Psalm 102 (101):7Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Look, a humble man is praying openly, not quietly. This enables us to hear and see who He truly is: could He be the one referred to by the apostle, who proclaimed, "Though He was rich yet for your sakes He became poor, that ye through His poverty might be made rich" (2 Corinthians 8:9)? If indeed it is He, why does He endure poverty? What does it mean for one who cannot be seen as rich? Who surpasses Him in wealth, being the Creator of even those things considered not true wealth? In Him, we also possess riches such as abilities, memory, character, physical health, and the faculties that constitute our being; when these are intact, even the poor find themselves wealthy. Moreover, He grants us profound treasures: faith, reverence, righteousness, love, purity, and good conduct; for none of these can exist outside of Him who redeems the unrighteous. Just consider the abundance of His gifts! How do we see these truths reflected in such a wealthy person? "I have eaten ashes as bread, and mingled my drink with weeping." Has such greatness brought Him to this? The former fortune is exalted, the latter is low... Yet can we test whether this poor man is indeed He? For the Word became flesh and dwelled amongst us (John 1:14). He even proclaimed, "I am your servant, and the son of your servant." Notice this servant, pure, virgin, and mother; for it is here He accepted our poverty, taking on the form of a servant, emptying Himself, so that you would not be frightened by His wealth and hesitate to approach Him in your need. Thus, He wrapped Himself in the form of a servant, in our destitution, making Himself poor so that we might become wealthy. We are now starting to grasp these things about Him, yet we cannot prematurely declare...

Let Him then add poverty upon poverty: let Him transform our humble bodies to Himself: let Him be our Head and we His members, so that we may become one flesh (Philippians 3:21)... For He desires to have us as His members. Those who repent also belong among His members. They are neither isolated nor separated from His Church; He would not have called the Church His bride had it not been for the words "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" (Matthew 3:2). Therefore, let us heed what the Head and the Body, the Bridegroom and the Bride, Christ and the Church—one entity—pray; yet the Word and the flesh do not equate at the same time; the Father and the Word embody the same essence; Christ and the Church exist as one Person, a complete man in the fullness of His being.... Let us now hear Christ who is poor in and with us and for us. For the very title alludes to the impoverished. Lastly, I have guessed who this poor man is: let us listen to His prayer and identify His Person; do not misinterpret anything that cannot be ascribed to His Head; it is for this reason I prepare you to understand that anything you hear framed in this manner should be regarded as an expression of the frailty of the body, allowing you to recognize the voice of the members in the Head. This is termed ‘The Prayer of the Afflicted Man,’ when he endured torment and poured out his pleas before the Lord. This same poor man elsewhere says, "From the ends of the earth will I cry unto Thee when my heart is overwhelmed." He suffers because He is also Christ, who, as the Prophet articulates, identifies Himself as both Bridegroom and Bride: "He hath clothed me with the garments of salvation; He hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels" (Isaiah 61:10). He declared Himself as the Bridegroom and the Bride; what is this but the Bridegroom representing the Head and the Bride symbolizing the Body? Hence, they become one voice as they are united in flesh. Let us listen and find ourselves reflected in these words; if we notice we are outside, let us strive to belong.

"Hear my prayer, O Lord, and let my cry come unto Thee" (Psalm 100:1). The phrase "Hear my prayer, Lord," parallels "Let my cry come unto Thee," demonstrating the passion of the petitioner in its repetition. Do not turn Thy face away from me. When has God ever turned His face away from His Son? When did the Father abandon Christ? But for the sake of my members' scarcity, do not withdraw Thy face from me: in the day I lament, incline Thy ear unto me (Psalm 101:2).... You are in distress now, I face affliction; tomorrow, others will be in distress, I carry their burdens; throughout future generations, those who follow will also encounter struggles, I bear this load for them; to the end of time, anyone in turmoil within my body, I partake in their suffering.... Peter prayed, Paul prayed, the rest of the Apostles prayed; believers did so in that era, faithful continue to pray through the ages, and the faithful will keep praying in our time and for those yet to come. Soon, as I earnestly seek what You are poised to offer. I do not request earthly possessions as someone of the earth; redeemed from my former captivity, I desire the heavenly kingdom; hear me quickly: for only such longing spurred You to declare, "While they are yet speaking, I will hear" (Isaiah 58:9). What is the reason for your call? What is your sorrow? What longing do you express, O poor one, before the bounteous gates of God? From what need do you seek aid? For what deficiency do you knock so that it may be opened for you?

"My days vanish like smoke" (Psalm 100:3). O days! If days exist: wherever day is comprehended, there light is known. My days, my times, hence have become like smoke; is it not due to the inflation of pride?... Observe how smoke, akin to pride, rises, swells, and then disappears: thus, it justly fades away. "And my bones are burned as a furnace." Both my bones and my strength endure sorrow and burn with anguish. The strength within Christ's body is unparalleled, even in the holy apostles. Still, you note that even the bones are scorched. Who has offended me, and I suffer not? (2 Corinthians 11:29). Their fidelity and courage, their profound understanding and delivery of the Word, they live as they preach, and preach as they live; indeed, they are courageous, yet all who are offended act as a furnace towards them. For love prevails there, and all the more within the bones, which underlie all flesh and support it all. Yet if anyone takes offense and places their soul in jeopardy, the pain reflects how they are responding...

Consider Adam, from whom humanity originated— from him, wretchedness spread; from him, this inherited emptiness emerged. Let him who at one point was despondent in body now proclaim with hope, "My heart is wounded and withered like grass" (Psalm 101:4). It is justly so, for all flesh is grass (Isaiah 40:6). But how has this come upon you? "Because I forgot to eat my bread." For God commanded regarding bread. What is the bread of the soul? The serpent prompted, and then the woman sinned, touching the forbidden fruit (Genesis 3:6); he neglected the commandment. His heart was justly afflicted and withered like grass because he failed to partake in his bread. Forgetting to indulge in his bread, he instead consumes venom: thus, his heart becomes smitten and withered like grass... Now, partake of that bread which you have overlooked. That very Bread has arrived, in whose body you may recall the voice of your neglect and cry out in poverty for abundance. Now, partake; for you inhabit His body, saying, "I am the living bread which came down from heaven" (John 6:41). You forgot to eat your bread; yet post crucifixion, all corners of the earth will remember and turn towards the Lord. After forgetfulness, may memory resurfaces, may we consume heavenly bread, that we might live—not the manna, for they ate and perished (John 6:49), but the bread that assures, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness" (Matthew 5:6).

"From the voice of my groaning my bones cleave to my flesh" (Psalm 101:5). Many lament, and I too lament; for this I lament, for they groan concerning wrongful deeds. A man may mourn loss of coin, yet he does not grieve for lost faith; thus, I ponder wealth against faith, and see greater cause for lament in him who does not mourn the way he ought. He engages in deceit and rejoices. What gain does he achieve, what loss does he face? He has amassed riches, yet he has lost righteousness. This is why the one who comprehends how to mourn shall lament; he who is close to the Head, who clings justly to the Body of Christ, knows this grievance. But the worldly do not mourn from this perspective, they cause themselves to grieve, and even if they do not lament properly, we cannot scorn them; for rehabilitating them matters to us, we desire to guide them, and when we fail, we grieve; and even in our mourning, we remain united with them...

"I have become like a pelican in the wilderness and like an owl among the ruins" (Psalm 100:6). Three birds and three locations: the pelican, the owl, and the sparrow; and separately, the wilderness, the broken walls, and the roof of the house. The pelican is found in barren land, the owl in derelict walls, and the sparrow on the rooftop. First, we must convey the meaning of the pelican: it is born hidden from us. It inhabits secluded territories, particularly near the Nile in Egypt. Whatever this bird may represent, let us see what the Psalm expresses about it. It lives in the wilderness alone. Why ponder its form, its limbs, its voice, its habits? According to the Psalm, it is a solitary creature. The owl loves darkness. The ruins housing it are walls devoid of roofs, without inhabitants; this is the owl's residence. As for roofs and sparrows, you are aware of them. So, I perceive someone from the Body of Christ, a herald of the Word, compassionate to the frail, pursuing Christ's victories, mindful of his heavenly Lord (Matthew 25:26). Let’s reflect upon these three archetypes in consideration of His stewardship. Did such a soul reach out to non-believers? He is a pelican in the wilderness. Has he approached believers yet turned away? He is an owl amidst broken walls; for he does not abandon even those who dwell in darkness, he seeks to reach them. Has he not visited believers inhabiting the house as though they had lost faith or reluctantly lived out their beliefs? The sparrow calls not to them in the wilderness, because they believe; nor in the crumbled walls, for they have not collapsed; rather, because they dwell beneath the roof; more accurately, because they exist under the flesh. The sparrow cries out above the flesh, fearless of God's commandments, remaining true without yielding to the flesh. "What you hear in the ear, proclaim on the rooftops" (Matthew 10:27). Thus there are three birds and three habitats; one individual may embody all three; three individuals may represent the three separately; thus three locations symbolize three classes of people; the wilderness, the broken walls, and the rooftop distinctly categorize three groups.

He resembled a thief that prowls in the darkness. This comparison highlights the spiritual blindness that had engulfed the people, as they were in a state of "ignorance of God." Just as the night-crow is known for its call in the shadows, which is the source of its name, the Psalmist aptly identifies himself with the night-owl when he dedicates the entire night to prayer.

It is observed that there exist two types of these creatures. One resides in water and sustains itself on fish, while the other inhabits the desert, surviving on venomous beings like serpents, crocodiles, and lizards. In Latin, this bird is referred to as a pelican. I found myself akin to one dwelling in the wilderness, consuming toxic creatures, as my sustenance turned to poison. ‘Became like a night raven in the dwelling.’ The raven, known for its deep blackness, possesses no traces of white. The psalmist, perhaps with great emphasis, expresses that he has become akin to the night raven. If its darkness is evident by day, how much more pronounced is it during the night? Thus, I have become engulfed in my transgressions, consumed by self-reflection.

The prophet employs various metaphors to thoroughly illustrate the disasters, and in the description of each bird mentioned, we perceive the anxiety and inadequacy of the guardian. For instance, the sparrow, plagued by worry, loses sleep to ‘the nocturnal thief,’ avoiding inhabited homes and instead searching out those that are desolate and forsaken; for the term ‘dive’ is rendered by Simmachus as ruins. Similarly, the other bird lives its existence in barren wilderness.

I was alert, feeling like a solitary bird perched on a rooftop. He expresses his experience of remaining awake like a fear-driven bird that endures sleepless nights, isolated on the tops of houses. Theodoret notes that he frequently employs metaphors to depict distress, using the various birds to illustrate his anxiety and sense of being unprotected. Even the sparrow loses sleep out of fear, while the raven, fleeing the familiar, retreats to desolate areas. Isychias states that the remarkable outcome of watchfulness allows us to live like the sparrow on the rooftop. What may appear trivial to others can lead to a unique and joyful existence.

The reference to the owl of the wilderness and the raven of the night, whose identities were unknown even to the Jews, symbolizes wild birds in general. These birds typically dwell in forests, mountain hollows, or arid landscapes, and their calls—better described as cries—are not only unpleasant but also instill fear. This leads to the understanding that the Prophet, distanced from human society, resembled a wild creature. Despite the faithful—those on whose behalf this is spoken—inhabiting fertile and populated regions, the captivity they endured transformed the entirety of the Chaldean and Assyrian territories into a desolate place for them, particularly as they reflected on the temple and homeland from which they had been exiled.

The individual described embodies a beggar, one who, due to his transgressions, lacks the grace of God. Yet, yearning to receive this grace, he humbles himself through repentance and heartfelt contrition, approaching God, who is abundant in mercy (Eph. 2:4). Christ the Lord, during His earthly ministry, became the Father of all for the sake of humanity: He Himself committed no sin, yet He liberated sinners from their guilt, lowering Himself to endure the death on the cross (Phil. 2:8) and resurrecting those ensnared by their misdeeds. With fervent prayers and heartfelt pleas, He called upon His Father, who is capable of saving Him from death, shedding tears and strong cries. His supplications were heard, and He became the source of eternal salvation for all who heed His words (Heb.