Psalm 54: 3-8

The responsorial psalm for this week is from Psalm 54, a lament in which a person under attack calls directly upon God for help. Refusing to despair, the psalmist hopes in God.

This prayer for deliverance begins with a cry to God for help in a time of need. It’s a fine example of an individual prayer of petition, containing most of the characteristics that distinguish this particular category of psalms:

• • It is in the first-person style of direct address,
  • it contains a plea to be heard and to be helped,
  • the trouble that precipitates the cry is described,
  • there is a declaration of confidence in God, and
  • a vow is made to offer some kind of sacrifice in gratitude for having been heard.

Continue reading “Psalm for the 25th Sunday of Ordinary Time (B)” →