15th Sunday in Ordinary Time
R. Turn to the Lord in your need, and you will live.
Written by Fr. Marvin Bearis
Today’s responsorial psalm invites us to turn to our Lord in prayer especially in times of pain, suffering, or even when you’re feeling spiritually empty and far away from His love. We turn to Him because of who He who loves us and answers our prayers.
In my life, there were many times I have allowed the sin of self-reliance in preventing me from turning to the Lord in times of great need. Self-reliance fills me with pride and causes me to think that I can figure out the struggles in my spiritual life independent of God’s providence. I would eventually realize that after a lot of moments of frustration, I cannot do anything on my own without the Lord’s help. The psalmist writes in verse 14, “I pray to you, O LORD, for the time of your favor, O God! In your great kindness answer me with your constant help.” I now ask the Lord for a humble heart and mind and completely surrender all my cares upon Him.
We have a God who invites us to turn to Him with humble and contrite hearts. We grow in understanding God’s kindness and mercy as we cry out to Him with all of our needs. May we cast aside any self-reliance, pride, or fear in order for us to completely turn to our Lord and trust in His care for our lives.
How do I encourage others to be dependent upon the Lord with their needs?
Fr. Marvin Bearis is a Capuchin Franciscan Priest and currently resides in Boston. He serves as a Vocation Director for the Capuchin Province of St. Mary of New York and New England. He is originally from Hawaii, and has been a Capuchin Friar since the fall of 2000, and was ordained as a priest in June 2009. Follow Fr. Marvin on Instagram.
Pray with today’s psalm.