Psalm 147: 12-15, 19-20

The responsorial for today’s celebration comes from the final stanza of Psalm 147, which calls upon the people of Jerusalem to praise the Lord and highlights several aspects of God’s blessings and providence.

This passage is fitting for today’s celebration because it highlights the themes of God’s care, restoration, and nourishment. It speaks of God’s delight in Jerusalem, the city of God’s people, and how God strengthens the gates and blesses the children within. This imagery can be seen as a foreshadowing of the Church, the new Jerusalem, and God’s loving care for his people.

Glorify the LORD, O Jerusalem; praise your God, O Zion.

Jerusalem, the capital city, and Zion, the sacred mountain where it stands, symbolize the people themselves. They are directly summoned to offer praise to God.

From here, the psalmist will highlight various marvelous deeds of God that inspire this praise. All of the works that will be mentioned point to the exceptional bond between God and His people.

For he has strengthened the bars of your gates; 

God is directly involved in safeguarding the city and nurturing its inhabitants.

Ancient cities were often fortified by walls, which safeguarded the inhabitants and provided a vantage point to survey the surrounding areas. Despite the strength of these walls, the city remained vulnerable at its gates, which were necessary to accommodate traffic in and out of the city.

By strengthening the gates, God strengthens the people at their weakest spot, showing concern for the safety of the city’s inhabitants.

he has blessed your children within you.

This blessing from God on the children of Jerusalem shows that God’s favor and care extend to the future generations of his people.

He has granted peace in your borders;

Not only does God protect his people from external threats, he also blesses them with inner harmony within their community.

Protected as they are, the people of Jerusalem are truly blessed. They can go about their lives with a sense of security.

with the best of wheat he fills you.

In addition to security and peace, God also provides for the people’s sustenance. Wheat, as a staple food in biblical times, symbolizes nourishment, abundance, and prosperity.

Abundant wheat of exceptional quality can only come from expansive fields that have not been ravaged by war. This is a land that has known peace.

The Church also views this verse as a reference to the Eucharist, an ineffable expression of God’s generosity.

He sends forth his command to the earth; swiftly runs his word!

God has power over creation, his sovereignty extends to all the earth.

God’s powerful word (Genesis 1:3-26; Isaiah 55:10-11) is personified as a swift-running messenger. When God issues a command, it is swiftly and decisively carried out without delay. God speaks, and it is accomplished.

He has proclaimed his word to Jacob, his statutes and his ordinances to Israel. He has not done thus for any other nation; his ordinances he has not made known to them.

The same omnipotent word that brought the universe into existence has been bestowed upon Israel through the law, setting them apart as a remarkable nation.

Through God’s word, Israel receives ongoing divine protection and care, experiencing blessings and a special bond unlike any other nation. The law given to them holds the key to life itself.

Such a privilege calls for heartfelt praise and gratitude toward God!