Psalms
Chapter 51
Mercy, O God, for Your Goodness
Have mercy on me, O God, in your love. In your great compassion blot out my sin.
Wash me thoroughly of my guilt; cleanse me of evil.
For I acknowledge my wrongdoings and have my sins ever in mind.
Against you alone, have I sinned; what is evil in your sight, I have done.You are right when you pass sentence; and blameless, in your judgment.
For I have been guilt-ridden from birth; a sinner from my mother’s womb.
I know you desire truth in the heart; teach me wisdom in my inmost being.
Cleanse me, with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, I shall be whiter than snow.
Fill me with joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice.
Turn your face away from my sins and blot out all my offenses.
Create in me, O God, a pure heart; give me a new and steadfast spirit.
Do not cast me out of your presence nor take your holy spirit from me.
Give me again, the joy of your salvation; and sustain me, with a willing spirit.
Then I will show wrongdoers your ways and sinners will return to you.
Deliver me, O God, from the guilt of blood; and of your justice, I shall sing aloud.
O Lord, open my lips, and I will declare your praise.
You take no pleasure in sacrifice; were I to give a burnt offering, you would not delight in it.
O God, my sacrifice is a broken spirit; a contrite heart, you will not despise.
Shower Zion with your favor: rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.
Then, you will delight in fitting sacrifices, in burnt offerings, and bulls offered on your altar.
Commentaries
51
This is the most exquisite of the ‘penitential psalms.’ Man stands guilty and unafraid before God. In fact, he sees his guilt as a reason for mercy and an excuse for hope. A profound sense of sin is already a step toward God’s holiness. It opens the door for his eager mercy. But Our Lord guides us even further than the psalmist. He teaches us to cry not ‘God!’ but ‘Father!’ He urges us to think of that father who ran to meet the son who had left him, the father who embraced the son and kissed him: ‘My son was lost and is found’ (Lk 15:24). Our trust in the Father’s forgiveness, freely given, should surpass that of the psalmist.
It is helpful to pray with this psalm when we feel overwhelmed by guilt, whether against God or our fellow brothers and sisters, and when we seek God’s goodness, who justifies us.
When we receive the sacrament of reconciliation, we encounter Jesus himself, the Savior who intercedes, and the Father who forgives. Each of our confessions is a joyful celebration of God’s mercy and a source of renewal.