Psalm 69: 8-10, 14, 17, 33-35

The responsorial psalm for this week comes from Psalm 69, a lament about suffering. Despite his circumstances, the psalmist maintains hope that all will be set right. The correlation with our first reading from Jeremiah is very clear.

Unfortunately, crying out to God in grief or sorrow is not something we are accustomed to doing, or even hearing from others. Complaining to God may seem disrespectful or irreverent, but in reality, a lament is an act of deep faith. It recognizes that God holds authority over life’s situations and humbly believes that God will assist those who cry out for help. A lament is a genuine expression of trust in God’s intervention.

For your sake I bear insult, and shame covers my face. I have become an outcast to my brothers, a stranger to my mother’s children,

The passage opens with a summary of the lament. The psalmist endures criticism and disgrace, and even estrangement from family, all because of their commitment to God.

This is a significant problem in a society that revolves around family ties and is deeply influenced by notions of honor and shame.

because zeal for your house consumes me, the insults of those who blaspheme you fall upon me.

The psalmist’s deep devotion to his faith is evident in his love for the temple, which draws criticism from those who lack reverence for the sacred place and the presence of God within it.

Jesus uniquely experienced the sufferings described in this psalm. Aside from Psalm 22, this psalm is one of the most frequently quoted in the New Testament to illustrate its fulfillment in Jesus Christ. It serves as a reminder for us to seek solace and encouragement in its verses, and in all of scripture, to sustain our hope (Romans 15:4).

When Jesus drove out the merchants and money changers from the temple in Jerusalem, the disciples recalled the words of this specific verse:

And making a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen. And he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. And he told those who sold the pigeons, ‘Take these things away; do not make my Father’s house a house of trade.’ His disciples remembered that it was written, ‘Zeal for your house will consume me’ (John 2:15-17).

I pray to you, O LORD, for the time of your favor, O God! In your great kindness answer me with your constant help. Answer me, O LORD, for bounteous is your kindness; in your great mercy turn toward me.

These verses are the lament itself. The psalmist appeals to God for help, using covenant language to address the attributes of the faithful God. The psalmist invokes several technical terms of the covenant, such as lovingkindness (hesed), truth (ěmet), salvation (yēsha), and passionate love (rahămîm), which conveys a deep and personal connection with God.

By using this covenant language, the psalmist is calling on the strength of the covenant and the intimate relationship the covenant creates. This is not just a plea from someone facing hardship; it comes from a member of the community bound by a sacred agreement with God. The psalmist trusts that God will attentively listen to this heartfelt cry for deliverance.

“See, you lowly ones, and be glad; you who seek God, may your hearts revive! For the LORD hears the poor, and his own who are in bonds he spurns not.

Covenant theology encompasses God’s promise to provide for the vulnerable and the shared responsibility of individuals to care for each other. Within the covenant community, it was believed that if a person in need was neglected by fellow members, God would intervene.

The psalmist expresses an expectation of divine justice, urging all those who are oppressed to join in offering praise to God.

Let the heavens and the earth praise him, the seas and whatever moves in them!”

The psalmist’s trust in God’s faithfulness demonstrates their deep faith.

Even in the absence of visible signs of deliverance, the psalmist chooses to praise God, providing a fitting conclusion to this poignant hymn of lamentation and unwavering confidence.