Psalm 116: 12-13, 15-18

The responsorial psalm for this week is from Psalm 116, a hymn of thanksgiving traditionally associated with deliverance from death and fulfillment of vows in the temple. (In the Greek Septuagint and Latin Vulgate, it appears as Psalms 114 and 115, as they divide it differently.)

Verses 12–14 of this psalm were formerly part of the old Roman Rite. Before Holy Communion, the priest would quietly pray these words, expressing gratitude and a desire to offer a worthy response to God’s saving love.

The Church recommends this psalm for all the faithful as a preparation for Mass.

How shall I make a return to the LORD for all the good he has done for me?

This rhetorical question acknowledges the psalmist’s indebtedness to God. No deed or gift can compare with the divine favors he has received.

The cup of salvation I will take up, and I will call upon the name of the LORD.

Inadequate as it is, the psalmist resolves to repay God by an act of worship.

The phrase “cup of salvation” appears only here in Scripture, leaving its exact meaning open to interpretation. It may refer to the ritual libation of wine and oil (Exodus 29:40–41; Leviticus 6:14), offered in thanksgiving for deliverance from death. Or it might simply represent the joyful wine shared at a sacred meal to celebrate God’s saving grace. Either way, the cup expresses gratitude and joy in being rescued.

Early Christians saw in this verse a foreshadowing of the chalice of the Eucharist, which is literally a “cup of salvation” through Christ.

“Calling on the name of the LORD” implies both praise and trust. To call on God’s name was a way of invoking his presence and acknowledging dependence on him.

Precious in the eyes of the LORD is the death of his faithful ones.

This verse affirms that the death or even the suffering of the faithful (hāsîdîm) is not meaningless to God. It is precious, honored, and known to him.

This idea conflicts with the traditional understanding of retribution, which suggests that the faithful should not be afflicted and the righteous should not have to face a wretched death.

“Who gave you the cup of salvation, so that by taking it and calling on the name of the Lord, you might repay him for all that he has given to you? Who, if not the one who says: Can you drink the cup of which I must drink? Who has bidden you to imitate his sufferings if not He who has already suffered for you? Moreover, precious in the eyes of the Lord is the death of his holy ones. He paid the price with his blood, which he poured out for the salvation of his servants, so that they would not hesitate to give their lives for the name of the Lord” (Saint Augustine, Enarrationes in Psalmos, 115.5).

O LORD, I am your servant; I am your servant, the son of your handmaid;

To be the son or daughter of a maidservant suggests a humble origin, emphasizing that the psalmist is not of noble or powerful birth but has a lineage of servitude and faithful devotion.

This expresses the psalmist’s gratitude and sense of privilege in being part of God’s people.

you have loosed my bonds.

This likely refers to rescue from death or distress and is interpreted spiritually as freedom from sin, fear, or slavery — a fitting image for a celebration of the New Covenant.

To you will I offer sacrifice of thanksgiving, and I will call upon the name of the LORD.

The “sacrifice of thanksgiving” mirrors the earlier lifting up of the cup of salvation but with an added emphasis on sacrifice. A thanksgiving offering (todah) was made after a person had been saved or healed, a public acclamation of God’s saving action.

My vows to the LORD I will pay in the presence of all his people.

In the Hebrew Bible, it is common for people to make vows or promises to God during times of distress or crisis. For example, in the book of Judges, Jephthah makes a vow to God during a military conflict (Judges 11:30-31), or in the Psalms, individuals promise to offer thanksgiving if they are delivered from peril.

These vows are later fulfilled during the todah, which takes place within the setting of a liturgical assembly. In doing so, the individual not only acknowledges God’s personal intervention but also shares the experience with the community. God’s faithfulness is not a private matter but something that benefits everyone.

This dynamic has clear connections to the Eucharist, which means “thanksgiving.” Like the todah, the Eucharistic celebration is a public act of gratitude for personal and communal deliverance — a sacrament of remembrance and gratitude for Christ’s ultimate act of deliverance through his death and resurrection.