Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time – Cycle C
Reflecting on Ps. 90:12
The readings are fascinating and rich this weekend, but it’s the Responsorial Psalm that catches me by the throat.
Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom, says the psalmist (90:12). Especially in these long days of summer, I always reproach myself for not making the most of the sunshine, of the times with friends, of summer concerts, and even drives in the mountains.
Our days are numbered. We know this with every sunrise, and every end of day. Why, then, do we let the days roll by, one after the other, as if our time isn’t finite, and the sand in the hourglass isn’t relentlessly flowing south?
As you study the readings, either before or after Mass this weekend, don’t skim the psalm. Stop and pray it, and let its wisdom fill you: 90:3-4. 5-6. 12-13. 14 and 17.
A thousand years are to God like a single watch in the night. The Creator of all galaxies holds us, and sustains us, through all history.
Fill us at daybreak with your kindness. Oh, that we would greet every stunning summer morning with gratitude, and every gorgeous summer sunset with awe.
May the gracious care of the Lord be ours. Prosper the work of our hands! Pray today for all farmers, who watch the skies for rain, and who provide food for the world.
Don’t let these grace-filled days slip by you. Listen for God in every birdsong. If today you hear God’s voice, harden not your heart.
What phrase from today’s psalm most touches you?
Kathy McGovern © 2025