June 29, 2026 //Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles
Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s Psalm: Psalm 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9
Reflect on the Word //
Our three-year-old granddaughter, unable to speak or swallow due to mouth sores from cancer treatment, gave a thumbs up to her mom’s description of the fun visit they’d just experienced with her dad and siblings. They’d returned home now, and I watched as our daughter positioned herself next to her child in the bed, settling in for a chat with me and my husband.
Our visit was restricted to a video call that day, but even so, it was impossible to miss the exhaustion and pain on their faces. A wave of discouragement swept over me as the call ended: Where is the evidence that God hears my prayers? Why must their suffering be prolonged?
But reading today’s Responsorial Psalm, I wonder, could it be that the angel God promises to rescue us is delivering us from evils more threatening than cancer or the painful side effects of its treatment? I immerse myself further in the Psalm and discover that “the lowly” who “hear me” and are “glad” (Psalm 32:3) are the parts of me that doubt, resist, cower in fear, or hide in shame. I summon them out of hiding and declare, “The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him and delivers them” (Psalm 34:8). Then I invite all my parts to “glorify the LORD with me” (Psalm 32:4a). I receive grace to know the unchanging goodness of God even when I don’t understand His ways.
Sister, the promises of today’s Psalm are not empty. When we choose to remember God’s glory and exalt His name, a real transformation takes place in us, no matter our circumstances. We find courage to let go of our doubts and fears and to entrust everything to Him.
Relate to the Lord // Pray with Psalm 34 today. What verse or word does the Lord highlight for you?
