Psalm 118: 2-4, 13-15, 22-24

The responsorial psalm for this week is from Psalm 118, a song of thanksgiving that rejoices in the victory of the Lord.

Let the house of Israel say, “His mercy endures forever.” Let the house of Aaron say, “His mercy endures forever.” Let those who fear the LORD say, “His mercy endures forever.”

The psalm opens with a triple call to praise, addressed to the whole covenant community:

• “The house of Israel” represents the people as a whole,
• “The house of Aaron” signifies the priests, and
• “Those who fear the LORD” likely includes devout Gentiles or all faithful worshipers.

Each group is summoned to proclaim God’s enduring mercy (hesed), a covenantal love that is steadfast, faithful, and everlasting.

The communal emphasis and repeated refrain suggest that the people have been saved from some kind of national enemy.

I was hard pressed and was falling, but the LORD helped me. My strength and my courage is the LORD, and he has been my savior. 

The psalmist shifts to a personal voice, recalling a time of intense trial and testifying to God’s saving help. This personal testimony becomes a pattern for communal praise, illustrating how individual deliverance reveals God’s power and love to the whole people.

The language here echoes the Song of Moses in Exodus 15:2, the jubilant song of praise that Moses and the Israelites sang after God delivered them from the Egyptians by parting the Red Sea.

The joyful shout of victory in the tents of the just.

The sound of triumph resounds in the dwellings of the righteous, linking the personal experience of salvation with the larger community of the faithful.

The mention of tents may be another allusion to the Exodus experience.

The stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. 

This striking image of reversal — so common in biblical literature — speaks of someone once dismissed or cast aside being raised to prominence. The stone that was rejected becomes the very foundation of the entire building.

While this originally referred to Israel, the psalmist, or a faithful leader, the New Testament applies it directly to Christ, crucified and risen (cf. Matthew 21:42; Acts 4:11). In him, God’s redemptive plan is fulfilled, and what was once scorned becomes central to salvation.

By the LORD has this been done; it is wonderful in our eyes. This is the day the LORD has made; let us be glad and rejoice in it.

The psalm closes with a joyful proclamation that the work of salvation — whether for one person or an entire people — is entirely God’s doing. The faithful recognize this with awe and gratitude.

Salvation, vindication, and joy: All flow from the Lord’s mercy. And we, the redeemed, are invited to rejoice in the wonder of it.