Psalm Reflection: The Third Sunday of Easter - Cycle C

“I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.” - Psalms 30

I used to love free climbing up rocks and boulders in the mountains as a child. I felt comfortable judging my abilities and determining what I could and could not do. That all changed the first time I tried traditional rock climbing with the boy scouts in middle school.

If you have never been rock climbing before, you are usually tethered to a person on the ground, called a belayer, who is holding your weight in case you slip and fall. I was a heavier kid for middle school, and my belayer was one of my fellow scouts named Adam. He was one of the nicest guys I have ever known, but he was scrawny and did not look like he could not hold my full weight on his own. I did not initially think anything of it, because of how comfortable I had always been climbing without ropes, and so I started climbing up a rock formation tethered to Adam. 

I climbed about twenty feet off of the ground when my body started to shake and fear started to creep in. I found myself stuck in a difficult spot, and my body was frozen. I could not move no matter how hard I tried to. I was sure that, if I let go, Adam would not be able to hold my weight and I would fall. I started crying and screaming for help. I found myself in a position I could not get out of on my own. I needed a rescue. 

I cannot remember exactly how I got back down to the ground that day. At some point, I believe one of the experienced adults took over belaying which made me comfortable enough to rappel down to safety. I needed help and abilities beyond my own to intervene and save me.

We naively go through life thinking we can do everything on our own, until we cannot. In the face of our own weakness, we can have several reactions. We can try anyway, which will probably lead to us getting hurt. We can feel paralyzed, unable to budge or make a decision. We can cry out in fear, asking for someone to come to our rescue.

The righteous cry out, the LORD hears

and he rescues them from all their afflictions.

The LORD is close to the brokenhearted,

saves those whose spirit is crushed. - Psalms 34:18-19

The Psalmist reminds us this Sunday of the command to praise the Lord, because he did exactly that: He responded to our cries. God rescued us from the paralysis and destruction of sin. We could not fix it or escape the problem ourselves, so God came to do it for us because He loves us. Without his intervention, we would be left to our own devices and our sins, meaning that every single one of us would suffer destruction and separation from God forever.

God is not our equal. He is more than capable of holding the weight of our sins and imperfections so we can get where we need to go: Heaven. 

"God alone suffices. He rescues us from all that weighs us down.” - St. Teresa of Avila

We praise God today and every day because He is in control, not us. We praise him for rescuing us from sin and death, that we no longer have to walk in the dominion of darkness, but we can live as children of light. We praise Him because when we are afraid, stuck, overwhelmed, or paralyzed by doubt, He is there to shoulder the burden so we can be free.

I praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.

Where are you stubborn and inflexible? 

Where do you find it difficult to ask for help?

Where in live do you try to do things on your own?

Where in your life do you need to let go of your own abilities and trust in the Lord?

In this Easter season, become like the tomb: empty. Empty yourself of pride and any assumption that you can succeed on your own. Let the Lord fill you, and through His presence within you, He will do incredible things.

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, May 4th, 2025, The Third Sunday of Easter - Cycle C: Psalms 30:2, 4, 5-6, 11-12, 13.