Psalm 123:1-4
This week’s responsorial psalm is the entirety of Psalm 123, a lament that acknowledges the lowly state of the people and looks to God for help amidst scorn and oppression.
While the specific historical context of Psalm 123 is uncertain, it is often associated with situations of adversity or persecution, reflecting a common theme in many psalms where the speaker seeks God’s intervention in times of trouble.
It is a beautiful example of piety expressed in prayer.
To you I lift up my eyes who are enthroned in heaven —
God’s majest is depicted in a simple reference to celestial enthronement. Not only does God dwell in the heavens, he reigns from there as a king governs from the throne.
Lifting up one’s eyes is a gesture of humble longing.
as the eyes of servants are on the hands of their masters. As the eyes of a maid are on the hands of her mistress, so are our eyes on the LORD, our God, till he have pity on us.
The vivid imagery of servants and maids who attentively watch their master’s hand for direction or provision conveys the people’s total dependence on God, from whom all good things come.
This attentiveness might seem rooted in fear or obligation; however, the word translated as “pity” (hānan) means “to show favor” or “to be gracious,” denoting a heartfelt desire to give to someone in need.
Have pity on us, O LORD, have pity on us, for we are more than sated with contempt; our souls are more than sated with the mockery of the arrogant, with the contempt of the proud.
The psalmist pleas for mercy, emphasizing the severity of the people’s situation. They are overwhelmed by disdain from others.
This sentiment may follow the simile of the servants to make the point that if the servants are treated badly, it implies an insult to their master.
Amidst their desperation (they are “more than sated”), they have turned to God with confidence, trusting that he who reigns over all will rescue them from their predicament and graciously bestow the favors they need.
Sunday Readings 