Responsorial Psalm
PS 3:2-3, 4-5, 6-7
R. (8a) Lord, rise up and save me.
O LORD, how many are my adversaries!
Many rise up against me!
Many are saying of me,
"There is no salvation for him in God."
R. Lord, rise up and save me.
But you, O LORD, are my shield;
my glory, you lift up my head!
When I call out to the LORD,
he answers me from his holy mountain.
R. Lord, rise up and save me.
When I lie down in sleep,
I wake again, for the LORD sustains me.
I fear not the myriads of people
arrayed against me on every side.
R. Lord, rise up and save me.
Reflection
The Responsorial Psalm, I think resonates deeply with a plea for divine intervention and salvation. In it is expressed the overwhelming challenges that are faced, but amidst the adversity, there is an unwavering trust in the Lord as the ultimate source of strength and protection. This is shown in the repeated refrain, "Lord, rise up and save me”, that captures the essence of the cry for deliverance.
In reflecting on this psalm, the teachings of Thomas Aquinas, a doctor of the church, came to mind…probably because his feast day was just yesterday. Aquinas, known for his contributions to theology and philosophy, emphasized the importance of revelation for salvation. In his work “On Sacred Doctrine”, he argued that knowledge from reason alone is not enough for understanding the end to which humanity must strive. Without revelation there is no chance to grasp a deeper understanding of God, and concepts such as the incarnation would be incomprehensible without the help of God’s grace and the Holy Spirit.
Furthermore, the theme of deliverance in the psalm aligns with Aquinas's perspective on the necessity of divine intervention for human salvation. When I contemplated this I thought about how without Jesus coming and dying for our sins we would be bound for hell. But, God gave us his only son so that we would have a chance at eternal life with Him. He knows we are sinners and imperfect, but He has given us tools like reconciliation where we can be forgiven of those sins, and He has given us guidance and people to follow like Jesus, Mary, Joseph and the Saints (Thomas Aquinas). In a world where we are sinners and we need help, God is there. In the midsts of challenges that are everywhere we look, the trust in God that is pronounced in the psalm as the shield and the source of glory resonates with Aquinas's emphasis on the role of revelation in guiding humanity towards its ultimate purpose, Heaven.
CCC 1721 “God put us in the world to know, to love, and to serve him, and so to come to paradise”.
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