Reflection on 10th April 2019
Reflection for Wednesday of the Fifth week of Lent
Praising vs Praying
Reflection for Wednesday of the Fifth week of Lent
Praising vs Praying
Daniel 3:14-20, 91-92, 95; Daniel 3:52-56; John 8:31-42
Link to Readings
The Responsorial Hymn is not from the Book of Psalms as usual. It is from the Book of Daniel. Just like most of the Psalms, this hymn is filled with praises too. Praising God always brings us closer to God than praying to God. Most of the time, praying for our needs creates doubt within us about the provision of God. It automatically makes us think, even without our knowledge, that we have to keep reminding the Lord of our needs for Him to provide us. But, as we all know, God knows our needs even before we come to know of it. He has not created us into this world as paupers. While creating us, He has already done everything for us to live a happy, peaceful life with nothing lacking. That is why we sing in one of the favorite psalms, “Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want”. Jesus has mentioned several times of the Father’s provision. Once he used the care the birds in the air and flowers in the field receive from the Lord to teach us how much our Father cares for us. He is ready with cake when our need is for bread.
Praising the Lord brings us closer to Him. Praising makes us remember the goodness of the Lord - how loving, how generous, how forgiving and how caring He is. When we remember His goodness and His promises, we realize that there is nothing left for us to ask from Him and it makes us praise and thank Him continuously.
Even when we are in trouble, even if the trouble is not as big as the one face by the three people in the First reading, if we start to praise the Lord as they did, we will realize that everything will end well for us and for others in His hands, as long as we trust in His love and care.
“Blessed are they who have kept the word with a generous heart and yield a harvest through perseverance.”
Link to Readings
The Responsorial Hymn is not from the Book of Psalms as usual. It is from the Book of Daniel. Just like most of the Psalms, this hymn is filled with praises too. Praising God always brings us closer to God than praying to God. Most of the time, praying for our needs creates doubt within us about the provision of God. It automatically makes us think, even without our knowledge, that we have to keep reminding the Lord of our needs for Him to provide us. But, as we all know, God knows our needs even before we come to know of it. He has not created us into this world as paupers. While creating us, He has already done everything for us to live a happy, peaceful life with nothing lacking. That is why we sing in one of the favorite psalms, “Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want”. Jesus has mentioned several times of the Father’s provision. Once he used the care the birds in the air and flowers in the field receive from the Lord to teach us how much our Father cares for us. He is ready with cake when our need is for bread.
Praising the Lord brings us closer to Him. Praising makes us remember the goodness of the Lord - how loving, how generous, how forgiving and how caring He is. When we remember His goodness and His promises, we realize that there is nothing left for us to ask from Him and it makes us praise and thank Him continuously.
Even when we are in trouble, even if the trouble is not as big as the one face by the three people in the First reading, if we start to praise the Lord as they did, we will realize that everything will end well for us and for others in His hands, as long as we trust in His love and care.
“Blessed are they who have kept the word with a generous heart and yield a harvest through perseverance.”