Psalm 45: 10-12, 16

The responsorial psalm for today’s feast comes from Psalm 45, a royal wedding psalm. All attention is given to the queen, with each verse highlighting a majestic detail about her.

The connection with today’s feast is clear: Mary is the queen-mother of heaven and earth.

The queen takes her place at your right hand in gold of Ophir.

Immediately we are directed to three characteristics of this woman’s royal dignity:

• She is identified as the queen, the wife of the king.
• She stands at the king’s right hand, a place of high honor.
• She is arrayed in gold.

Ophir is a mysterious and ancient place mentioned in the Bible and other historical texts. Its exact location remains a subject of debate and speculation among scholars. In the Old Testament, Ophir carries a reputation as a source of gold and precious stones.

Hear, O daughter, and see; turn your ear,

Using a poetic device to add depth and meaning to the psalm, the author addresses the queen, giving her direction as a Wisdom teacher might.

forget your people and your father’s house.

The psalmist encourages her to focus on her role as queen, leaving behind her old life and commitments. This conforms to the patriarchal custom of a woman leaving the household of her father to become part of the household of her husband and emphasizes the need for dedication to her new responsibilities.

So shall the king desire your beauty; for he is your lord.

In this culture, being desired by the king was the highest honor to which a woman might aspire. Her beauty signifies purity and grace.

The king is characterized as the lord (’ādôn) of the woman, which is in reference to his royal role and not his role as her husband. If the latter were intended, the word used for “lord” would have been ba’al, which is also translated “husband.”

They are borne in with gladness and joy; they enter the palace of the king.

The final verse alludes to the wedding procession that was part of most marriages. Usually the bride and her attendants walked in procession to the home of the groom; the grandeur of this particular event is highlighted by the entourage being carried into the palace, likely on beautifully adorned litters.

After the bride’s arrival, the celebrations would begin, and from that moment onward, the bride would make her home with her husband.