our gifts to god are his gifts to us - psalm 50 - 16th week monday

It is taking them too long to transfer me I have already reflected with you on the gospel and the first readings for a number of years now.  So beginning today let us turn our minds to the responsorial psalms of the mass which I would like to propose to you for our reflection.  The book of psalms is a prayer book par excellence, a prayer book that has no equal – in other words your prayer book, your volumes of novenas cannot equal this prayer book which we call the psalms.  Why?  Because psalms are inspired prayers.  And so when you pray the psalms you speak to God with the words of God; when you pray the psalms you express the wishes of your hearts with the wishes and expression which come from the heart of God himself. 

Today we have prayed Psalm 50.  In this psalm God reminds us in prayer that whatever we do for God, whatever offering we make – be they an offering of talents, money, hard work or even of one's life – all these came from God.  So don't imagine that these are your gifts to God, or that God owes you something because you gave him something that is yours, or you did him a favor and gave Him something that He needs.  When you give your offerings to God, when you give your life to God you are only giving him back what is his.  So don't think that you are doing God a favor.  Instead the psalmist invites us to look at our offerings as sacrifices of praise.  A sacrifice of praise is an interior disposition recognizing that God is the creator of all:  "For everything is from you, and what we give is what we have received from you."(1 Chr.29) Only this kind of disposition is acceptable to the Lord says Psalm 50.

I take from your house no bullock,
no goats out of your fold.”

“When you do these things, shall I be deaf to it?
Or do you think that I am like yourself?
I will correct you by drawing them up before your eyes.
He that offers praise as a sacrifice glorifies me.

To the upright I will show the saving power of God.