Reflactions on Ps 64 (Br David Arulanatham)

In two days time…

In two days time I turn fifty, and I am told that I need to celebrate this occasion. For me it seems like just another day and therefore as usual, as my previous birthdays I am not looking forward to any celebration. It so happens that I am the prayer leader for that day in the seminary. It was indeed a pleasant surprise for me as I went about to do the needful to prepare myself The first line of the first reading for the day is as follows, ‘Perish the day on which I was born and the night that told of a boy conceived.’ (Job 3:3). I had a good laugh and at the same time asked myself if I felt like that when I faced hurts, pain and sufferings.


There were indeed occasions in my life when I felt pushed to the wall and there seemed no way out. It was during these times I felt that my life was in a total wreck and there seemed to be no way out. However, today when I look back, it was during these times that I felt the grace of God working so tremendously in my life, leading me out of those situations and helped me regain my dignity and self-worth.



Today as I reflect my life as I pray the third psalm for the morning of my birthday in two days time I am able to make sense of my journey in finding God and establish a deeper and more intimate relationship with him.

Psalm 64(65), takes me back to the events of the life of the psalmist and the community of his time. The psalm in reality is a prayer during a festal assembly. In the psalm we are able to trace the moments of sacrifice and atonement which leads to a celebration whereby the psalmist and his community also experience being called to a closer union, an intimacy with this awesome God. There is a sense of a peculiar joy, peace and happiness being experienced and these experiences are attributed to God. God is praised for the gift of being chosen and brought into an aura of his presence of love, peace and joy.

To you all flesh will come with its burden of sin.
Too heavy for us, our offences, but you wipe them away.

Blessed is he whom you chose and call to dwell in your court.
We are filled with the blessings of your house, of your holy temple
Psalm 64(65)

Just as St. Paul says, in his second letter to the Corinthians:

‘My power is at its best in weakness. For it is when I am weak that I am strong’ 2 Cor:12:7-10,

let us be reminded today that God is with us, by our side at all times and it is for us to enter into his presence to enjoy the moments of peace, and tranquillity especially at times when we are overburdened. We are a people who are not doomed but are predestined to his heavenly kingdom and therefore, we are not to let go and give up on ourselves when the storms of our life become overwhelming and excruciating, On the contrary, these are the moments we have to be most thankful to God for it is during these time that we find ourselves embracing God our Father and experience his immense love for us.

The ends of the earth stand in awe at the sight of your wonders. The lands of sunrise and sunset you fill with joy. Psalm 64(65)

In two days time the only thing I wish to do is to give thanks to God my Father, Jesus his son and the Holy Spirit from the depths of my heart for I wonder in what a wretched state I would be in if not for his hands that reached out to me and pulled me out of that wretchedness. He gave me back my life, my human dignity and most of all, calling me to serve in his vineyard of love, peace and joy. Glory and praise to you, My Lord and my God! Amen.

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Stay tuned for the next post by Br Joseph Zhang on 28th Sep 2010.