Praise the Lord, the Church
Psalm 147:12-13, 15-16, 19-20. March 15, 2023 - Wednesday, 3rd Week of Lent
In 586 BC, Jerusalem was destroyed and the people were sent into the Babylonian exile. In 538 BC, the Persians conquered Babylon and issued an edict allowing the Jewish exiles to return to Israel and rebuild the city and the temple. In 515 BC, the new temple was dedicated and the liturgical service resumed. Psalm 147 celebrates that change ascribing the entire process to God. The psalmist makes it clear that God who revealed himself to the people of Israel is the Lord of creation and the Lord of history. He can spread “snow like wool” and also strengthen the bars of the gates of Jerusalem.
In the Christian reading of the Bible, the terms “Jerusalem” and “Zion” refer to the Church. As the community of Christ’s believers, we also need to glorify and praise our God. The creation of the Church is the miracle of Jesus’ death on the cross. When Jesus was pierced with the lance, the blood and water flew from his side. Eve was created from the rib of Adam and the Church was born from the side of Christ. Then, the risen Lord sent upon his beloved bride the Holy Spirit and the Church began to evangelise the nations.
The psalmist says that the Lord “sends forth his command to the earth” (Ps 147:15). All the synoptic Gospels - Matthew, Mark, and Luke - end with Christ’s commission to go to the ends of the earth and preach the Gospel. Then, the psalmist adds that the word of the Lord runs fast (see Ps 147:15). It took the early Church only three hundred years to evangelise the vast Roman Empire. But the word of the Lord also ran fast in the twentieth century during which we witnessed an incredible growth of Christianity in Africa. The truth is that wherever the bride is faithful to her bridegroom, she is blessed with new children.
The psalmist says that the Lord proclaimed his word, statutes, and ordinances only to the nation of Israel (see Ps 147:19-20). Jesus did the same. He has proclaimed his Gospel only to His Church. There can be the seeds of the Gospel in certain cultures but the Gospel was given to the Church alone. Saint Peter goes as far as stating that even the angels long to learn from the Church about the mystery of our salvation (see 1 Peter 1:12).
Being so privileged by God, we, the Church, indeed need to praise the Lord. He has chosen us to be His own, revealed to us His Gospel, and sent us to bring this Good News to the ends of the earth.