Psalm Reflection: The Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Cycle C

“The Lord hears the cry of the poor.” - Psalms 34

I sometimes scream when I am driving alone in my car. Don’t worry, I am not losing my cool or going crazy. I actually find it very therapeutic.

Screaming has been proven to provide temporary relief by triggering a stress response, releasing endorphins, and calming the nervous system. The physical act of screaming engages the vagus nerve, which can lower your heart rate and your blood pressure. Screaming can also lead to a release of the stress hormone cortisol, and paired with the body's natural feel-good chemicals, endorphins, can be similar to the effect of exercise. 

Screaming in the car also reminds me of my children. When they get hurt, when they are scared, when they need something: they scream it out. They do not have any care about whether the setting is appropriate, nor do they see a need to confine their scream to the car like I do. They teach me every day how to approach the Lord as His child: when I am in need, when I am scared, when I am hurt, to cry out to the Lord. If I want to give my children everything they need when they cry out, how much more willing and able will our Heavenly Father be to give us what we need when we cry out to Him (Luke 11:13)?

The Psalmist reminds us that “the Lord hears the cry of the poor.” We are all poor before the Lord. Everything we have is from the Lord, and we can claim no ownership of anything other than our sin. Pope Leo XIV recently wrote his first Apostolic Exhortation, entitled Dilexi Te, which is Latin for “I Have Love You,” and it is addressed to all Christians on love for the poor. He reminds us of this same reality, that there are many dimensions to poverty that can relate to any one of us and remind us of our need for the Lord being echoed in the cries of the poor:

“The condition of the poor is a cry that, throughout human history, constantly challenges our lives, societies, political and economic systems, and, not least, the Church. On the wounded faces of the poor, we see the suffering of the innocent and, therefore, the suffering of Christ himself. At the same time, we should perhaps speak more correctly of the many faces of the poor and of poverty, since it is a multifaceted phenomenon. In fact, there are many forms of poverty: the poverty of those who lack material means of subsistence, the poverty of those who are socially marginalized and lack the means to give voice to their dignity and abilities, moral and spiritual poverty, cultural poverty, the poverty of those who find themselves in a condition of personal or social weakness or fragility, the poverty of those who have no rights, no space, no freedom.” - Dilexi Te, 9.

Pope Leo also reminds us that we need to draw near to the poor, recognizing their wisdom and dignity, and that they have much to teach us about how to approach the Lord:

“It is not a question of “bringing” God to them, but of encountering him among them. All of these examples teach us that serving the poor is not a gesture to be made “from above,” but an encounter between equals, where Christ is revealed and adored.” - Dilexi Te, 79.

I encourage you to read the document in its’ entirety here: https://www.vatican.va/content/leo-xiv/en/apost_exhortations/documents/20251004-dilexi-te.html 

Ultimately, the Responsorial Psalm for this Sunday is a reminder that we can cry out to God in our need. We have a loving Father in Heaven who wants to provide for our every need. He delights in us and is always working to bring about our greatest possible good (Romans 8:28).

Often, we hold in our wants and emotions because we do not want to be seen as “too much” or a burden on anyone. God can handle it. Give it to Him. Let go of the pain and the hurt so your hands are open and unoccupied, then they will be ready to receive what He is waiting to give you.

When was the last time you truly cried out to God in your need? What held you back, if anything, from being completely honest and vulnerable with Him?

How does knowing that God delights in providing for you and bringing about your good change the way you approach Him in prayer?

Are there burdens, pains, or fears you’ve been holding onto that you need to release to God? What might it look like to let go of these and open your hands to receive His grace?

I am praying for you. Please pray for me and my family, and I will see you in the Eucharist.

Matt

This reflection is based on the Responsorial Psalm for this Sunday, October 26th, 2025, the Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Cycle C: Psalms 34:2-3, 17-18, 19, 23.