Above The Waves

SCRIPTURE
- 2 Samuel 22:5 & 7    
"The waves of death swirled about me; the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me…In my distress I called to the Lord…From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came to his ears."

REFLECTION
- Jen

MUSIC
-Lord of Glory, Who hast Brought Us

-Quiet Streets by Gjeilo

NOTES
-

PRAYER OF LETTING GO
To You do I belong, O God,
into Your hands I surrender my life.
Pour out Your Spirit upon me
that I may love You perfectly,
and serve You faithfully
until my soul rests in You.

Transcript

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SPEAKER_02 0:30

Today is the feast day of Blessed Frederick Bautomal, a French scholar and attorney who dedicated his life to the poor, most notably founding the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. On the 27th of this month, we will celebrate the feast day of St. Vincent de Paul. And the entire week leading up to his feast day, we will highlight other Vincentian family groups. Thank you for joining us today, and welcome to prayer. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall declare your praise.

SPEAKER_01 1:17

Psalm 41. Reaching out in love. Blessed are those who reach out to others in love, who give generously to those in need. God smiles on them and sustains them in their times of trouble.

SPEAKER_03 1:39

I realize, I pray, O God, I have done some of that, but not enough.

SPEAKER_01 1:51

You have sustained me in my troubles anyway. When I was sick and afraid, when I was overwhelmed by problems, when the people I cared for turned against me. You helped me out of that mess. Your invisible hand guided me.

SPEAKER_03 2:13

And now another chance to reach out to others in love. To give generously to those in need. When trouble comes again, I will have your support. Blessed be your holy name.

SPEAKER_01 2:34

Glory be to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

SPEAKER_03 2:39

As it was in the beginning, is now and will be forever. Amen.

SPEAKER_00 2:48

A reading from the second letter of Samuel, chapter 22, verses 5 and 7. The waves of death swirled about me. The torrents of destruction overwhelmed me. In my distress, I called to the Lord. From his temple, he heard my voice. The word of the Lord. Maybe not exactly like David did in our reading. As Saul was quite literally trying to kill him. But just as surely as he did for David, the Lord hears our cries when we call out to him in the midst of our distress. When I am honestly and consistently crying out to the Lord in my own distress, it seems like I have to do a lot of waiting for a response from him. But recently, I was talking to a friend about her own prayer. And she shared something that she sensed the Lord saying to her that lit up very many of my own prayer experiences. She was pouring out her lamentation to the Lord, like, why is all of this happening? These things are terrible, etc. And she sensed him speaking to her heart. Look where I am. She had lost sight of where he was because she was distracted by all the bad things in places where he wasn't. And I immediately thought of Peter walking on the water with Jesus, noticing those waves. I mean, David even uses that images of waves of death in our reading today. And when Peter looked away from Jesus to those waves, he began to sink. But returning his gaze to Jesus to receive his hand, he not only survived, but he walked upon the water again. Sure, the waves are swirling all around us. But when we're with Jesus, the waves are below us. And those waves can take us places with Jesus. Blessed Frederick Ozenham, who went places with Jesus. When he was in a religious debate, surrounded by the waves of atheist and unbelieving thought, he was challenged. What do you do besides talk to prove the faith that you claim is in you? Frederick didn't get stuck there. He didn't get lost in the waves of arguments or intellectualizing. I think he must have looked at Jesus in that moment. Because he responded with his life in a way that took him and his friends above the waters. They went out in the midst of the distress to get to know and to serve the poor. Beginning the St. Vincent of Paul's society as we know it today. Talk about fruit that will last. In the middle of our distress, let us look with Blessed Frederick, not focusing on where God is not, but let us look where He is and go with Him from there.

SPEAKER_02 6:43

And now let us bring our intercessions before the Lord. With confidence, we pray.

SPEAKER_04 7:03

Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.

SPEAKER_02 7:20

Heavenly Father, when the waters of trouble surround us, remind us that you hear our cry. Be our refuge and our deliverer. Keep us above the waves. Strengthen our faith, calm our hearts, and lead us safely through every trial. Like Blessed Frederick Ozanam, we place our trust in you, knowing that your mercy is greater than our fears. We ask this all through Christ our Lord.

SPEAKER_03 7:57

Amen. To you do I belong, O God.

SPEAKER_04 8:03

Into your hands I surrender my life. Pour out your spirit upon me, that I may love you perfectly and serve you faithfully until my soul rests in you.

SPEAKER_02 8:20

Thank you for joining us today. And may Almighty God bless you, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

SPEAKER_04 8:29

Amen.

SPEAKER_02 8:33

Go forth in love and joy, and we'll see you tomorrow.