In this Psalm, we learn that when we proclaim Hallelujah, meaning ‘Praise the Lord,’ we are called to lift our voices in acknowledgement of the declaration, “Confess to the Lord” (Psalm 116:1). Praising God is succinctly encapsulated in the phrase: “For He is good.” Such brevity carries profound solemnity, emphasizing that goodness is a distinctive attribute of God. When the Son of God was addressed as the Good Teacher by someone who only perceived His human form, He responded, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but one, that is, God” (Mark 10:17-18). This response highlights that acknowledging His goodness requires recognizing His divine nature. Hail the future revelation to a people liberated from toil and wickedness, granted freedom by God's grace, who does not repay evil with evil, but overcomes it with goodness; thus it is fitting to proclaim, “Because His mercy endures forever.”
Let Israel now acknowledge His goodness, for His mercy persists forever (Psalm 116:2). Let the household of Aaron affirm that His mercy lasts eternally (Psalm 116:3). Indeed, all who hold the Lord in reverence should declare the everlasting nature of His mercy (Psalm 116:4). Beloved, consider what is meant by the household of Israel and the household of Aaron, both of whom fear the Lord. These groups encompass both the humble and the exalted, joyfully represented in another psalm, where we are invited to rejoice together in His grace, recognizing His goodness and everlasting mercy. They are heard saying, “May the Lord multiply you, you and your children,” so that to the Israelites who believe in Christ — of whom the apostles, our fathers, are part — a multitude of Gentiles might be added for the exaltation of the perfect and the obedience of children; that we, united in Christ, would become one flock under one Shepherd, the body of that Head, joyfully proclaiming, “I called upon the Lord in trouble, and the Lord heard me” (Psalm 116:5). Our narrow trials may feel constricting, yet the path we tread is boundless. Who can bring an accusation against God's chosen ones? (Romans 8:33).
The Lord is my aid; I will not fear what man may do to me (Psalm 116:6). Are men the sole adversaries of the Church? What is humanity but flesh and blood? The apostle states, “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12). This alludes to the devil and his minions, the prince of the power of the air (Ephesians 2:2). Thus, hear this: The Lord is my help; therefore, I will disregard my adversaries (Psalm 116:7). Regardless of whether my foes arise from wicked humans or malevolent angels, with the Lord’s assistance, to whom we raise our praise and Hallelujah, they will be scorned.
Yet, when my adversaries are diminished in significance, let not a friend present himself as a benevolent man, enticing me to depend on him; for it is better to trust in the Lord than to place confidence in mortals (Psalm 116:8). Likewise, I should not view any being, even if referred to as a good angel, as a source of reliance. For no one is good except God alone (Mark 10:18). When a human or angel comes to our aid through genuine love, it is ultimately through Him who shaped them according to their capacity for goodness. Therefore, reliance on the Lord is preferable to trust in princes (Psalm 116:9), for angels are referred to as princes; we see this in Daniel, where it states, “Michael your prince” (Daniel 12:1).
All nations surrounded me, but in the name of the Lord, I cut them down (Psalm 117:10). They pressed in on all sides; but in the name of the Lord, I executed judgment on them (Psalm 117:11). This reflects the efforts and victories of the Church. Yet, inquiring how she overcame such profound adverse forces, he recalls past experiences, saying, “They surrounded me on all sides” — the term “all nations” is not mentioned again here because it was the actions of the Jews alone that contributed to this persecution. The same religious community, the body of Christ for whom all was accomplished in mortal form with immortal power, faced oppressors who inflicted suffering upon His flesh, which was nailed to the cross.
They attacked me like a swarm of bees, igniting like fire among thorns; yet in the name of the Lord, I avenged myself (Psalm 117:12). The arrangement of these words mirrors the sequence of events. For it is fitting to understand that our Lord, the Head of the Church, faced persecution similarly to how bees besiege a hive. The Holy Spirit speaks with a mystical depth about those who acted without recognizing the significance of their actions. As bees generate honey in the hive, the persecutors, perhaps unknowingly, rendered Him sweeter to us through His Passion, allowing us to truly experience how sweet is the Lord who died for our sins and rose again for our justification (Romans 4:25). The latter, burned like fire among thorns, more aptly refers to His Body, comprised of the scattered believers encircled by all nations, suffering persecution with their sinful flesh. Those who persecuted the righteous, having departed, either united with the people of Christ or those who forsake the mercy of Him who called them will ultimately sense the truth of their Judge.
I was pushed severely, so that I stumbled, but the Lord supported me (Psalm 117:13). While many believers exist, when viewed collectively, they can seem like an innumerable grain of sand, yet they unite in one fellowship, forming a singular heap; and what is humanity without His remembrance? He did not say: “the multitude of the Gentiles could not surpass my assembly”; rather, he expresses, the Lord has upheld me. The persecution from the Gentiles could not disrupt the harmony of believers united in faith.
The Lord is my strength and my song, and He has become my salvation (Psalm 116:14). Who falls when pushed except those who rely on their own strength and praise? One only falters in a contest if their strength and praise have waned. Thus, one whose strength and praise is the Lord, shall not fall, as He does not falter. For this reason, He became their salvation — not because He changed into something He wasn't previously, but because when they placed their faith in Him, they transformed into something they hadn’t been before, and He became their salvation upon their turning toward Him, which He had not been to them when they turned away from Him.
The voice of rejoicing and salvation is heard in the abodes of the righteous (Psalm 117:15), while those who raged against their bodies perceived only cries of despair and ruin. They failed to grasp the inner joy of the saints buoyed by future hope. Hence, the apostle states, “I am sorrowful, yet always rejoicing” (2 Corinthians 6:10), and “We rejoice in our afflictions” (Romans 5:3).
The right hand of the Lord has executed mighty deeds (Psalm 117:16). What kinds of mighty deeds? He states, “The right hand of the Lord has elevated me.” What great acts are these— to raise the lowly, to bestow divine stature upon the mortal, to bring about excellence from weakness, glory from subjugation, and victory from suffering? All of this avails help and uplifts the distressed, revealing the true salvation of God to those who endure, while the rescue of men will remain ineffectual to the oppressors. These are marvelous deeds: but why be surprised? He reaffirms, the right hand of the Lord has accomplished great things.
I shall not die but live, and I will declare the works of the Lord (Psalm 117:17). Those who sow desolation and death all around believed the Church of Christ would perish. Observe how he now declares the works of the Lord. Throughout, Christ emerges as the glory of the blessed martyrs. In defeat, He triumphed over those who harmed Him; by enduring suffering, He vanquished the tormentors, loving those who opposed Him.
However, let us understand why the Body of Christ, the Holy Church, the people of adoption, have experienced such humility. The Lord, he declares, has chastened and instructed me, but has not delivered me to death (Psalm 116:18). The arrogant and wicked should not presume their authority is granted; they would possess it not had it not been bestowed from above. Like a father who instructs his sons through the most unworthy servants, while he bestows inheritance upon the former, he restrains the latter. What then does this inheritance entail? Is it merely gold, silver, or material riches? Consider how we access it and discern its essence.
“Open to me,” he says, “the gates of righteousness” (Psalm 117:19). We are informed of a gate. What lies beyond? “That I may enter them and express my gratitude to the Lord.” Here we encounter a reverent acknowledgement, full of astonishment, even within the house of God, where joy resonates and a voice of gratitude permeates among those who honor Him. This represents everlasting blessedness for the righteous, through which those dwelling in the Lord's house are blessed, praising Him eternally.
Reflect on how they approach the gates of righteousness. “The gate of the Lord,” says the righteous, “shall enter therein” (Psalm 116:20). No wicked person ought to enter this Jerusalem, which does not welcome the uncircumcised, for it is declared, “Outside are the dogs” (Revelation 22:15). It is sufficient that I have wandered long among the tents of Kedar, coexisting with the wicked; yet this is the Lord's gate: the righteous shall enter in.
I will give thanks to You, O Lord, for You have answered me and become my salvation (Psalm 116:21). How often has the proclamation of one who fails to indicate his injuries to the healer yet offers thanks for the restoration received been deemed praiseworthy? Nevertheless, the Healer is Himself Salvation.
But who is He we speak of? The stone which the builders rejected (Psalm 116:22), becoming the chief cornerstone, uniting both to create a single new man, thus fostering peace and reconciling both to God in one body (Ephesians 2:15-16)—both the circumcised and the uncircumcised.
“The Lord made it” (Psalm 117:23)—meaning, the Lord appointed Him as the cornerstone. Although He would not have assumed this role without suffering, it was not through those who inflicted suffering upon Him that He became this cornerstone. Those who constructed dismissed Him, but in the hidden construction of which the Lord is the architect, He became the head of the corner. This is wondrous in our sight; in the sight of the inner person, in the eyes of those who trust, hope, and love; not in the carnal eyes of those who scorned Him, seeing Him merely as human.
“This is the day which the Lord has made” (Psalm 117:24). This person recalls his earlier psalms where he expressed, “Because He has inclined His ear unto me, I will call upon Him as long as I live,” reflecting on former days; hence now he states, “This is the day which the Lord has made,” referring to the day of salvation given to him. It is the day described, “In a favorable time I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you” (Isaiah 49:8)—the day when the Mediator became the cornerstone. Therefore, let us rejoice and be glad in it.
“Save me, O Lord; prosper my way, O Lord” (Psalm 116:25). Because it is the day of Salvation, save me: we return from a long journey, distanced from those who despised the faith, who initially were at peace with us but bared war without cause; prosper our return, since You have become our Way.
THEOSIS