When Things Turn Out Differently

A Reflection on the Psalm for Sunday, October 19th, 2025:
Twenty-Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time

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Psalm 121

R. Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

I lift up my eyes to the hills — from where will my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

R. Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

The Lord will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.

R. Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade at your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night.

R. Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time on and forevermore.

R. Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

Pause. Pray. Reflect.

Have you ever been hopeful about something only to have those hopes dashed? I’m experiencing a painful situation at the moment. Something that I had been looking forward to is in my possession right now but, along with it, has come a sense of unrest. This makes me realize that the thing I hoped for is probably not suited to me and, like the psalmist I cry out, “From where will my help come?” 

I know that the Lord will bring peace out of this pain and healing to the unrest I’m facing. My Provider will not fail to provide. All I need do is keep my gaze fixed on Him and remember that everything done out of the goodness of my heart will bear fruit, although perhaps not in the way I envision.  

My Lord will neither “slumber nor sleep.” If He delays in answering me, there is a reason for it. My goal is Heaven, not the good opinion of others, and so I trust that the “Lord will keep me from all evil.” Even if my situation is temporary, there is a permanent place for me in my Lord’s eyes. He knows my intentions, and He alone knows what I face even though others might make light of it or say that it is in my head. I can trust that He is watching what I do and watching over me.

My Lord knows the burden I carry, and He alone knows how to alleviate that burden. “The Lord will not let my foot be moved,” and so I trust in His wisdom in placing me where I am, even if it might be for a very brief season. 

Lord Jesus, I want only what you want. Strip me of my ego and help me to keep my focus on You. Maker of Heaven and earth, You are my sure source of help. Amen. 



Rebecca D’Mello

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