Whose Is Time?

A Reflection on the Psalm for Sunday, September 7th, 2025:
Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

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Psalm 90
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​R. Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations.

You turn man back to dust, and say, “Turn back, you children of Adam.” For a thousand years in your sight are like yesterday when it is past, or like a watch in the night. 

​R. Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations.

You sweep them away; they are like a dream, like grass that is renewed in the morning; in the morning it flourishes and is renewed; in the evening it fades and withers. 

​R. Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations.

So teach us to count our days that we may gain a wise heart. Turn, O Lord! How long? Have compassion on your servants! 

​R. Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations.

Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, so that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. Let the favour of the Lord our God be upon us, and prosper for us the work of our hands. 

​R. Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations.

Pause. Pray. Reflect.

What is time? And more importantly, what is human time to God?

This summer I was enrolled in two summer intensive courses. And having a packed schedule in the summer months made me truly appreciate the value of time (or lack of it). Well, in answer to the above questions: In my opinion, time is a human construct. For God, everything exists at all times and time is not linear or progressive like it is for us human beings. 

To further understand this asymmetry in human time and God’s time, we can take a look at our psalm for this Sunday. Psalm 90 is believed to be a Psalm of Moses. So it is Moses who is saying “a thousand years in your sight are like yesterday when it is past,” acknowledging the difference in how God perceives time versus how human beings do. God, who has existed before everything, is outside of time. For Him, all of human history would amount to just a blip of a second. 

Furthermore, the refrain of Psalm 90 underscores that God has been “our dwelling place in all generations.” The God of the universe has been a source of refuge for people of all generations, whether they knew Him or not. All the seasons created by God are a way for Him to provide variety or diversity for His children. Human beings are like “grass that is renewed in the morning.” God Who is outside of time can teach us, His creatures, the value of the time He has gifted us. 

This brings to mind a line from the book of Esther. Mordecai, Esther’s relative, reminds Esther that God has brought her to the throne for “such a time as this” (Esther 4: 14). This phrase has consoled me many times, especially when I have a difficult situation or task ahead of me. It gives me pause and helps me reflect on why I am in said situation. I am at that given juncture because God wills it and is going to bring something out of that moment in time. It has taught me to learn to trust in His providence. 

So, what is time, you ask? The real question worth pondering is whose is time. All time belongs to our Heavenly Father, Who wills us into existence and grants us the time we share with one another here on Earth.

Lord Jesus, you take care of me from the moment I wake up to the minute I rest my head. Help me to trust in Your provision and Your plan. I am here for but a moment to do Your will. Help me discern everything I do with Your help. Amen. 




Rebecca D'Mello

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