars, or significant discoveries. And recently I have even found difficulty in making coffee in a fancy coffee maker that is very different from my own.

But there are a few things I do know. I know the fierceness with which the Lord has pursued me. I know the depth of His compassion as He sat with me in the pit. I know His abounding grace as He freed me from the chains of addiction and restored me to life. I know He picks up a sword every day to defend me in battle against my most significant foe: shame. I know the pain of trauma, and how the Lord redeems it by showing me how it can help others to heal. I know the depth and joy of Christ-centred relationships. I know His unending mercy as He forgives me again and again. I know my unworthiness. And I know, without a shadow of a doubt, His worthiness. I know His Holy Name deserves all my praises. I know He has turned my night into day, my mourning into dancing. And most importantly, I know the “overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God.”




Lisa Matheson

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