Reading Psalm 111 from a Christian Perspective
September 20, 2023 - Wednesday
Memorial of Saints Andrew Kim Tae-gŏn, Priest, and Paul Chŏng Ha-sang, and Companions, Martyrs
Psalm 111:1-6
Psalm 111 is a hymn in praise of the Lord. The psalmist states that he will sing God’s praises with all his heart. The phrase “with all my heart” reminds us of the first commandment of love: You shall love your God with all your heart (see Deut 6:5). It also reminds us of all those saints of the Church who loved Christ above all else. They were willing to give up everything to gain Christ (see Phil 3:8).
The psalmist praises God for His graciousness and compassion towards His people and faithfulness to his covenant. The Lord had many reasons to terminate his covenant with his people but He did not do it. Reflecting on the position of Israel in the history of salvation, Saint Paul wrote that “the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable” (Rom 11:29). Not even their rejection of Jesus as the Messiah could nullify their status of being chosen and “beloved for the sake of their forefathers” (Rom 11:30). The truth is that even if we are unfaithful, God remains faithful (see 2 Rim 2:13).
From our perspective, Psalm 111 leads us to the Eucharist, the thanksgiving that we sing to the Lord in the assembly of the faithful. In the Eucharist, as Saint Paul says, we declare the greatest mighty act of the Lord, namely the death of the Lord “until he comes” (see 1 Cor 11:26). Jesus’ life and death reveal God’s graciousness and mercy. The Eucharist is also the food, the bread that came from heaven, to give us life. As Jesus declared to his Jewish audience in Galilee: “I am the bread of life” (John 6:35). Finally, the Eucharist is the new and everlasting covenant that the Lord “has ratified” forever (see Ps 111:9; Matt 26:26-29). Thus, the Mass is a proclamation of the mystery of our faith.
Verse 6 of our psalm speaks about “the inheritance of the nations” referring to the Promised Land. But from a Christian perspective, we think about the inheritance that is kept for us in heaven. Saint Peter describes this inheritance as “imperishable, undefiled, and unfading” (1 Peter 1:4). We even have the pledge or the assurance of possessing this inheritance in the presence of the Holy Spirit dwelling in us. Saint Paul writes: “When you believed, you were marked in [Christ] with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory” (Eph 1:13-14).
In essence, Psalm 111, read from a Christian perspective of faith, reveals to us God’s faithfulness, everlasting covenant, and imperishable inheritance in Jesus Christ. And so we are called to praise God with all our heart as the community of God’s people for his wondrous deeds and marvellous promise given to us through and in Jesus Christ.