VATICAN - The Pope’s teaching on Psalm 143: although aware that he is weak and far from the splendour of God, the psalmist discovers “Emmanuel God-with-us who for Christians has the loving face of Jesus Christ, God made man”

Wednesday, 11 January 2006

Vatican City (Fides Service) - This morning at the General Audience held in the Paul VI Audience Hall Pope Benedict XVI resumed his teaching on the psalms and canticles prayed in the Liturgy of the Hours, reflecting today on the first part of Psalm 143 (1-8 - “A King’s prayer for victory and peace” - vespers Thursday week 4).
The first part of the hymn praises the king who represents “the shining and glorious figure of the Messiah, whose victory is no longer a warlike-political event, but an intervention of liberation from evil” the Pope said and explained: “The «messiah» - meaning in Hebrew the «anointed one», as also the sovereign - is replaced by the «Messiah» par excellence who in the new Christian interpretation has the face of Jesus Christ «son of David, son of Abram»”.
The hymn opens with an exclamation to praise the Lord who is “celebrated with a brief litany of salvific titles”. “Before the Lord Almighty the psalmist, despite his royal dignity, feels weak and fragile. He then makes a profession of humility... he is aware in fact that he is merely «a breath», a passing shadow, fragile and inconsistent, submerged in the flow of time and marked by the limits proper to every creature.” Then with regard to the psalmist’s profession of humility the Holy Father quoted Origen with these words: “The psalm which started with our realisation that we are weak and far from the splendour of God, closes with a surprise: Emmanuel is with us! Let us rejoice in our privilege to recognise the Lord and to encounter his loving face!”. (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 11/1/2006, righe 20, parole 288)


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