Psalm 119: 57, 72, 76-77, 127-130

This week’s responsorial glorifies the Law of the LORD. The longest psalm by far in the Psalter, it praises God for giving such splendid laws and instruction for the people to live by.

In its entirety, Psalm 119 is acrostic: its twenty-two stanzas each begin with successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Each of the eight verses in each stanza begins with the same letter, and each verse contains a different word for “instruction” (tôrâ).

The creative genius of the psalmist is seen in the innovative ways in which the Law is praised within this structure, with each verse glorifying a different nuanced perspective. Continue reading “Psalm for the 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)” →