God’s Open Hand: Receiving and Radiating Divine Love
“For the Souls in Purgatory – Eternal rest grant unto them O Lord”
Ps 145
I will extol you, my God and King; I will bless your name forever and ever. Every day I will bless you; I will praise your name forever and ever. Great is the LORD and highly to be praised; his greatness is unsearchable. Generation after generation praises your works and proclaims your might. They speak of the splendor of your glorious majesty, and I will proclaim your wondrous deeds. They speak of the power of your awesome deeds, and I will declare your greatness. They publish the memory of your vast goodness; they shout for joy at your righteousness. The LORD is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. The LORD is good to all, compassionate toward all his creatures. All your works give you thanks, O LORD, and your faithful ones bless you. They speak of the glory of your kingship, and tell of your might, making known to the world your might and the glorious splendor of your kingship. Your kingship is a kingship for all ages, and your dominion endures through all generations. The LORD is trustworthy in all his words and faithful in all his works. The LORD upholds all who are falling and raises up all who are bowed down. The eyes of all look hopefully to you, and you give them their food in due season. You open your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing. The LORD is righteous in all his ways and holy in all his works. The LORD is near to all who call upon him, to all who call upon him in truth. He fulfills the desire of those who fear him, he hears their cry and saves them. The LORD watches over all who love him, but all the wicked he destroys. My mouth will speak the praise of the LORD, and all flesh will bless his holy name forever and ever.
Grace Prayed For
The scripture passage prompts the reader to pray for the grace to recognize and rejoice in the profound gift of God’s self-giving love, and the courage to embody and share this love with all whom they encounter.
Reflection
Psalm 145 is a breathtaking symphony of praise, a resounding declaration of God’s character and boundless generosity. As you read these verses, do you hear the echo of a God who is not distant or aloof, but intimately involved in every facet of creation and every moment of your life? The psalmist doesn’t just list attributes; he proclaims a living, breathing reality: “The LORD is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.” This is the very heart of God giving Himself to you – a heart overflowing with tender compassion.
Consider the lines, “You open your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing.” This isn’t merely about physical sustenance, though it certainly includes that. It speaks to the deepest longings of your soul, the yearning for purpose, for love, for belonging, for truth. God, in His profound love, opens His hand to satisfy these desires, offering Himself as the ultimate fulfillment. He doesn’t just give good things; He is the Good, pouring Himself out for you.
This self-giving extends to His presence: “The LORD is near to all who call upon him, to all who call upon him in truth.” This is an invitation to profound intimacy with your Trinitarian God. The Father’s embrace, the Son’s loving companionship, the Spirit’s indwelling presence – all are aspects of God giving Himself to you. To rejoice in your union with God is to step into this divine dance, to be enveloped in a love that transforms and empowers.
But this personal encounter is not meant to remain private. The psalmist repeatedly emphasizes the proclamation of God’s deeds: “Generation after generation praises your works and proclaims your might,” and “They speak of the glory of your kingship, and tell of your might, making known to the world your might and the glorious splendor of your kingship.” This is the “taking out into the world” part of our mission. Because God has so lavishly given Himself to us, we are compelled to share this good news. Every encounter, every conversation, every interaction becomes an opportunity to reflect the light of His self-giving love. It’s not about preachy words, but about embodying His compassion, His patience, His grace in tangible ways. When you truly grasp that God gives Himself to you, you become a vessel through which He can give Himself to others. Your very presence, infused with His love, can be a testament to His goodness, drawing others into the same transformative embrace. This is the necessity of our joining in His mission: to be living expressions of the God who gives Himself away, for the healing and hope of the world.
Growing in Intimacy/Union with Jesus
Psalm 145, though from the Old Testament, deeply resonates with the person of Jesus. Jesus is the ultimate expression of God’s self-giving. He is the “hand opened” to satisfy our deepest desires, not just by providing for our needs, but by giving His very life for our salvation. His incarnation, His ministry of healing and compassion, His death on the cross, and His resurrection are all manifestations of God’s unwavering commitment to give Himself to humanity. As we meditate on God’s attributes in Psalm 145 – gracious, merciful, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love, righteous, holy, near to all who call – we are drawn to Jesus, who perfectly embodies each of these. To know Jesus is to know the self-giving God, and this psalm becomes a beautiful lens through which to appreciate the depth of His love and sacrifice, drawing us into a deeper relationship with Him.
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Sharing
Jesus last words on Earth were to his disciples, can be found in Matthew Chap 28 when Jesus told his disciples, “Then Jesus approached and said to them, “All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”
Jesus calls all of us to share in his redemptive mission here on Earth. I would ask you to share this Scripture reflection with your family, your friends and your acquaintances, and then share it with a couple of individuals that you may may not be comfortable sharing with, keeping in mind always the words of Jesus, And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age
Author was assisted by AI in the drafting of this Post