4th Week in Ordinary Time (B) : Thursday 4th February 2021

Who is God?  God is the One Who is “great and worthy to be praised” (Ps 48:1).  When we ponder on the psalmist’s words — do we realise, how seldom we are conscious of God’s greatness?  How rarely we are mindful that God is “worthy to be praised”?  And how our praise, in many instances, degenerates into a routine, monotonous, mechanical set of steps?

The psalmist, as a Jew, goes on to tell us about Jerusalem being the “city of our God” (Ps 48: 1, 8) … the “Great King’s city” (v 2) …the “city of the Lord of hosts” (v 8) because it is where the temple is.  We note what the psalmist says about God, God is the “Great King” — the ‘King of kings’; and God is “the Lord of hosts”, i.e., God is the sovereign God over all the powers of the universe.

The psalmist tell us about God’s “holy mountain”, which is beautiful and it is “the joy of all the earth” (v 1); and Mount Zion, being the “true pole of the earth” (v 2)  is God’s mountain.

The psalmist then says, “O God, we ponder Your love within Your temple” (v 9).  When was the last time we pondered on God’s love?

As we begin a new year, let us take the time to recount God’s greatness. Let us begin 2021 praising God.  Let us take some time to “ponder” on God’s love which we have experienced throughout our lives; and which would continue to uphold us for this coming year.

Lord, we praise You.