Everyone encounters failure at some point: the feeling of desolation when things go wrong, when friends fail, when all escape routes seem blocked, and we have nowhere to turn except inward. Yet, we discover that there is always God, who knows and cares. This psalm is especially relevant to the passion of Christ, and it is said that St. Francis of Assisi prayed it as he was dying.
Jesus declares himself to be ‘the Way’ (Jn 14:6), leading to the land of the living (cf. Jn 14:2). We pray with this psalm, united with those who are on the journey and also with those who feel exhausted because of its difficulties.
Many of us will, at some point, feel as desperate as the psalmist, with no one to turn to for help. In these moments, he turns to our Heavenly Father as the only source of comfort and aid. Even Jesus experienced this same agonizing situation during his passion, and he called out to his Father.