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

“Lord, come to my aid!” - Psalms 40

Have you ever been stuck? 

Caught in traffic,

trapped in an elevator,

stranded in an airport, 

or lost in a new city?

One of my biggest fears as a child was being trapped. The older kids on the playground would sit at the bottom of the tunnel slides on the playground and would trap kids inside as they came down. I remember getting stuck in a pile of kids inside the slide one day and the immediate panic setting in. 

On another occasion, I was at my neighbors house hanging out on their front deck and decided to sit at the edge of the deck with my legs through the vertical rungs hanging off the side. For some reason, I decided to stick my head between two rungs thinking it would be more comfortable. When I tried to pull my head back through, I could not squeeze it back between the rungs.

I was completely trapped. And no matter what I tried to do it only made things worse and more painful, driving splinters into the sides of my head and neck. There was only one thing I could do. I cried out for help.

My neighbor’s dad and my father both came running to my aid, eventually having to cut one of the rungs off the deck to free me. 

As I read the Responsorial Psalm for this Sunday, I remember that moment of desperation and the relief that came from crying out for help. The God that we worship is a loving Father who wants to come to the aid of his children. He reveals Himself in Jesus, who comes to the aid of Peter when he sinks into the Sea of Galilee.

If you ever feel hopeless, lost, abandoned, stuck in sin, or trapped by your circumstances, cry out to God. Scripture attests to the fact that we have a God who will respond and rescue us in our times of need:

"Then the Lord said, 'I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters. I know their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them.'" - Exodus 3:7-8

“In my distress I called upon the Lord, to my God I called. From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry came to his ears." - 2 Samuel 22:7

"In my distress I called upon the Lord, to my God I cried for help. From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry to him reached his ears." - Psalm 18:6

“When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles." - Psalm 34:17

"I waited patiently for the Lord, he inclined to me and heard my cry. He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure." - Psalm 40:1-2

"The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. He fulfills the desire of those who fear him, he also hears their cry and saves them." - Psalm 145:18-19

"Fear not, for I am with you, be not dismayed, for I am your God, I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." - Isaiah 41:10

"I called on your name, O Lord, from the depths of the pit, you heard my plea, ‘Do not close your ear to my cry for help!’ You came near when I called on you, you said, ‘Do not fear!’" - Lamentations 3:55-57

"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." - Matthew 11:28

"He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away." - Revelation 21:4

These are only a selection of the countless places God’s promises of deliverance are expressed on the pages of Sacred Scripture. We must keep these words close and on the forefront of our minds, especially in moments when we feel abandoned or without hope. The Lord will always bring victory and deliverance in the end. We must be willing to be patient and trust in the Lord’s timing, but we can know with assurance that He will never abandon us and He has already delivered us from evil, sin, and death.

Cling to the cross of Christ as you carry your own, and know that He walks with you toward the promise of a new day, a resurrection, where new life can take root in places that previously seemed hopeless.

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, August 17th, 2025, the Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Cycle C: Psalms 40:2, 3, 4, 18.