Bless the Lord for His mercy
Psalm 103:1-2, 3-4, 8 and 10. December 7, 2022 - Wednesday, 2nd Week of Advent
At the heart of the Old Testament is a confession of faith in God, who is merciful and just. We read in Exodus 34:6-7: “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children's children, to the third and the fourth generation.” Psalm 103, that we hear today, quotes the first part of this confession that refers to mercy: “Merciful and gracious is the LORD, slow to anger and abounding in kindness” (Ps 103:8).
Our psalm portrays a remarkably compassionate God. He forgives, heals, redeems, and crowns. These incredible deeds of God's mercy is the reason for blessing Him. “He pardons all your iniquities, he heals all your ills” (Ps 103:3). Notice the sequence of the events: from forgiveness to healing. That is how Jesus healed the paralytic brought to him by his friends. First, he forgave his sins and then restored him to health (see Mark 2:1-12).
The psalmist continues by stating that the Lord “redeems your life from destruction, he crowns you with kindness and compassion” (Ps 103:3-4). Jesus’ death on the cross redeemeds us from destruction. Kindness and compassion describe God's character. St. John Paul II described the meaning of these words in his encyclical letter about God the Father, titled “Rich in Mercy”. The first word, “hesed”, is often translated as "steadfast love". For John Paul II, it is “love that gives, love more powerful than betrayal, grace stronger than sin”. The second word, “rahamim”, translated as "mercy" or "compassion", denotes the love of a mother. John Paul II writes that “this love is faithful and invincible”. It saves from dangers, forgives sins and, promises to fulfil God’s plan of salvation “, in spite of human infidelity.
Finally, we hear this incredible proclamation: “Not according to our sins does he deal with us, nor does he requite us according to our crimes” (Ps 103:10). Psalm 103 belongs to part of the Psalter that responds to the crisis of the Babylonia exile in the year 586 BC. The people heard from the prophets that the destruction of Jerusalem and the exile were the consequence of their sins. But by quoting Exodus 34:6 in verse 8, the psalmist aims to instil hope in people’s hearts. The proclamation of God’s compassion in Exodus 34:6 comes after the incident of the golden calf, a terrible sin that nearly led to the destruction of Israel (see Ex 32). And yet, the people were forgiven. God’s steadfast love and compassion triumphed over judgment. The same would happen with those who experienced the fall of Jerusalem and the Babylonian exile. They would return and rebuild the city and the temple.
John Paul II writes in “Rich in Mercy”: “It is precisely because sin exists in the world . . . that God, who "is love cannot reveal Himself otherwise than as mercy”. Therefore with the psalmist we bless the Lord and his holy name.