Why, Oh Why?

A Reflection on the Psalm for Sunday, October 8th, 2023:
Twenty-Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

---

Psalm 80

R. The vineyard of the Lord is the house of Israel.

You brought a vine out of Egypt; you drove out the nations and planted it. It sent out its branches to the sea, and its shoots to the River. 

R. The vineyard of the Lord is the house of Israel.

Why then have you broken down its walls, so that all who pass along the way pluck its fruit? The boar from the forest ravages it, and all that move in the field feed on it.

R. The vineyard of the Lord is the house of Israel.

Turn again, O God of hosts; look down from heaven, and see; have regard for this vine, the stock that your right hand planted.

R. The vineyard of the Lord is the house of Israel.

Then we will never turn back from you; give us life, and we will call on your name. Restore us, O Lord God of hosts; let your face shine, that we may be saved.

R. The vineyard of the Lord is the house of Israel.

Pause. Pray. Reflect.

Psalm 80 can be categorized as a psalm of lament. In the few verses that we read this Sunday, it is evident that the author is trying to understand God’s purpose in bringing the Israelites out of Egypt. I can identify with the author of this psalm as I too try to analyse God’s purpose in bringing me to Halifax from India. Sometimes there are so many questions that I wish I could ask Him face-to-face. Someday, if by God’s grace I reach Heaven, I will ask Him my questions. 

Does it even make sense, on a rational level, to question what God does? Will my inquiries and ponderings change facts? No. But my fallen human nature makes me doubt when I should trust. No matter how many times God’s plan falls into place I still worry and obsess over details of my future that I am clueless about. Like the psalmist I cannot help but wonder.

The psalmist pleads with God to “look down from heaven.” All he longs for is to see God face-to-face and he promises that he will never turn his back on God again. Once again, this reminds me of all the times I go for confession and vow not to sin, invariably going back to the Sacrament of Reconciliation for pretty much the same shortcomings. If I were God, I probably would really scold me, Rebecca, for doing the same silly things time and again. But that is because my human logic and sense of right and wrong seeks actions and their consequences. I rarely, if ever, look at things with a merciful perspective.

God’s love is unconditional, and His mercy is everlasting. He wants us to keep coming back to Him every time we falter or flounder. God isn’t a referee who is keeping a tally of our sins; God is more like a loving parent who knows that no one can break your heart more than your child and yet is willing to open His arms and heart to us every time we even think of repenting. 

Why, oh why are we so blessed to receive so much grace from the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit? In our limited humanity, we may not be able to fathom the logic behind this generosity, but all we need is faith to rely on Our Divine Deity who has a plan for us and a purpose for our lives. We can trust that He will always be standing with arms outstretched to bring us back home, like a child eagerly waiting for a beloved lost pet to return. And through His merciful love He will always provide a sense of peace when our human reasoning torments and chastises us. Our God is total, perfect mercy. And boy, oh boy, do we need His mercy.

Heavenly Father, I thank You for always reaching out to me in the moments when my sin causes me to hide from You. Thank You for repeatedly forgiving me when I do not feel worthy of Your forgiveness. Help me be like You and to reach out to those in my life who have hurt me or whom I have hurt. Teach me to be charitable like You. I ask all of this in the name of Your son, Jesus Christ. Amen. 




Rebecca D'mello​

---