This psalm, written when the Israelites had returned from captivity in Babylon, uses universal terms such as liberty, life, joy, salvation, love, justice, peace, and happiness. However, this return of the exiled Jews was only one step toward genuine liberation. Nothing is final, and each stage in fulfilling God’s plan leads us to the next. God’s people are continually called to move forward. Even the reign of the risen Christ and the salvation work of the Church are only reflections of the eternal kingdom. God loves our earth. When we feel troubled and discouraged by the ugliness around us, let us remember this psalm’s declaration: You have favored your land, O Lord; justice bends down from heaven; glory will dwell in our land (vv. 2, 10, 12). Salvation comes from God but is delivered by a man, Christ, who is freely welcomed by a woman in the name of humanity. With the Incarnation, believing in God without believing in humankind becomes impossible.