19th Sunday in Ordinary Time
R. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.
Written by Steven Joubert
This weekend our Psalm is Psalm 34 with the response "Taste and see the goodness of Lord". As I read this Psalm over and over there were two lines that I kept coming back to, "Glorify the LORD with me, Let us together extol his name," and "Look to him that you may be radiant with joy." As I was praying and reflecting on these lines, I kept having this image of a faithful friend, putting their hand on my shoulder and giving encouragement. It is an image of invitation; to have someone invite me to participate in an encounter with the Lord.
In a way, it is the message that I should be open to receiving at every Mass, and also the message that we are called to live. Shouldn't my relationship with God be so infectious that I can't help but to say to my neighbor, "Glorify the Lord with me, let us together extol his name". In my mind it is the correct and opposite approach of the popular T-shirt "Y'all need Jesus". "Y'all need Jesus," is dismissive and off-putting. It creates a "greater than thou" dynamic. But "Glorify the Lord with me," is about a partnership, its accompaniment. We encounter the Lord together. We encounter Christ together. "For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them."(Mt 18:19-20)
The invitation and encouragement of those around us to grow in holiness is a huge part of our responsibility as Christians. But this responsibility falls on us BECAUSE we have tasted, we have seen God's goodness. The experience of God's goodness should be so groundbreaking for us that we can't help but to share it, to invite others to it. It IS the quintessential evangelical move. We love because He first loved us (1 John 4:19). Upon reflection, this Psalm actually demonstrates to us what Evangelism looks like. It is a blueprint for how to share with others the faith of our God who has saved us.
Steven Joubert is a husband and father. He is a singer-songwriter andNOVUM RECORDS artist. You can find his music onSpotify,Apple Music, and/or wherever you stream your music. To keep up with Steven, follow him onInstagram.
Pray with today’s psalm.