Psalm Reflection: Easter Sunday The Resurrection of the Lord - Cycle B

“Alleluia.” - Psalms 118

Before I was in ministry, I was a chef.

When I first got hired in fine dining I started in pastry, and I quickly learned the hard way how baking requires that you stick exactly to the recipe or the results can be dramatically different. Whether your eggs and butter are cold or at room temperature, whether you scoop or weigh your ingredients, and whether you use things like oil or salt all can have vastly different consequences. 

Leaving out a crucial ingredient can ruin a recipe. Leaving out a crucial ingredient can also ruin prayer.

This week’s Responsorial Psalm is, “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad”… or simply “Alleluia.” In fact, “Alleluia” is often listed as an alternative response to the Responsorial, especially during the Easter season. Alleluia means “praise the Lord,” and it gets to the heart of Easter and of prayer in general.

The crucial ingredient to prayer is praise, and it is often missing when we approach the Lord. We are an Easter people and our song is meant to be “Alleluia” each and every day. When we do not incorporate praise into our prayer, we are leaving out the entire purpose and motivation behind prayer in the first place. We pray because God is worthy of our worship, and because we recognize that He has the sovereign power to protect, provide, and to address our needs. Instead of acknowledging God and praising Him for who He is, we turn inward and make our prayers about us.

Our prayers of petition are for what we want or need.

Our prayers of thanksgiving are for what we have.

Our prayers of contrition are for the ways we have turned away.

Praise is the only form of prayer that is not about us. Praise turns us outward to proclaim that we have a God who is worthy of all worship, praise, honor and glory. It is only when we recognize Him as the highest and greatest priority in our lives does everything else fall into its’ proper place. If our prayers are lacking in praise, then the entire recipe of our spiritual lives will fall flat.

As we enter into the Triduum and Easter season, the holiest days of the year, we are reminded of who God is and what He did for us. We are reminded that we have every possible reason to praise the Lord every day of our lives.

He gave everything to give us everything in return. Praise the Lord.

During these holy days, spend time in prayer simply offering words of praise so that the magnificence of God becoming man to suffer and die for our sins would not be lost on us, and so that we can live in the joy of the resurrection and the promise of eternal life this Easter season. 

If you need words to guide your prayer, take them from this Prayer of Praise from Saint Francis of Assisi:

You are holy, Lord, the only God,

and Your deeds are wonderful.

You are strong.

You are great.

You are the Most High.

You are Almighty.

You, Holy Father are King of heaven and earth.

You are Three and One, Lord God, all Good.

You are Good, all Good, supreme Good, Lord God, living and true.

You are love. You are wisdom.

You are humility. You are endurance.

You are rest. You are peace.

You are joy and gladness.

You are justice and moderation.

You are all our riches, and You suffice for us.

You are beauty.

You are gentleness.

You are our protector.

You are our guardian and defender.

You are our courage. You are our haven and our hope.

You are our faith, our great consolation.

You are our eternal life, Great and Wonderful Lord,

God Almighty, Merciful Saviour.

Amen.

Alleluia! Praise the Lord!

I am praying for you, please pray for me, and I will see you in the Eucharist.

Matt

This reflection is based on the Responsorial Psalm for this Sunday, March 31st, 2024, which is Easter Sunday The Resurrection of the Lord - Cycle B: Psalms 118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23.