32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time
R. Praise the Lord, my soul!
Written by Will Hickl
I love this psalm. The response embodies what we were made for - praising the Lord. Each verse goes through a litany of the ways in which God provides for us, how he has set us free, and how He loves us more than we can imagine. But in order to believe everything this psalm proclaims, it requires great faith on our part.
The first reading sets the tone for God's faithfulness when Elijah stays with a widow and asks for a meal. Although hesitant, she shows her trust and risks giving up everything she has to sustain life in order to feed Elijah. As we see, through her generosity and faithfulness, God blesses her more than she could imagine: "She was able to eat for a year, and he and her son as well; the jar of flour did not go empty, nor the jug of oil run dry, as the LORD had foretold through Elijah."
Taking a look at the gospel reading, we see the widow contributing her entire livelihood for the collection. Jesus points out her faithfulness, and although the reading doesn't say what ended up happening to her, we can assume that God's favor fell upon her and she was taken care of. It's worth noting that both readings feature widows, which aside from the major loss of a loved one also potentially meant a loss of income, stability, and security. God's faithfulness and compassion to widows shows that He will not forsake any situation no matter how dire.
As we pray with these readings, I encourage you to take stock of your own trust in God. Do you believe he would take care of you no matter how hard life gets? How often do you simply, as we proclaim in the psalm, praise the Lord for His provision and love?
Will Hickl is the co-founder and President of NOVUM RECORDS, producer, worship leader, software designer, one half of the alt-rock duo NOVUM, and most importantly husband and father based out of Lewisville, TX. He is extremely passionate about seeing artists thrive, and desires to build good culture through art. You can find him on Instagram, check out his musings on his Substack, and check out his new worship music on Spotify or Apple Music.
Pray with today’s psalm.