Psalm 90:12-17

This week’s responsorial psalm comes from Psalm 90, a lament from a community that is in great distress. They ask for God’s pity and plea for his intervention.

Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain wisdom of heart.

The request to “number our days” reflects an awareness of the community’s need for guidance and wisdom in the face of adversity. This acknowledgment of vulnerability is a hallmark of lament, highlighting a reliance on God’s grace and mercy.

The psalmist also knows that only God can provide the wisdom that lets one make sense of human life, short as it is and marked by toil and trouble.

Return, O LORD! How long? Have pity on your servants!

The plea for God’s presence suggests a feeling of abandonment or distance. The question “How long?” suggests that they have been suffering for some time.

Fill us at daybreak with your kindness, that we may shout for joy and gladness all our days.

The psalm shifts to a more hopeful tone, asking God to provide fulfillment and joy through his kindness (hesed). The use of “daybreak” symbolizes new beginnings and renewal. The gradual appearance of light dispels the darkness of despair and speaks of promise and well-being.

The psalmist desires not just momentary happiness, but enduring joy that can sustain them throughout their lives.

Make us glad, for the days when you afflicted us, for the years when we saw evil.

This verse is also translated “Make us glad as many days as you humbled us, for as many years as we have seen trouble.”

Here we see a contrast being drawn between affliction and joy. The request for gladness equal to the days of suffering acknowledges the reality of life’s hardships. It suggests a desire for restoration and balance, where joy can counterbalance past sorrow.

This reflects a deep understanding of the human experience, recognizing that suffering and joy coexist and that divine intervention can lead to healing and renewal.

Let your work be seen by your servants and your glory by their children;

This is a request for God to reveal his actions and might to the people. “Your work” refers to God’s deeds and interventions throughout history; the psalmist desires to witness God’s power firsthand.

This revelation is not only for the present generation but also for future generations (“their children”).

and may the gracious care of the LORD our God be ours; prosper the work of our hands for us! Prosper the work of our hands!

The concluding verse is a prayer for God’s favor and blessing on the people. The repetition of “prosper the work of our hands” emphasizes the desire for God’s approval and support in their endeavors.

This verse encapsulates the theme of seeking divine guidance and blessing in all human efforts. It recognizes that, while humans toil, it is ultimately God’s favor that brings success and lasting impact.