1st Sunday of Lent (B)

INTRODUCTION

Your ways, O Lord, are love and truth to those who keep your covenant

The author is seeking divine guidance, remembering God’s compassion especially for sinners and for the humble.

Pastoral Excerpts

Lent is a time to choose

Verses 4–5 echo the Lenten call to choose God’s way despite the many easier paths available. As Frederick Buechner writes, “If you want to know who you are, watch your feet. Because where your feet take you, that is who you are.” Lent is a time to choose who we will be and whose we will be. Our identity will not be defined by what we claim to believe, but by the road we take. We would rather bypass the cross for the empty tomb, but the wisdom of Lent proclaims that Easter Sunday will not make much sense unless we are able to stay the course to and through Golgotha.

SOURCE: Content taken from FEASTING ON THE WORD, YEAR B (12 Volume Set); David L. Bartlett (Editor); Copyright © 2011. Westminster John Knox Press. All rights reserved.

Life Recovery Bible

Forgiving Others

Psalm 25:1-7 When we place our faith in God, we can trust him to care for us and help us overcome the things in our life that would destroy us. We need to ask him to show us how to live according to his truth. Because of his great love and compassion, he will forgive our past sins when we ask him to. And while forgiveness for our sins is important, it is also important for us to forgive others who have harmed us. As we forgive others, we can release our anger and focus on our own recovery.

LIFE APPLICATION STUDY BIBLE

Receiving God’s guidance

25:4 David expressed his desire for guidance. How do we receive God’s guidance? The first step is to want to be guided and to realize that God’s primary guidance system is in his Word, the Bible. Psalm 119 tells of the endless knowledge found in God’s Word. By reading the Bible and constantly learning from it, we will gain the wisdom to perceive God’s direction for our lives. We may be tempted to demand answers from God, but David asked for direction. When we are willing to seek God, learn from his Word, and obey his commands, then will we receive his specific guidance.

SOURCE: Content taken from Life Application Study Bible, Third Edition. Copyright © 2019. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, a Division of Tyndale House Ministries. All rights reserved.

READING 1 | READING 2 | GOSPEL

1st Sunday of Lent (B)

Catholic Bible Study

Keeping God’s Covenant

by Michal Hunt (Agape Bible Study)

The title of Psalm 25 attributes it to David.  The psalm is in an acrostic pattern, and each verse begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet.  The response is from verse 10 and reminds us of God’s everlasting covenant relationship with David and us through David’s descendant, Jesus of Nazareth (2 Sam 7:16; 23:5; Mt 1:1).

The psalms petitions

The psalmist petitions the Lord to instruct him in the ways of righteousness; he acknowledges that God is his Savior (verses 4-5).  He asks for God’s forgiveness for past sins because he has confidence in God’s compassion, love, and goodness (verses 6-7).

In verses 8-9, the psalmist writes of how God responds to both sinners and the humble.  The humble are those who confess their sins to the Lord.  God instructs and leads the humble and repentant sinner on the path to salvation.

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Commentary by St. Augustine

St. Augustine wrote concerning this psalm:

“Moreover, the one who follows the Lord’s paths, and sees that he has been set free through no merit of his own, and takes no pride in his own efforts, will draw nearer to the Lord; in times to come, he will avoid the severe judgment that will be handed down to those who question all these things, for he has experienced the mercy of the one who came to his aid” (St. Augustine, Enarrationes, in Psalmos, 24.10).

SOURCE: Michal E. Hunt at Agape Bible Study; used with permission.

READING 1 | READING 2 | GOSPEL

1st Sunday of Lent (B)

PIANO: Francesca Larosa

Psalm 25: Your ways, O Lord

Official LIVE video of Psalm 25 ‘Your Ways, O Lord’ (Francesca LaRosa – Psalms WORD FOR WORD) with the vocal line included to help you sing along! (Perfect for cantors to prepare for Sunday mass) Sheet music for this Psalm is available on my website (piano, vocal, and guitar are available NOW) at https://www.francescalarosa.com/​ (Bulletin and worship aid inserts come FREE with your purchase as well). Prayers to you and your families, and may you always grow in holiness!

ORGAN: Basilica of Saint Mary (Minneapolis, MN)

Commentary & Music

Psalm 25 Music and Reflection. Commentary at 0:19​. Music at 3:49​. In this Psalm reflection, Johan van Parys reminds us that no matter where you are at in life, what you are feeling, and what troubles you are dealing with, in the Psalms you will find your relief. This week, Julia Elizabeth and Chris Stroh follow with a more traditional organ piece.

MIDI: Catholic Hymns

R&A Alstott

MIDI file demonstration of Psalm 25 using music from Owen Alstott.

PIANO: JesComTV

Teach Me Your Ways, O Lord (Ps 25)