Psalms
Chapter 34
Thanksgiving for Deliverance Achieved
I will praise the Lord all my days;his praise will be ever on my lips.
B 3My soul makes its boast in the Lord;let the lowly hear and rejoice.
Oh, let us magnify the Lord;together, let us glorify his name!
I sought the Lord, and he answered me;from all my fears he delivered me.
H 6They who look to him are radiant with joy,their faces never clouded with shame.
When the poor cry out, the Lord hears and saves them from distress.
The Lord’s angel encamps and patrols, to keep safe those who fear him.
Oh, see and taste the goodness of the Lord! Blessed is the one who finds shelter in him!
Revere Lord, all you, his saints, for those who fear him do not live in want.
The mighty may be hungry and in need; but those who seek the Lord lack nothing.
Come, listen to me, my children; I will show you how to fear the Lord.
If you desire a long life; if you want to enjoy prosperity,
keep your tongue from falsehood, keep your lips from deceit;
turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.
The eyes of the Lord are fixed on the righteous; his ears are inclined to their cries.
But his face is set against the wicked, to destroy their memory from the earth.
S 18The Lord hears the cry of the righteous and rescues them from all their troubles.
The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves the distraught.
Many are the troubles of the just, but the Lord delivers them from all.
He keeps all their bones intact, and none of them will be broken.
Evil will slay the wicked; the enemies of the just will be doomed.
But the Lord will redeem the life of his servants; none of those who trust in him will be doomed.
Commentaries
34
‘Look toward him and be radiant’ was John Fisher’s inspiration at the hour of his martyrdom. When he saw the sun shining behind the scaffold, Fisher looked toward Him, who would make him radiant in the beatific vision. This song is for martyrs: the Lord frees them from all their terrors. It is also a song for the small martyrdoms of every day, whether volunteered or accepted. One may be discouraged by one’s failure in past trials, weakness in those of the present, and uncertainty of one’s resistance in the future. Our weapons are always rusting and loose in our hands. The bright and effective sword is in the hand of God alone. There will be no ultimate defeat, not a bone broken for those who are one with the Lamb of our Passover on the Cross.
Let our experience be that of the poor and humble. God is close to those who have no one else to turn to but him. When there is no assurance, God is compelled to care for those to whom He owes fidelity.