Psalm Reflection: The Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Cycle A)

“Lord, you are good and forgiving.” - Psalm 86

This may be a hard sentence to believe or speak aloud at a time like this, when so much that we see is not good and division is so rampant.

Or maybe you were raised with an idea of God that was not good and forgiving. For me, the God I was first introduced to would have instead provoked a response like: “Lord you are a distant judge.” I always thought God was far away, and I had to be perfect in order to climb the mountain of holiness to reach Him. He would only ever come down to exact punishment for my sins and mistakes.

That is not the One, True God.

That is not God in the Old Testament, who suddenly mellows out in the New Testament with Jesus. That may be how people perceived God, but He is, and has always been, loving, merciful, good and forgiving.

So, who is the God that you worship? Are these the first adjectives that would come to mind when you describe Him? 

If not, why? How does your image of God prevent you from receiving what He wants to give you?

If you describe your God as good and forgiving, do you act like it in the way you live your life? Do you share that goodness and forgiveness with whoever you meet? 

God is always working for your greatest possible good. His central action in human history was so that you would be forgiven and has the possibility of eternal life with Him. Thinking that God is anything contrary to that is simply untrue.

This week, take some time to “reset” any unhelpful or incorrect images you have of God. Read through Psalm 86 and contemplate the goodness and forgiveness of God. 

We are praying for you.

See you in the Eucharist.

Matt