PSALM 22
******************* A *******************
I
1 My God,
my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me, from the
words of my groaning?
2 O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer; and by night, but
find no rest.
3 Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel.
4 In you our ancestors trusted; they trusted, and you delivered
them.
5 To you they cried, and were saved; in you they trusted, and were
not put to shame.
6 But I am a worm, and not human; scorned by others, and despised
by the people.
7
All who see me mock at me; they make mouths at me, they shake their heads;
8
"Commit your cause to the Lord; let him deliver— let him rescue the one in
whom he delights!"
9 Yet it was you who took me from the womb; you kept me safe on my
mother's breast.
10 On you I was cast from my birth, and since my mother bore me you
have been my God.
11 Do not be far from me, for trouble is near and there is no one to
help.
II
12 Many
bulls encircle me, strong bulls of Bashan surround me;
13 they open wide their mouths at me, like a ravening and roaring
lion.
14 I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; my
heart is like wax; it is melted within my breast;
15 my mouth is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to my
jaws; you lay me in the dust of death.
16
For dogs are all around me; a company of evildoers encircles me. My hands and
feet have shriveled; (have pierced my hands and feet)
17
I can count all my bones. They stare and gloat over me;
18 they divide my clothes among themselves, and for my clothing they cast lots.
III
19 But you, O Lord, do not be far
away! O my help, come quickly to my aid!
20 Deliver my soul from the sword, my life from the power of the
dog!
21 Save me from the mouth of the lion! From the horns of the wild
oxen you have rescued me.
*******************
B *******************
I
22 I will tell of your name to my
brothers and sisters; in the midst of the congregation I will praise you:
23
You who fear the Lord, praise him! All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him;
stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel!
24 For he did not despise or abhor the affliction of the afflicted;
he did not hide his face from me, but heard when I cried to him.
25 From you comes my praise in the great congregation; my vows I
will pay before those who fear him.
26 The poor shall eat and be satisfied; those who seek him shall
praise the Lord. May your hearts live forever!
II
27 All the
ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord; and all the families of
the nations shall worship before him.
28 For dominion belongs to the Lord, and he rules over the nations.
III
29 To him,
indeed, shall all who sleep in the earth bow down; before him shall bow all who
go down to the dust, and I shall live for him.
30 Posterity will serve him; future generations will be told about
the Lord,
31 and proclaim his deliverance to a people yet unborn, saying that
he has done it.
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As we enter these most sacred days, the scriptures will be a rich resource for our devotions; especially the gospel accounts of the Passion and Resurrection of Jesus.
I would like to suggest that we not overlook the Psalms. The ones chosen for the liturgies of Holy Week speak so of the words of the heart.
Psalm 22 has a special place here; eight of its verses are selected for the Responsorial Psalm for Palm Sunday,(highlighted in red).
The psalm is divided into two parts, A & B, and each of these has three sections.
This psalm is literally a prophetic work, telling of the future passion of the Lord's Anointed. That is why the opening verse is heard on the lips of Jesus on the Cross.
Jesus is not doubting; crying out in abandonment, he is praying the fulfillment of this prophetic psalm.
Elements of the psalm have almost a literal reference to those found in the gospel accounts of the Passion; i. e. Verses. 7&8 - 12-18.
Clearly, Part A is of the Passion narratives, and Part B is of the post-resurrection and the age of evangelization and the Church.
The palmist foresees the heart of Jesus in his agony on the cross. These sentiments speak well of the sentiments of all devote believers in their times of trial.
This is the Great Mystery - the Problem of Evil; the suffering of the innocent. "Where is God in whom you so fervently trust?"
This is the voice of the Satan seeking to crush the hope of all believers. This is "the HOUR".
And now begins the answer, when Truth prevails over the Lie. Unconditional love and faithful love triumph over Death.
For dominion belongs to the Lord, and he rules over the nations.
Future generations will be told about the Lord, and proclaim his deliverance to a people yet unborn, saying that he has done it.
That generations is now us.
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