The Ultimate promise of love and care

We continue with our study of God’s love and care as it is expressed in the Psalms. Today we conclude Psalm 23.

Verse 5a: You have prepared a banquet for me in the sight of my foes.

·         Reading this from where we live now, that banquet becomes the Eucharist, which we celebrate in the presence of all the angels and hosts of heaven. Our enemies and foes—that is, Satan and his minions—can look on but can not get to us. If sometimes you may be distracted by temptations or even sinful thoughts during the Mass, simply remember where you are and remember who you are and what it is that God is about to do for you, and you will be free of what is trying to distract you. Don’t be dismayed when distractions come. It is bound to happen. After all, look at how close to God we are becoming and considering that our great foe doesn’t want that to happen.

Verse 5b: My head you have anointed with oil; my cup is overflowing.

·         Once again I look at this from our present perspective. We have indeed been anointed with oil: in Baptism and again in Confirmation.

·         The cup: could it be the chalice which will be poured out for us abundantly.

Verse 6a: Surely goodness and kindness shall follow me all the days of my life.

·         To be honest, I have a problem with this verse, particularly because there are so many of our brothers and sisters who are currently living in misery. I read yesterday that over 200 million Christians are currently being persecuted for their faith or are refugees with nowhere to settle. I also  consider those who are dying on beds of pain, or the destitute homeless, and I’m sure you could name your own examples as well. In fact the only way I see this verse coming true for all of us if it refers to what happens after death. Interesting enough, the second part of this verse hints at the escaton.

Verse 6b: In the Lord’s own house shall I dwell for ever and ever.

·         “I am going to prepare a place for you,” the Lord tells his disciples, and that is meant for us as well. This is the ultimate expression of God’s eternal care and love for us.

Here we pause. For your own reading, I suggest you read the High Priestly Prayer (John 17) which we have been hearing at Mass lately. In this prayer, Jesus prays explicitly for us and for what He wants to happen to us. He prays these words as his farewell prayer before he is taken away to be crucified, so it has particularly poignancy and power.

God bless you.