7th Sunday in Ordinary Time
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
Written by Fr. Luke Farabaugh
My grandmother and I were very close. After her death I remember returning to my daily routine of prayer with her on my mind. Psalm 103 begins with the Lord’s benefits and gifts. As I read the opening lines to this psalm, I had a unique image of these gifts being actively bestowed on her in heaven. The psalm continues:
…give thanks to the Lord
And never forget all his blessings
It is he who forgives all your guilt,
who heals every one of your ills,
who redeems your life from the grave,
who crowns you with love and compassion,
who fills your life with good things,
renewing your youth like an eagle’s
Imagine an old woman whose life is redeemed from the grave, who is crowned with love and compassion and whose youth is renewed like an eagle. Imagine. The beginning of Psalm 103 gives us a taste of what is to come.
Also, toward the end of psalm there is a beautiful portrayal of God’s mercy. I often give this psalm as a penance and ask the penitent to focus on the following lines:
as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he put our transgressions from us.
As a father has compassion on his children,
so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him.
This is precisely what happens in the sacrament of confession, when a sin is forgiven it is removed completely, as far as the east is from the west! Christ separates us from our sins, like the hero that spans the skies. One of our retreat masters used to say when Jesus forgives your sins, he throws them in a lake and casts them deep within and then puts up a sign ‘no fishing’. May God bless you as you meditate and pray with psalm 103 this Sunday.
When was the last time you went to confession? What are you waiting for?
Fr. Luke Farabaugh is the Parochial Vicar at Saint Rita Catholic Church in Santa Rosa Beach, FL. Keep up with him and check out his podcast “Panhandle Padres” on Instagram.
Pray with today’s psalm.