In this Psalm, we are instructed that when we proclaim Hallelujah, meaning “Praise the Lord,” we should respond to the phrase, "Confess to the Lord" (Psalm 116:1), with joy and adoration for Him. Our gratitude to God can be encapsulated in these simple words: "For He is good." Such brevity signifies the profound nature of His goodness, a quality so distinctive that the Son of God, when a person addressed Him as the Good Teacher—one who regarded only His humanity without grasping His divine fullness—replied, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone" (Mark 10:17-18). This response serves to affirm that to recognize Him as good is to acknowledge His divinity. The revelation of future freedom is granted to those liberated from toil and the company of the wicked by God's grace, who not only refrains from reciprocating evil but also recompenses evil with good; thus, it is fitting to conclude with “His mercy endures forever.”
Let Israel declare that He is good, for His mercy endures forever (Psalm 116:2). Let the house of Aaron proclaim His everlasting mercy (Psalm 116:3). Indeed, let all who reverence the Lord confess that His mercy extends infinitely (Psalm 116:4). Dear friends, you recall what the house of Israel signifies, what the house of Aaron represents, and that both honor the Lord. These include the small and the great, joyously depicted in another psalm within our hearts; we find joy in our unity, beneficiaries of His grace, who is good and whose mercy lasts forever. We hear the pleas, “May the Lord bless you and your children,” that to the Israelites who believe in Christ—of whom our fathers, the apostles, were part—an army of Gentiles might be gathered for the glory of the perfect and the obedience of the children. Thus, when we unite in Christ, we become one flock under One Shepherd, and His body, as one, declares, “I called upon the Lord in my distress, and the Lord answered me” (Psalm 116:5). The confines of our afflictions are temporary, but the vastness of our journey stretches beyond measure. Who can bring a charge against God's chosen? (Romans 8:33).
The Lord aids me; I will not fear what humanity can do to me (Psalm 116:6). Yet, are humans merely the Church's adversaries? What is a person made of flesh but flesh? The apostle teaches that our battle is not against flesh and blood, but rather against the powers of darkness (Ephesians 6:12)—the devil and his angels, that same devil referred to elsewhere as the ruler of the air (Ephesians 2:2). Thus, we declare: The Lord is my helper; I will disregard my adversaries (Psalm 116:7). Regardless of their origin—be they from the ranks of wicked humans or evil spirits—armed with divine assistance, we shall praise the Lord and sing Hallelujah, rendering them foolish.
Yet, in moments when my enemies are scorned, let not my confidant come forth as a righteous individual urging reliance upon himself. It is always superior to trust in the Lord than to depend on man (Psalm 116:8). Moreover, I should not even regard any one termed as a good angel, for no one is good besides God alone (Mark 10:18). In his sincere love, whether a man or angel aids us, it is ultimately through Him who imparted goodness to them according to their measure. Thus, trusting in the Lord far surpasses reliance on earthly rulers (Psalm 116:9). Angels, too, are likened to princes, as we see in Daniel's account that speaks of "Michael your prince" (Daniel 12:1).
The nations encircled me, but in the name of the Lord, I overcame them (Psalm 117:10). I was beset on every side, yet in the name of the Lord, I avenged myself (Psalm 117:11). This illustrates the trials and triumphs of the Church. If one ponders how she could confront such profound evil, we must remember what she experienced first within, stating "they surrounded me on all sides." The mention of "all nations" is notably absent here, emphasizing that it was the actions of the Jews alone. This same religious gathering—one with Christ's body, for whom all mortal acts were performed with immortal might—endured persecution from those opposing them, whose cruelty was manifested upon the cross.
"They swarmed around me like bees, igniting like fire among thorns; yet, in the name of the Lord, I avenged them" (Psalm 117:12). The sequence of the words aligns with the events that transpired. It is understood that our Lord, the head of the Church, was encircled by persecutors much like bees around a hive. The Holy Spirit subtly reveals the ignorance of their acts. Bees create honey within their hives, and similarly, the adversaries of our Lord unwittingly enhanced His sweetness through His Passion, enabling us to savor the goodness of the Lord who died for our sins and rose again for our justification (Romans 4:25). The notion of fire amidst thorns can be interpreted concerning His Body—the scattered faithful—who were surrounded by all nations. They endured the consumption of sinful flesh and grievous sufferings through the flames of persecution. They are avenged either because that evil which afflicted the righteous has perished and joined Christ's people or because those who have ignored the mercy of the One who called them will ultimately confront the truth of their Judge.
"I was pushed down like chaff, yet the Lord upheld me" (Psalm 117:13). Though a multitude believed, they might be likened to countless grains of sand, gathered as a heap; yet who is man that you remember him? It is not stated that "the multitude of the Gentiles surpassed my host," but rather, "the Lord sustained me." The persecution by the Gentiles did not lead to the downfall of the faithful united in belief.
"The Lord is my strength and my song, and He has become my salvation" (Psalm 116:14). Who falters when faced with adversity except those who depend on their own strength and stature? Only those whose strength fails find themselves defeated. Thus, the one whose strength lies in the Lord will not falter any more than the Lord falters. It is for this reason He became their salvation—not because He changed, but because they became transformed by believing in Him, thus experiencing Him as their salvation when they turned towards Him, something He was not to them when they turned away.
There is a voice of joy and salvation in the homes of the righteous (Psalm 117:15), where those who inflicted torment on their bodies presumed there to be only sorrow and ruin. Unaware of the deep-seated joy rooted in the saints’ future hope, the Apostle reminds us of his own experience: “I grieve, yet I rejoice constantly” (2 Corinthians 6:10), and again, “We rejoice even in tribulations” (Romans 5:3).
"The right hand of the Lord has done mighty deeds" (Psalm 117:16). And what are these mighty deeds? He states, "The right hand of the Lord has lifted me." It signifies extraordinary acts—raising the lowly, glorifying the mortal, turning weakness into strength, subjection into glory, suffering into triumph—bringing aid, lifting from distress, that the genuine salvation of God would shine forth to those who endure trials, while the salvation offered to men remains insignificant to their tormentors. Such are the great deeds; yet, why should you be amazed? Hear again what he reiterates: the right hand of the Lord has accomplished marvelous works.
"I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord" (Psalm 117:17). Nevertheless, those sowing despair and death believed that the Church of Christ was perishing. Observe him now proclaiming the works of the Lord. Everywhere, Christ embodies the glory of the blessed martyrs. Defeated, He triumphed over those who struck Him; enduring pain patiently, He loved those who rebelled against Him.
However, let us examine the reason behind the humiliations faced by the Body of Christ, the Holy Church, the people of divine adoption. "The Lord has chastised and disciplined me, but He has not given me over to death" (Psalm 116:18). The arrogant wicked should not assume their power is unchecked, for it was granted them from above. Often, a father may order his sons to be corrected by the most contemptible of servants; though he prepares an inheritance for the former, he confines the latter. What sort of inheritance is this? Is it gold, silver, jewels, or fine plots of land? Observe how we come into it; let us discern its true nature.
"Open for me the gates of righteousness," he implores (Psalm 117:19). Behold, we are informed of a gate. What lies within? "So that I may enter and give thanks to the Lord." This is a wondrous proclamation of gratitude, a testimony filled with awe before the house of God, a voice of joy among those who celebrate—this signifies the eternal blessedness of the righteous, whose lives are enriched by praising Him forever.
But observe how they access the gates of righteousness. "The righteous shall enter through the gate of the Lord" (Psalm 116:20). No wicked individual should be admitted into that heavenly Jerusalem, which permits no unclean person, as it is affirmed, "Outside are the dogs" (Revelation 22:15). It suffices that during my lengthy wanderings, I resided amidst the tents of Kedar; I bore the company of the wicked until the end, but this is indeed the gate of the Lord. The righteous shall enter therein.
"I confess to You, O Lord, for You have heard me, and become my salvation" (Psalm 116:21). How often has the acknowledgment of one, who does not emphasize his own wounds to the physician but expresses gratitude for the healing received, been praiseworthy? Yet the Physician Himself embodies Salvation.
But who do we speak of? "The stone that the builders rejected" (Psalm 116:22); this one became the cornerstone, creating one new man from the two, thereby establishing peace, reconciling both to God in one body (Ephesians 2:15-16)—the circumcised and the uncircumcised.
"The Lord has made this" (Psalm 117:23): the Lord appointed him as the chief cornerstone. Although suffering was necessary for Him to fulfill this role, it was not through those who inflicted suffering upon Him that He attained it. For though rejected by those involved in the earthly building, He became the cornerstone in the sacred structure the Lord raised in secrecy. This is indeed marvelous in our eyes—in the eyes of the inner person, the believer, the hopeful, and the loving; yet it appears foolish to those who, looking at Him carnally and regarding Him only as a man, scorn Him.
"This is the day that the Lord has made" (Psalm 117:24). This man recalls what he declared in previous psalms: “Since He has inclined His ear to me, I will call upon Him all my days," as he reflects on earlier times; thus he now reiterates, "This is the day the Lord has created"—the day of salvation granted to him. It is the day of which it was said, “At a favorable time I heard you, and in the day of salvation I assisted you” (Isaiah 49:8)—the day when the Mediator became the head of the cornerstone. Therefore, let us rejoice and be glad in Him.
"Save me, O Lord; prosper my way, O Lord" (Psalm 116:25). Because it is the day of salvation, save me; as we return from a prolonged journey, separate from those who despise the world—once at peace with them yet now met with hostility when we spoke to them—prosper our path on our return since You have become our Way.
“Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord” (Psalm 117:26). Therefore, cursed is the one who comes in his own name. As it is noted in the Gospel, "If anyone comes in his own name, him you will receive" (John 5:43). We bless you from the house of the Lord. I believe these words are spoken by the greater to the lesser—those esteemed who, spiritually connected to the Word of God, dwell alongside Him in this life while moderating their expressions for the sake of the lesser, enabling them to speak sincerely as the Apostle has declared: “For if we are out of ourselves, it is for God, or if we exercise self-control, it is for your sake; for the love of Christ compels us” (2 Corinthians 5:13-14). They bless the children from within the Lord's house, where this praise emanates perpetually; thus, understand what they proclaim from there.
THEOSIS